I guess this is what happens when people aren't willing to pay for software, there are plenty of really good ftp clients out there for not very much money.
The thing is open source programs often build their success on the fact they are free, get a lot users quickly, feedback and discussions on their forums on how to improve it, free translations from users, sometime patches, etc. Then when they suddenly exploit all this by adding ads, people are understandably upset.
It's just a fact of life that open source software won't make you rich. Either they are ok with it, or they create a commercial product from the start. But adding crapware afterwards is not a proper solution.
I disagree, paying customers wouldn't put up with a malware infested version of FileZilla, this stuff only really exists at the "free" end of the market.
This is empirically false. Video games have shipped with highly-intrusive rootkits and malware disguised as DRM for years, and it tends to be worse on the higher-end products, vs the shovelware/free-to-play/open-source.
You can find a few counter examples but they never last because the commercial pressure is too high, the obvious example is Sony, are they still deploying rootkits? Lenovo is another example that has started cleaning up its act.
Would these companies change if their only source of funds was the malware? I don't think so.
Not really, It's just that it's obvious at the free end of the market.
Proprietary software can do whatever it feels like on your computer and you would be hard pressed to know until it was too late.
A few large companies have been implicated in root-kits / backdoors / random horrible deliberate security practices. These are probably just as destructive as replacing your browser search bar or installing some fake AV software.
Free isn't the problem. Bundling crap-ware with otherwise audit-able open source software is the problem.
Well, Steam seems to be growing pretty nicely... Also, for most users a good Browser is all they need. Which is why I love Chromebooks as an option for most people.
This doesn't detract from your point, but... there are plenty of games for Linux nowadays. It cannot compete with Windows, of course, but thanks to Steam, the Humble Bundle, etc., we can now enjoy a multitude of videogames, including AAA titles. And plenty of indies, of course.
There are! It's exciting to see so many games coming to Linux. I don't generally play games in my spare time, but I am glad the state of the art is beginning to make its way to this side.
