[pwinnski]

If you're going to rant about details, it helps to actually get the details right.

For example, showing a screenshot that doesn't contain the word "malware" and then saying:

> Using my application name and the word "malware" in one sentence is suggestive and extremely offensive by Apple.

Does not fill me with much hope that the author is detail-oriented. I'll keep reading, and I know already that the notarizing process isn't smooth, but my "snowflake meter" is already in the yellow zone, and I've yet to reach the part of the essay labeled "Part 1"

[AlexandrB]

Is the difference between "malware" and "malicious software" really that meaningful that it undermines the overall point of the piece?

[Angostura]

For me, yes - it did undermine the case that the author was making. It was sloppy. If he got this one simple thing wrong, can I trust his other complaints?

[moooo99]

FWIW, the author seems to be German speaking and in the German version of macOS, Apple actually uses "malware" in their notarization popup instead of the German equivalent of "malicious software" (de: bösartige software).

I think it's very possible that the author changed his os language to take the screenshots suitable for an international audience and did not immediately notice the slight difference in wording.

[pwinnski]

I had not considered this possibility! Thanks for the call-out. The author's English is excellent, and I hadn't realized until I saw your comment that NeoFinder is indeed from a German site.

https://www.cdfinder.de/en/downloads.html

[kens]

I had the same initial reaction about misquoting. However, Apple also uses dialog boxes that use the word "malware", specifically: "macOS cannot verify that this app is free from malware." See screenshots at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202491

[saagarjha]

There is also a dialog that claims an app will harm your Mac and you should drag it to the trash.

[duckworth]

technically not the exact word but malware is just a portmanteau for "malicious software", which is in the screenshot

[flohofwoe]

The shown dialog box quite heavily implies that "NeoFinder" might be malware, and that the fault is with the application developer and not with Apple.

[jahewson]

It’s a fair point, though the dialog I usually see says “macOS cannot verify that this app is free of malware”. Presumably that’s because Apple scans the uploaded executable for malware during notorization.

[pwinnski]

Unless your dialog box is quite different from the one in the article, it says that the app "can't be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software."

Which means the same thing, and if there weren't quotes around the words, a paraphrase is fine. But if you put quotes around a word or phrase, then it should be accurate, or I will start to wonder if your attention to detail is adequate to things like, um, notarizing software.

[Causality1]

Exactly what do you think "malware" is short for?