tweet. "okay non millennials, if you're so smart, which one is the right button to download a movie?" image of various 'download now' buttons on a webpage

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[–] 292 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Millennial here. The true answer is None Of The Above. The actual download button is just a blue link somewhere on the page, probably among all of the torrent info.

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  • [–] 121 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    This is the correct answer. It might also be the filename shown. If you can put your cursor over that it might become underlined. All big Download buttons are not to be trusted.

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago

    It always irked me back in the day when cnet was still a useful source because they modeled their buttons that way. Then they eventually became the garbage the site appeared to be at first glance.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Gen Z here. I usually look for the magnet link to copy paste into my torrent client. I think that bypasses the download button problem.

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  • [–] 106 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    You drag the button. If it takes with it more than just a button, it is an ad.

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  • [–] 154 points 1 year ago (16 children)

    Stop. Install your favorite ad blocker, like ublock origin. Refresh.

    Work smarter not harder

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    Why was it ever disabled to start with?

    Every time a dodgy site has asked me to disable it, it still doesn't work, and now you have a bunch of tracking cookies and has to look at ads for other porn sites.

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  • [+] 81 points 1 year ago (8 children)
  • [–] 42 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    YEA! We just kept closing popups till we got the right one!!!!

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    And then your friend sends you a link to the "You Are An Idiot" gag site so you just have to reboot.

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  • [–] 21 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Forgot to turn the volume down, instant regret as the speakers on the family computer scream ”HI EVERYBODY I’M LOOKING AT GAY PORNO”

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago

    No lie, this is how I learnt keyboard hotkeys as a kid. I'd click middle mouse to open a link on the site in a new tab, with my hand ready to go on Ctrl + W. The nanosecond I detected a fake site, I'd closer that sucker and move onto the next link.

    Oh boy did I bring a lot of viruses on my computer in the process in the name of efficiency & greed (& hefty amount of stupidity).

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago

    About 2 years ago I spent most of a Christmas sorting out my MIL's new laptop, uninstalling junk and whatnot, and I tossed ublock origin on there. A few days ago I came back to sort out the Realtek audio drivers which uninstalled themselves via Windows Update. I find she has an entirely different laptop now, branded as"Acemagic" but through the magic of forced Microsoft Sign-in ublock origin synced to Edge on this new laptop, and there was no crapware installed despite the laptop clearly being in use for about 6 months already!

    TL;DR install ublock origin on your parents computers to save yourself some trouble down the line

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  • [–] 14 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    Even with uBlock Origin, some pirate sites still have this problem because the ads either are not typical ad elements or are not in the block list. Very common with sites that host pirated android apps, in my experience.

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  • [–] 152 points 1 year ago (3 children)
  • [–] 56 points 1 year ago*

    No matter where you click, it'll open some pop-unders for the first few clicks.

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  • [–] 54 points 1 year ago

    In the very top right of the browser window, there should be a little 'X' button. That's the one you wanna click.

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  • [–] 50 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The vanilla HTML button on the bottom

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  • [–] 49 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Trick question, the link is a plain blue hyoerlink near the bottom of the page you haven't scrolled to yet

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  • [–] 49 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    The little grey button at the bottom of the screen

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  • [–] 48 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    It's a trick question. This window is a pop-up

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    [–] 49 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I honestly don't see one that looks right.

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  • [–] 57 points 1 year ago (19 children)

    The ones that don't say "advertisement" under.. as a gen z that commits regular piracy

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  • [–] 68 points 1 year ago (16 children)

    There are 3 "downloads" there without advertisement written under them. Just use the most basic looking button, it's like how the holy grail is the most plain looking one.

    That or just use devtools/inspect elements.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago

    When you hover your mouse over a clickable area that will send you somewhere, the address shows up at the bottom of your browser. You look at where the link is pointing in order to choose correctly.

    Also, none of the above. I use VPN + LibreWolf browser with built in good adblocking + a site like thepiratebay.org + using the magnet links from my search and download my movies and shows with QBittorrent.

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Nah, I back out if that Frankenstein curse of a website and go somewhere else to find the download. There is no glory to be found here.

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  • [–] 16 points 1 year ago

    That's all fine and dandy until you're trying to download a .bin file containing a 12 year old version of the firmware that an ancient piece of tech your entire network relies on up and running again. Sometimes you do what you gotta do.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (9 children)

    How do dev tools help? As a web dev, I know that easily may provide no valuable info

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Inspect the element and check the url to see its destination. It's not perfect but it usually shows what links go to unknown sites.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    But that assume it's not a form or javascript driven button. I would agree if you say both of those methods are sketchier, but that doesn't mean they aren't legit for sure.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago* (3 children)

    Maybe they aren't legit, but I have had success using these methods.

    Edited my comment as I thought I was replying to the other guy.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    I'm saying your method can work but also just because you don't see a link that looks right, it's not necessarily proof of malfeasance. Could just be a weird web dev choice, or a concerted effort to keep other services from scraping links from their page. Which maybe you already know, just adding that for anyone who does not know.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I'm saying your method can work but also just because you don't see a link that looks right, it's not necessarily proof of malfeasance.

    True, but with as many links as the post has it's a good way to narrow down your options, plus I assume every link on a site like this is probably malicious in some way; no risk no reward I guess.

    And in situations where this method doesn't work I can just revert to the ole' holy grail strategy (which is clearly perfect in every way).

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  • [–] 19 points 1 year ago

    non, you wait for the donwload to start automatically, if not, update all your adblocks and try the button with no url when you hover over it

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  • [–] 17 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Look at all the peasants with no arrs.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (2 children)
  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Guess how many strawberries with 5 R's I'm holding on my left hand while riding a pterosaur?

    What a fun and imaginative scenario! Riding a pterosaur and holding strawberries (with 5 R’s!) in your left hand—now that’s a scene straight out of a fantastical adventure.

    Let me guess… You’re holding fouRRRRR strawberries! (That’s four with five R’s, for extra emphasis and strawberry power.)

    If I’m wrong, maybe you can give me a clue—or tell me if the pterosaur is jealous of your fruity snack! 🍓🦖

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  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago (1 child)
  • [–] 15 points 1 year ago

    The real answer is a question - Is the timer still running ?

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  • [–] 13 points 1 year ago

    Bottom white one?

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    Editing the URL so it directs to the file

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    Curious. The only winning move is not to play.

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  • [–] 11 points 1 year ago

    None of them.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago

    I don't see the tiny blue link, so probably none.

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    🧲 links ftw, simply ctrl-u ctrl-f magnet:

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    As a millenial: i have no idea. I haven't seen ads on a download page in such a long time. Really takes me back...

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  • [–] 26 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    Install an adblocker and take the guesswork away, but likely the orange one at the bottom.

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  • [–] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    It’s actually the one below that. It says “Download or watch”

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago

    An adblock doesn't necessarily help here. Those work by blocking pictures from being loaded from domains that usually serve ads. Here, they're likely hosting the download link images on their own server, but they'll send you someplace you don't want to go.

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    Adblock, also if you're not sure you can inspect element

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago

    My grandma told me to click them all until one works.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    I'll go with the small red download button in the middle.

    It could be the very bottom one, but it probably says advertisement under that and it's just been cropped out.

    But even the correct button is likely to launch you into a popup to try and get you to download a "downloader" of some description, as if that's not literally the sole function of a fucking web browser, and then suddenly you've been taken to livejasmin.com or a sketchy gambling site targetted at Asians.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago

    Kobiyashi Maru it

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago

    A strange game. The only winning move is not to play.

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