Warp2Search.net » News » March 2005 » Flash deceptively bundles the Yahoo Toolbar

This is just a very bad move. The Macromedia Flash Player is now by default bundling the Yahoo Toolbar. Just when you think some things online were a sure thing, companies like Macromedia have to come mess with it.



Why?
"As far as I could tell online flash content was even more dominate then Java. Why mess with a good thing? The reasoning is simple, money. Some executive had the not so bright idea to try and make more money by pushing the Yahoo Toolbar with their company's most reputable and widely downloaded product, the Flash Player."

PopTech

FaaR Unregistered

#59749 Posted on: 03/09/2005 02:10 PM What's the big f'n deal here? It's not neccessary to actually install the thing. Just say no when it asks, PROBLEM SOLVED!!! Stop trying to find scandals where none exists. Did anyone ever pay to download the flash player? No? Well then, stop whining. There's also the option to not install any free macromedia stuff at all of course, ever considered that? :-P

Rosco Member Posts: 24 Joined: 2005-02-09

#59752 Posted on: 03/09/2005 02:41 PM Damn the Yahoo man

SuperTechie Unregistered

#59755 Posted on: 03/09/2005 08:10 PM It's easy to say no at installation as noted above. The real issues with Macromedia are some of their other sneaky practices, like letting flash & shockwave developers put their own cookies & other identifying data on user's hard drives without their knowledge and without any GUI way of removing them. I 1st discovered this after some sites started remembering my computer and set certain content that I didn't want. After clearing all other info, such as the browser cache, cookies, and java cache, the site still remembered me. Most identifying data is in: documents and settingsusernameapplication datamacromediavarious named subdirectories nested after that. And who knows where else they might hide something! If they don't clean up their act their reputation will go to the toidy bowl.

ewwhww01 Unregistered

#59757 Posted on: 03/09/2005 08:30 PM I have Flash turned off on my computer. Too many websites have started using Flash to post distracting ads because they can't suceed with pop-ups anymore.

Mastertech Junior Member Posts: 2 Joined: 2005-04-13

#59758 Posted on: 03/09/2005 09:38 PM I see the point, Flash never tried to install any other software before. This is very deceptive for the new user and easy for them to click on next without looking. Considering the Flash Player was free for years with no hassle this is pretty sleazy of Macromedia.

Faust Unregistered

#59759 Posted on: 03/09/2005 10:51 PM One of the real issues here is that MOST users are not computer savvy and fall prey to this bullschit. At the end of the install they even ask you to reg the product and if you click "Finish" and not enter any info, it will tell you you must and give you the same tab with the asterisk pointing at what info is needed. Click it one more time without entering info and it will let you out. That is VERY deceiving. A lame way of gathering info by any standards.

Juomaru Senior Member Posts: 115 Joined: 2002-03-29

#59765 Posted on: 03/10/2005 02:24 AM First he says: It makes sense too why I am finding the Yahoo Toolbar installed on clients machines all over the place. "By default I always install the Google Toolbar" and real Spyware protection not the ineffective Yahoo Toolbar that includes some form of the false positive prone Pest Patrol. -->What he meant "by default"? So if they bundle Google toolbar and other real spyware then it is a-okay? Then he says: There are some arguments that there is a clear option to select to not install the Yahoo Toolbar but this is completely unacceptable. The two choices blend in to the page: 1. Get Flash Player 7 with Yahoo! Toolbar FREE (Default) 2. Get Flash Player only FREE -->I want to know what is acceptable to him if the company wants to change the software bundle in a way that would meet his Majesty's PERSONAL APPROVAL. Finally he says: Spyware? While the Yahoo Toolbar is in effect NOT Spyware and actually includes a simplistic form of AntiSpyware protection, it is still not wanted. In this respect people label unwanted bundled applications negatively. In this instance I cannot blame them. Macromedia needs to seriously rethink their strategy here. When I download Flash, all I want installed is Flash, period. -->How does the 2 choices in the download page STOP him from downloading flash player only. -->For the love of God, even when someone lets you download FREE software, they don't even have "the rights" to "suggest" or "recommend" other software products to you at the same time.

Mastertech Junior Member Posts: 2 Joined: 2005-04-13

#59768 Posted on: 03/10/2005 03:18 AM "What he meant "by default"? So if they bundle Google toolbar and other real spyware then it is a-okay?" -->I didn't read that at all. Macromedia should not be bundling anything with Flash and he was meerly giving some reasons why he doesn't use the Yahoo Toolbar. "I want to know what is acceptable to him if the company wants to change the software bundle in a way that would meet his Majesty's PERSONAL APPROVAL." -->How about change it back so you just download flash and nothing else? "How does the 2 choices in the download page STOP him from downloading flash player only." -->It is about the average user who will not know any better and for everyone else it is an annoyance. "For the love of God, even when someone lets you download FREE software, they don't even have "the rights" to "suggest" or "recommend" other software products to you at the same time." -->How about we don't use Flash then? The Yahoo Toolbar has nothing to do with Flash. It is annoying enough we have to go to their site to download the damn player let alone be bombarded with advertising crap.

Warp2Search.net » News » March 2005 » Flash deceptively bundles the Yahoo Toolbar