Yahoo typical install includes additional software and other defaults |
Loading ...I’ve been praising Yahoo lately for some of its efforts like their various APIs, releasing the competing YPN, the MyWeb toolbar functionality and the integration with Y!Q for highlighting a section of text and getting the contextual search results through Yahoo search.
The only negative Yahoo news I’ve mentioned lately has been the unrest with some Flickr users. But hold the phones, this was merely a bump in the road, compared to their reported software installation practices:
By accepting Yahoo’s “typical” installation of YIM with Voice, it will also download Yahoo’s Search Toolbar with anti-spyware and anti-pop-up software, desktop and system tray shortcuts, as well as Yahoo Extras, which will insert Yahoo links into the Internet Explorer browser. The IM client also contains “live words,” which will automatically show an icon when the user highlights words online and then hyperlink to Yahoo search results, definitions or translation tools. Finally, the installation will alter the users’ home page and auto-search functions to point to Yahoo by default.
Come on, this is just sleazy, Yahoo. I’ve barked at Microsoft several times for checking the boxes to change homepage and search by default, but installing extra software as part of a default installation is something to be expected from spyware vendors! If it’s such a benefit to customers (and remember, I think several of these tools are) then why the need for sneaky installation tactics?
I sure hope nobody comes back with: “but it is all disclosed in our EULA.” Please. EULAs these days are black holes for anybody but those entrenched in the legal profession. It’s time to get back to simple, straightforward, plain language. Something that is in big letters that says just how much liberating of other programs will happen along with a “default” installation.
Word to the wise: always choose ‘custom installation’!
Wonder if Jeremy Zawodny, Russell Beattie or any of their other blogging employees will address these installation practices? Do they agree with them? Like/dislike them? Or are they hoping this story gets buried with the holidays and other more pressing stories in current news? It takes stones to stand up when your company is doing something wrong and IMO, this is very, very wrong. I sure hope somebody internally over there is complaining about these questionable software installation practices. If they aren’t complaining, I hope somebody is at least questioning them.
Anybody?
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http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/005121.html
Comment by Jeremy Zawodny — September 2, 2005 @ 12:40 am PST
No, you may not change my f’ing home page!
In CNet’s article Yahoo IM users get more than they bargained for: If you’re one of the tens of millions of Yahoo users asked to upgrade your instant-messaging software this week, be on your toes: The update can open the door to unwanted PC housegues…
Trackback by Jeremy Zawodny's blog — September 2, 2005 @ 12:54 am PST
Thank you for the response, Jeremy. It’s good to know that this practice is not wholly embraced over there. Hopefully the company will acknowledge that this practice is wrong and work to alter this practice in the future.
Comment by TDavid — September 2, 2005 @ 9:49 am PST
[…] This is especially important and relevant when attributing quotes, meaning and context to something that was never suggested like the brief, but ardent exchange I had with Jeremy Zawodny on Yahoo’s software installation practices a couple weeks ago. Jeremy revisited the situation yesterday when he discovered his words had been twisted: Big shock, huh? Slashdot, known for their world-class editorial standards, cited the recent BusinessWeek story about Yahoo and decided that I was complaining about Yahoo! supporting adware. […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » BusinessWeek and Slashdot get context wrong, writes Zawodny — September 22, 2005 @ 12:13 pm PST
[…] My Thoughts - search results were returned very slowwwwly and/or timed out. I had trouble logging in on one test machine (login is not required to use the service). This reminded me of Friday with Google’s new RSS reader. What is up with these big search companies releasing products — even as beta — that have slow search? That’s what they are supposed to be good at doing. There aren’t zillions of podcasts out there so there is no huge index issue, er excuse. Yeah, it’s beta, but come on it’s 3am here … I can’t make excuses for this one. Plug in a few more servers, please! - clicking “Listen” launches a popup to choose to listen in browser using Windows Media, Real or Quicktime in a wide variety of bandwidths (don’t forget to turn off the popup blocker). - clicking “Subscribe” first goes to a screen to explain how subscribing to a podcast works. Very nice, succint walkthrough with small, relevant screencaps. I noticed that my (older) Yahoo Music Engine on my test machine was buggy (kept crashing and restarting Windows) so I went and updated the software. Be sure to choose “custom install” and uncheck the software you don’t want. Guess that’s at least one advantage of releasing new services that interact with each other. […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » Yahoo Podcasts gives podcasters more free exposure — October 10, 2005 @ 9:15 am PST
[…] So many times defaults are taken for granted by companies. Head’s up to the powers that be: we can actually turn things on if we want to. […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » To be continued, and continued, Google Video oops — March 30, 2006 @ 3:15 pm PST
[…] Guess I’ll look to the comments and other bloggers/websites to educate me on why our household would need or want this software. It’s pretty sad commentary when I can’t be motivated to download something free. Just because it’s from Yahoo isn’t enough and in some respects is a diss since Yahoo tends to want to install other crap onto my system that I don’t want or need. […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » Yahoo says “me too” on the DVR scene? — April 26, 2006 @ 12:43 pm PST
[…] Please keep your cliched Do No Evil handbook close by, Google. Yahoo has practically destroyed their software brand at least in our household by too many software installation shenanigans. […]
Pingback by Make You Go Hmm: » Google investors conference call on Dell deal AKA more stuff to remove from new computers — May 31, 2006 @ 2:53 pm PST