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You do realize you are downloading the Yahoo! version of IE7, you really didnt expect it to do that?
So sneaky, but not without your consent.
As such, this news doesn't surprise me but instead merely reinforces my already negative opinion of that company as a gang of ethically malodorous slimeballs ready and willing to descend to the same sorts of "sales" techniques normally seen on the slimiest porno sites.
Such an inconvenience.
isn't supposed that it should work the other way??
I know my parents and siblings would be fooled into accepting the default changes and then struggle to figure out how to switch back.
It was difficult to miss, right in the open like that. But I wonder if the two things are related.
Let me make a quick point.
The part that got me steamed about all of this is Yahoo upgrading Internet Explorer.
I have used IE6 for a long time, for many reasons. I did not want to switch to IE7, be it with Yahoo's settings or not.
When I logged into Yahoo IM yesterday it gave me a simple message asking me to update my IM version to the new Yahoo Live. It asked me, as part of the upgrade, if I would like to use the Auto-update feature. Normally I am skittish at-best of auto-updates, but hey why not do it right?
Well little did I know did they also planned on auto-updating Internet Explorer as well.
I'm sure they mentioned it in there somewhere, but it was not obvious.
And yes, I am a savvy internet user. It's guaranteed that if I did, so would millions of others.
I'm not saying that other companies don't do this shit. And I'm not saying its the end of the world.
But. it is being done none-the-less, and is definity news worthy.
The other thing that really gave me kicks was to see the tug-of-war between the Google toolbar and Yahoo toolbar, trying to prevent eachother from making changes. It would have made a great comic strip.
I'd say that all's fair in love and browser/search engine wars. I'm always concerned about Google's domination of market share, and I hope this tactic, though a bit dirty, will help Yahoo! retrieve some of their share.
Of course, with Google being equally dirty with their "OMG, No! Don't change away from us!" it's not likely to cause much of a switch, IMO.
I upgraded to the new Yahoo IM because it is the IM we use for our internal ops.
The message that popped up about enabling auto-update said nothing about also updating Internet Explorer.
I was duped, and I'm sure there are plenty of others out there less internet savvy then I.
I'm not saying that other companies don't do this, just that this seemed particularly sneaky.
The other funny part of it was watching the Google and Yahoo toolbars trying to prevent each other from changing setting. It was hilarious. One pop-up warning after the other. It would make a good comic strip.
I call FUD (a.k.a. bullshit) on this story.
The side column of the install clearly explains the consequences and I dont see it as "Dirty tactics" at all.
To label this story as currently titled is just pure sensationalism....
So what's the story? Why the Yahoo bashing?
Yahoo is sneaky, crafty, duplicitous, help me find the words.
When you download Yahoo's version of IE7, that action alone implies that you want your browser to be optimized for Yahoo.
I did not download IE7. Yahoo automatically downloaded it for me as part of their auto-update program for Yahoo Instant Messenger. And nowhere, upfront, does it say that when you agree to let yahoo auto-update its Instant Messsnger, does it say that it will update other programs like IE.
But thats exactly what it did.
YIM try to upgrade IE to IE7 (yahoo version) without permission and switch all settings from google to yahoo.
The point is that this is semi-new crap, and is worthy of being reported.
I want to hear every time one of these companies makes a major move like this.
It is important for people to hear about it.
And for any of you doubting this was a major move think about the tens of millions of Yahoo Instant Messenger users that got "auto-upgraded".
I'm willing to bet that there were at least a few idiots like me that clicked on that seemingly harmless "Accept" button... It's easy to assume that Yahoo & Microsoft gained millions of IE7/Yahoo users from this one stunt.
Now, don't get me wrong. I can easily go through and switch everything back. but that's not the point. I shouldn't have too...
This is only the start of the year. We will have plenty of things to report on!
There was another update problem a few weeks ago, which I didn't partake in. This is a new update.
This week's Messenger Update window does not have a tickbox to say "leave me alone for a while about this update".
I agree that Yahoo has been getting uglier for a while now, but many people like the yahoo life.
I agree that they are preying and underhanded in their tactics toward naive users.
Google does some very sneaky things, such as their attempts at invasion of privacy, and I see very little of the outcry that I see for even the most minor questionable things that Yahoo or the original evil empire, Microsoft, does. Its a Conspiracy!!!!
Some of you here should go back to your Google-shrines and continue worshiping your new God.
I'm sure Andy will be covering plenty of Google's screw ups this year.
The year is still young.
We can list 100 more ways Google has messed up. I personally hate the fact that I'm still using Google Analytics. If I wasn't already a user of Urchin win it was switched to Google, I probably would have never have used it.
Now I'm stuck with years of Analytics history in a program that takes me 3-6 hours to get updates from. I'm just now seeing the few clicks that trickled in from this post early this morning (over 6 hours ago).
Anways, we can rant on Google another time.
What ever happened to being able to bash a company for doing something shady, without having to bash all of its competitors too at the same time.
There are plenty of stories out there talking about what Google and Microsoft have done thats been shady.
It's ok to bash just one company at a time folks.... :)
http://news.com.com/1606-2-6144280.html
It seems odd to me that people are too lazy to click a button and a few checkboxes, but will spend the time to bitch about the evil install experience on a forum like this.
You're right. I'm looking at the version number in IE. It's still IE6. I assumed that the new "Tabs" I was seeing were because of an upgrade to IE7. I have had IE6 for years now, and did not plan on upgrading.
The new tabs I am seeing are part of Yahoo's new toolbar. Don't I feel like an Ass.
So it appears that the only story here is how clever they were to get me to "Agree" to letting them install their new Toolbar and messing with my Browser settings.
So I guess I'm the fool for not over analyzing every little message Yahoo throws my way. I guess I just trusted that after 2 years of using their product they would treat me with a little more courtesy.
Yahoo, Google, MSN... Please dont assume I want you to switch my browser settings everytime I download, or upgrade, one of your other tools.
And if your going to make me go dig through custom settings in order to prevent you from changing all my shit, you should expect more rants like this.
Plus Google isn't doing this for our security, but moreso to ensure that it makes it trickier to change the default search page away from them. Toolbars suck, especially Google, Alexa and Yahoo bars. You don't need them in this day and age - all browsers (IE, Firefox, Opera) have addons that can give you whatever feature you need and want.
What you are saying is done by Yahoo! has been the standard for a long time! nothing new here!
Yep, I got duped.
1 up for Yahoo's clever new toolbar and auto-update feature..
I never see this problem on the LINUX or Mac machines I maintain; it's only a problem on the Microsoft OS.
Yep, I got the Yahoo Toolbar (that I don't use). I got some crap for Yahoo mail (that I don't use). I got three or four other things that I also un-installed via Ad/Remove Programs. I also had to change my default search engine back to Google (took me a little while to figure out.
The most annoying thing, though, was some weird translation tips or something. When you hovered over some words in the browser, you would get a pop-up tip with some translation in a language I didn't know. I have no idea exactly what it was and couldn't figure out how to get rid of it. It stayed on my PC until it died a couple of months back.
Bullshit.
This happens IF YOU CHOOSE TO INSTALL THE YAHOO TOOLBAR.
Google does the EXACT SAME THING.
I think the wars between google and the others are just starting to heat up.
Who knows what they will start doing next
jMan
http://searchengine.jeremygaul.com/
I was pleased with that.
They are very sneaky into getting you to pay big $$$ for each "click" without you even realizing it. 24 hours later...you're down at least $50.00....even $100...on up...with nothing to show for it!
Google Adwords and MSN are so much better!
Microshaft don't care what you do as long as you buy their products. They are like Boyscouts compared to Googles agenda.
For a clean search engine I use searchalot.com as I have for years.