Mozilla Flips Kill-Switch On Skype Toolbar 284
An anonymous reader writes "Whenever Skype is installed or updated, it automatically installs the Skype Toolbar add-on for Firefox. Unfortunately, the add-on causes serious performance problems, slowing down some operations by a factor of 300 and is one of the top causes for Firefox crashes. As a result, Mozilla has decided to 'soft-block' the add-on, effectively killing it on all Firefox installs unless the user intentionally re-enables it. Given the extreme popularity of Skype, this has ramifications for millions of users."
do it mozilla. (Score:5, Insightful)
the skype toolbar is junk anyway.
wait, let me fix it for myself
toolbars are junk anyway.
All I have to say is... (Score:5, Insightful)
All I have to say is good for them! Yahoo toolbar here, Some-Terribly-Pointless toolbar there... as I warn people I know, always press the "Advanced Install" option and if possible.
Skype is Adware, there I said it. Do something without the user's consent or knowledge (what is a EULA?)... I mean who uses a Skype toolbar anyway? Most people I ask usually reply, "Well I didn't know how to get rid of it..."
Rabble rabble rabble...I hate these types of software "bonuses" and blatant "promotions". Is it just me or do companies not realize that these practices usually make the customer angry? (I mean it certainly doesn't make them happy every time they view something they disabled.) /endrant
Re:But you still can't uninstall it... (Score:5, Insightful)
WHY is it grayed out? WHY MOZILLA? Tell us?
This is not acceptable, the button should always be enabled even if the file is a plugin and resides outside of mozilla's profile folders, have a delete plugin file button. When you click it if you don't have the user rights to delete the file it should automatically throw a user escalation prompt.
How hard is it to get this right? COME ON!
While we are at it forbid installation of plugins and extensions without direct user approval from inside firefox. What OTHER installers are doing to firefox shouldn't be trusted, not at all.
Two Comments (Score:1, Insightful)
1. Skype shouldn't have the ability to install an extension without explicit user agreement. I believe this is Mozilla's fault, it has been abused by others as well. Fix the extension installation process.
2. There shouldn't be a kill switch to an extension. It may be used in a benign form today, but tomorrow perhaps it will be used to kill an extension that allows users to see Facebook pictures, or whatever. I don't wan't that in my browser.
Basically, let me decide what I install in my browser (as well as my computer). It's simple.
Dear Mozilla (Score:5, Insightful)
"This program tried to install a toolbar, you probably don't need it and it's probably full of ads. The nephew you always call when you have computer trouble would seriously be mad if you enable it. Would you like to enable it at this time? If so, please type in 'yes, I'd like to be inundated with ads and malware please' in the box bellow."
Re:This is why... (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh, but you "asked" for it when you didn't bother to uncheck the "Yes, install Skype Toolbar!" button during installation. Never mind that it's checked by default and most people just click "Next" until the thing is finished...
Re:Auto-Installing *anything* needs to die. (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple installing safari automatically (but apple is already evil so that wasn't too much of a surprise).
Apple never automatically installed Safari on Windows machines. When you use Apple's updater it will have Safari checked as an additional, optional install but you can uncheck that and Safari won't be installed. It's not hidden or automatic, the user can check or uncheck the box as they desire.
You are wrong, sorry:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9901006-7.html [cnet.com]
When they first introduced the tactic, it was not listed under "optional installs", but right alongside iTunes under "updates" or whatever, so it looked like an update to something you already had. For years, I just clicked "yes" to the apple updater, because it was always just there to update software I had (iTunes). And then one day, it said Safari needed an update, even though I didn't have it installed. Well, *I* noticed this, but plenty of other people didn't.
After a little while, they moved it from "updates" to "additional installs" or whatever, but it was still checked by default. People had to pay attention, and normally with software updaters, you just say yes - its an "update".
You build a certain level of trust with a user that your "updater" will only be used for updates, and it is an abuse of that trust to use it for installing new software without making it extremely clear that something has changed (like not having it checked by default, or having a prompt that is different from the usual software's behavior).
You may say it would be my fault for getting duped, but what about my mom? She doesn't have a lot of money, so her computer is a few years old. She's also not very computer savvy, so she falls victim to every one of these things, and her computer is constantly loaded up with extra junk. All she wants to do is log onto facebook to message her children, and her computer is so slow she can't really do that anymore.
The bottom line is:
*When someone like Apple tricks a user into installing new software, they're cheating old ladies out of communication with their loved ones just to pump up their install base.*
That is true sleezeball move.
Re:But you still can't uninstall it... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Auto-Installing *anything* needs to die. (Score:4, Insightful)
... The fact that Apple later moved the install into an "optional" section at least shows that they made a move in the right direction.
Yes, I didn't mean to say it was automatic, you had to click the "ok" button, but when they call it an update even though its not installed, that's just as sleazy as an auto-install.
Why would you even bother trying to show them in a positive light after something like that? It was shitty, and they made it slightly less shitty after people complained. That's like raping you for a while, and then deciding to put on a condom to make it better. "A move in the right direction" doesn't mean shit when you're already so far off from the "right" direction.
I know the original article was about auto-installs, and I may have accidentally lumped this in with that, but my point was that people need to stop doing shady things to install stuff on your computer - whether completely automated, or just deceptive. Its my computer and I'm sick of having to be vigilant all the time. Or actually, I don't mind being vigilant because its easy for me, (but I'd still rather not have to) but I'm sick of these people making crap that overloads my mom's computer. I know you can't stop spammers and bad people, but Skype and McAfee and Apple aren't *supposed* to act like spammers and bad people! You should be able to trust companies like that to not screw up your machine. I mean McAfee is an *antivirus* company! They're supposed to fight malware, not create it!