Is it just me or does every installer for a suite, application or utility out there has to cram some sort of web toolbar in your face before you can move on?
It used to be that open source software used to be relatively free of bundleware junk, but now I’ve lost count of how many times I had to uncheck some sort of Toolbar on all sorts of programs. Honestly, why would I need another search toolbar when both IE and FF have built-in search boxes which link to whatever search provider you want? Why would you need more junk on your page when you can’t even handle what little you see on the screen space?
WTF?!
Using a toolbar to search the web is like using a pair of tongs to open a doorknob.
Just as bad as those who bundle this nonsense with every installer are the people who blindly install whatever comes with their software. A lot of people, I’m sure, don’t even pay attention to the junk being installed with their newly downloaded game, app or porn. But if you have that much junk on your browser then you probably should be kept away from the web to begin with. I can only imagine how many viruses etc… have made it to your system because you never read the little popup that comes up during the installation and click “OK” each and every time.
I’ve adopted a new personal rule that every time I come across a computer with a whole bunch of unneeded junk on their browser, the owner automatically earns the following in their hosts file….
0.0.0.0 google.com http://www.google.com maps.google.com news.google.com
0.0.0.0 msn.com http://www.msn.com
0.0.0.0 yahoo.com http://www.yahoo.com
0.0.0.0 ask.com http://www.ask.com
0.0.0.0 live.com http://www.live.com mail.live.com
0.0.0.0 bing.com http://www.bing.com
0.0.0.0 facebook.com http://www.facebook.com
0.0.0.0 flickr.com http://www.flickr.com
0.0.0.0 youtube.com http://www.youtube.com
0.0.0.0 amazon.com http://www.amazon.com
0.0.0.0 twitter.com http://www.twitter.com
0.0.0.0 ebay.com http://www.ebay.com
0.0.0.0 apple.com http://www.apple.com
0.0.0.0 espn.com espn.go.com
For the sake of all competent users everywhere, enjoy cyberspace oblivion you nincompoop!
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Whenever I reformat my hard drive (frighteningly often…), I end up reinstalling Java, and to this day it still prompts me with an inquiry about installing the Yahoo toolbar on my web browser.
I didn’t realize Yahoo was even still around!
Just happened to me today while I was installing Java 6.20. Same thing happens with Open Office as well.
Yeah, I thought people just used Yahoo for the email.
Speaking of which… Remember this commercial? I’m gonna be needing that stuff pretty soon ;)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Thank you. I needed a laugh. And, so true. Toolbar schmoolbar.
Heh. Hosts file, you evil so and so :-)