What is Digg?157 Comments
- ScornForSega, on 10/12/2007, -8/+127@skored
They could start by pulling all that ***** off their homepage. Do I give a ***** what the critics think of Justin Timberlake's acting? Do I care if David Beckham is worth $250 million? And do I give a good god damn about a breakfast food that helps me eat less?
***** NO, I just wanted to search the internet.
Google >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yahoo. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -5/+94@skored
No, Yahoo needs to deliver a better search experience and earn users legitimately.
I used to use Yahoo mail. Google created a better email service and I switched. Google earned my loyalty because the product was better. - MacNTT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+65It is too bad though. User choice should be based on quality of service, not who has the sneakiest programmers. :-/
- skored, on 10/12/2007, -18/+77At this point Yahoo! needs to do whatever they can to get some people using their search engine - so this does not surprise me at all...
- Alfdog, on 10/12/2007, -1/+55Instead of learning from the competitors that are beating them, they do something totally AOLish... how brilliant.
- ArthurSucks, on 10/12/2007, -2/+53Another reason to use Gaim?
- MajorD, on 10/12/2007, -2/+37@ Skored. - Maybe. But many programs are now being distributed (CCleaner, Acrobat, Norton Internet Security 2007) with an option to install the Yahoo toolbar. That's a little much in my opinion; especially when the afforementioned program's installation programs have a checkbox which is "checked" in order to install the toolbar (as opposed to not being "checked")
- dadrew1, on 10/12/2007, -4/+31It wasn't THAT funny.
- jarrodhunt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+26vidluther,
Google isnt auto-updating their millions of users to the Yahoo/Microsoft version of IE7 with no warning.
Not saying Google wouldnt do that, just that they are not currently. Mainly because they dont have millions of IM users.
But none-the-less, Yahoo is being super tricky about upgrading people to IE7. - AMSRay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+25I've also noticed a dirty trick on a few computers whose users had installed both the Yahoo and Google toolbars. If you choose to disable the Yahoo tool bar, it actually disables the Google toolbar. The first couple of times I thought it was my mistake, but after testing I found it is actually working that way.
- clickwir, on 10/12/2007, -0/+22Google is to the Swedish Bikini Team as Yahoo is to Hitler.
Better? - truemarketing, on 10/12/2007, -2/+23I'm not surprised. I am surprised though that it took this long :)
- ScottWhigham, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21They've been doing this sort of crap for the last few versions (or releases, whatever) of Yahoo IM. I walked my wife through an install of Yahoo about six months ago over the phone and the same thing happened then. Not new but definitely anti-customer. Yahoo = Netscape?
- ccanni1028, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20"Would you like to switch your default search engine to Google?"
"Your browser search settings have been changed or disabled. Do you want to fix the settings and change back to Yahoo?" after changing your default browser to IE7.
The first is business as usual. The second is definitely not. - JAGUART, on 10/12/2007, -0/+15Its it any wonder that there's talk of an AOL-Yahoo merger with these tactics and their Web 2.0 BS that screwed with the Yahoo TV Guide and other features? I see a real trend here toward AOLism that will soon drive me to Google.
- MeatBiProduct, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Did we need another? lol
- ccanni1028, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16Check the story you are commenting on.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12Every time Microsoft hears the word "CSS" its pisses in its pants.
There are lot of rumors around why Microsoft is not supporting web standards because companies like google will come up with free on-line live applications which will kill Microsoft desktop applications.
Microsoft is trying hard to kill CSS and push their own crappy standards. - commiecat, on 10/12/2007, -5/+15Give me a break - this isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. It's not like Google doesn't do anything sneaky to push their products. Whenever we install IrfanView or update Java on a client machine it installs Google Toolbar by default and asks to install Google Desktop. We find a good amount of users that install Google Desktop without even realizing it when they update their Java on their own. I've also seen people with Yahoo! toolbar installed without users realizing it. Both companies are doing as much as they can so that people use their products.
I love Google as much as anyone and have long preferred their search to Yahoo!'s but I'm surprised at how anti-Yahoo! so many Diggers seem to be. I guess most people don't remember the time before Google. Give some credit to the company that had a robust search engine before Google and offered online maps and email before Google as well. Google has just about perfected all the services they offer but the rewards they reap are from the seeds that Yahoo! sowed. - scottschiller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10There is a war out there for your browser's search settings, as the screenshots in the article show - both Yahoo! and Google will notify you if you (or someone else), changes your search settings. I personally don't like the practice, but I don't seem to have much say in the matter - both companies are doing it. (I work at the former, but not on search-related things.)
At least it isn't like the old days of RealPlayer et al, 50+ checkboxes you had to find and uncheck. (Yet.. knock on wood, etc.) ;) - drjekelmrhyde, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10@commiecat
its mostly kids on here thats new to the net they dont even know Yahoo owns Flickr but use the hell out of it but at the same time bash yahoo WOW - tsupersonic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10I use yahoo messenger (along with Gaim), and I haven't had this problem. My default browser is still Firefox, my home page in both browsers (IE7 & FF) are Google.
I mentioned Firefox, and Google, might as well mention Apple. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Average user downloads program (like acrobat reader?) and just hits next next next finish. And they end up with the yahoo toolbar
- Atomic1fire, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Only thing yahoo has going for them is flickr and delicious
- libranlover, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7This does not happen if you download and install Yahoo Messenger. However, AFTER I had installed and continued using YM for many days, I received a prompt to auto-update. I thought only YM was being updated and accepted the auto-update prompt. It did everything that's been described in this article, including changing the default search engine (I did not receive any warnings about this). In addition, it installed Yahoo! tool bar on my system, once again without any prompts or warning. I already have IE7. So, I can't say if it downloads and installs IE7.
- CanOfMDAmp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7If you are going to insult large groups of people from behind a keyboard, please spell correctly.
It adds a lot to your credibility. - Pix869, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Evil = malevolent, secretive, immoral, or odd ways at obtaining self-profit at another's expense.
- kevinarth, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9he's getting dugg down because his comments have absolutely nothing to do with this post.
- Kickersny, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5The only thing good about Yahoo! is Yahoo! Pool.
- w0rd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Why do your users have rights to install toolbars? Lock those boxes down.
- zizzybaloobah, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I dunno about Y! or Google being evil, but I'm definitely convinced that auto-updaters are indeed evil. I'll update my software when I'm bloody ready to update my software. I don't need a baby-sitter running in the background and making an annoyance of itself.
- dotlizard, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5& even non-average users (sleep-deprived, easily distracted geek types), in a moment of weakness, have been known to click next next next finish, thus inadvertently inflicting that wretched toolbar on themselves. not that that's ever happened to me, no. i am always alert & cautious when i navigate an installation wizard, especially when running routine updates, and i *always* read the licensing agreements & TOCs.
sneak-installs are sleazy & disrespectful, and in general are a prime indicator that the product is crap and the company mission involves screwing the userbase. but hey, i've despised Yahoo since that incident a few years back when they "updated" their user base and "as a convenience" switched everyone's profile to 'opt-in'. - vidluther, on 10/12/2007, -12/+17Try having Yahoo! as your default engine, and then install Google Toolbar, see what it does. This is business as usual.
These aren't the conspiracies you're looking for, move along. - ssalt, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7What average know-nothing computer user is going to click on the custom install link? The article is referring to doing the typical install that most computer users are going to do, and how it changes settings such as your search engine and homepage without asking.
- TyeDyeShadow, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5You're correct in that Google tries to set itself as IE's default search engine. Difference is, you are *asked* and prompted with a dialog box giving you the option. To be fair, I think the same happened when I installed YM, but it was long ago...
Either way, maybe one needs to pay attention to those things when installing new software, eh?
-> Thanks for backing me up, ccanni... - MySchizoBuddy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5if irfanview and java installs google toolbar then go bitch at irfanview and Sun.
If Adobe acrobat reader installs yahoo toolbar go bitch at adobe
If Yahoo messenger installs Yahoo IE7 then we HAVE to bitch at Yahoo
Get the idea. - KnightMareInc, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7maybe 6 years ago that was the case.
- GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Google has as clean a front page now as ever. You can certainly personalise your content or run a few totally optional web apps but there's no assault on your bandwidth and time like Yahoo is.
//edit - and their search is better.// - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6This story is a load of crap. google distributes the google toolbar with the single most common plugin on the entire internet, macromedia (now adobe) flash player. They also distribute it with Sun's Java runtime, which is probably the second most popular. And guess what- the checkbox to install the toolbar is CHECKED BY DEFAULT.
Do you guys have even the slightest idea how tiny the fraction of people who know how to do anything on their computer other than click the "OK" button?
And btw, Google's toolbar will change the search box that comes standard on IE7, and point it to- you guessed it- google.
And let's not forget that big issue last year where "someone" at google "accidentally" inserted some code into the adsense frame that asked every single internet user on planet earth who happened to be surfing a page with google ads if they wanted to install or update Flash. This happened 2 days after Google signed a contract with Macromedia to include the google toolbar with their Flash player. I'm sure it's just a coincidence, but that "accident" probably installed several hundred million copies of the Google toolbar overnight. There was a HUGE firestorm over this on the webmasterworld forums, and eventually Google announced it was all just a mistake. A mistake that to this day is making them hundreds of millions of dollars every few months. I wish I could make "mistakes" like that.
Look- just go to any non-techie's office or home and look at their computer. They're all filled with spyware, adware, multiple toolbars, and since there is ABSOLUTELY NO LAW ON THE BOOKS ABOUT "DEFAULTS" then every company out there uses every trick in the book to make their search engine or webpage the default.
Did you know that 90% of dell computer users are still using the dell homepage as their startup screen, because it never occurred to them that it could be changed? Michael Dell bragged about it in an interview a few months back. It was a source of pride! MSN is the most popular site in the world because it's the default IE homepage, and I promise you everything I own that your grandmother most certainly doesnt have a CLUE how to change her homepage.
The future of Web 2.0 is all about getting the default. You get the default, and you get the ad eyeballs. There aren't any laws, rules, or regulations about how you get them. Google is just as guilty as yahoo. Because in the end, none of these companies care about anything but the dollars. - cphuntington97, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6Don't forget AdiumX for mac users, which is quite an amazing implementation of the gaim codebase.
http://adiumx.com - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6The only thing that Yahoo is good at is to help the Chinese government arrest reporters who speak against their government.
After they did that, I decided to boycott them forever. - Bluebuilder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3People are missing a critical point in this process. The problem IS NOT when you download Yahoo messenger, there it DOES give you the appropriate options to choose to install or not install the toolbar and search settings.
The problem is later, which can happen in a couple of days, when Yahoo asks you to automatically "UPDATE" There with one click (Yes/No), and no options to choose what will be installed does all this happen.
This is what is shady about the entire thing. - Dmitrik, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3At my school, if there are 2 toolbars installed and I disable Yahoo! one - my browser crashes.
No problem with disabling Google toolbar though. - madmax, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I emailed yahoo and I expect everyone else to do the same..here is the site for feedback
http://cgi.yahoo.com/bin/feedback?t=experience - jarrodhunt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Yep your right obtuse,
I'll be the first to admit when I get something wrong.
This is the response I just made over at MarketingPilgrim.
------------------------------------------------------
Holy Crap DaveC,
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 *****, you should expect more rants like this.
---------------------------------------- - baalzebub, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8yahoo has been a ghetto for years, chatrooms filled with pornbots, yahoo had to cancel or overhaul the news/comments/messageboards...
yahoo = web portal ghetto
google will be just like yahoo in a few years too as google is slowly sliding down that same slippery slope... - libranlover, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7This does not happen if you download and install YM on your own (assuming custom install). It happens when you let the auto-update prompt update your YM. Once I accepted auto-update, it did not show me any more prompts or warnings. Just did everything that's been described in the article.
- Bamborzled, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3"Hold on this guy had enough computer sense to write a BLOG pretty sure his wife is computer savy also"
You see, he's not writing about the "techie" way. He's writing about the "regular user" way to install Yahoo! Instant Messenger. Who will most likely click "Typical Install". - worbd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Why bury this guy when he's putting things in perspective?
Yahoo does this, but so does Google. How does it make Yahoo evil, but not Google?
Instead of burying critical comments, how about responding instead? - Taorluath, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3And we chose to digg you down
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