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Is Yahoo Actively Supporting Adware?

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the things-we-hate dept.

conq writes "According to BusinessWeek, a report said Yahoo was actively supporting the companies that spawn pop-up ads. In early September, Yahoo engineer Jeremy D. Zawodny sounded off on his blog: "Do I like those [software installation] practices? Hell no. It's insulting and disrespectful."" update the story submission takes Jeremy out of context which he blogs about and says mean things about us.

11 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Jeremys post in question.. by grazzy · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/005121.htm l

    1. Re:Jeremys post in question.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      For the pleasure of slashdots readers and in the case someone over at zawodny.com would pull the plug, we give you - THE FULL BLOG TEXT!

      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 houseguests--and setting changes--by default.

              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.

      On Make You Go Hmm:

              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.

      Do I agree with those practices? No.

      Do I like those practices? Hell no. It's insulting and disrespectful. I've aborted software installs or upgrades when they try to pull this stuff. In fact, I just had this happen yesterday.

      I'm sick and tired of this crap. I don't know which company started using this tactic, but it's become the standard operating procedure for lots of software out there. And it sucks.

      Leave my settings, preferences, and desktop alone!

      Why do companies do this? Money. And when your competitor does it and you don't, you're letting them take advantage of an "opportunity" that you are not. (An opportunity to piss off your users, perhaps?)

      Remember pop-under ads?

      I don't know what it's going to take to get companies to stop this crap either. Do you have any good ideas? I'd love to hear 'em.

  2. More evil? by BoldAC · · Score: 5, Informative
    Yahoo in the past has bundled their toolbar with flash and other products. They charge to get inclusion into their infamous directory. Now, they are becoming more linked with spyware?

    Yahoo is doing other evil stuff as well:


    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.

    To avoid these changes, users must actively choose the "custom" installation and uncheck five boxes.


    Evil is yahoo becoming?
  3. How Yahoo Funds Spyware by bedelman · · Score: 5, Informative
    For those who are interested, see my article that (I think it's safe to say) sparked a portion of the Business Week piece:

    How Yahoo Funds Spyware

    I post screenshots and packet logs showing how Yahoo ads get syndicated into notorious spyware -- Direct Revenue, eXact Advertising, 180solutions, and some smaller players too (SideFind, Slotchbar, etc.).

  4. Re:What popups by amram9999 · · Score: 2, Informative

    Sure, see Asa's blog: http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/007682 .html http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/asa/archives/007860 .html

  5. Re:Speaking of flash... by iow · · Score: 1, Informative

    Try the flashblock plugin for firefox. You won't see any flash movies unless you want to.

  6. You're kidding, right? It couldn't be any easier. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    You don't by chance know if there is something like that for Opera do you? It'd be a great help to getting rid of some of these flash advertisements that pop up.

    Disable popups (unless you click to launch one):

    F12 (select) Block all popups

    Disable popups (period):

    F12 (select) Block all unwanted popups

    Don't like Flash anywhere (like me):

    F12 (unselect) Enable Plugins

  7. Yahoo Toolbar by Colol · · Score: 2, Informative

    Speaking of Yahoo Toolbar, I specifically deselected it the last time I installed Yahoo Instant Messenger.

    Imagine my surprise the next time I popped into Internet Explorer to check something and a pop-up window didn't fire. Yahoo Toolbar had in fact been installed without my permission, and better yet didn't default to being one of the visible IE toolbars. Had I been, say, my parents, I would never figured out why the hell the Interwebs wasn't working.

    An invisible toolbar I specifically requested not be installed silently blocking pop-up windows? That's awesome! I wish I had the foresight to make my software that great!

    It makes me laugh when people like Ken "The Incredible Internet Guy" Leebow spout off about how great Yahoo is and how they should make more software and hardware. I can see it now... "Listen to music on your new Y!Pod, featuring Flash advertisements between every song!"

    Retch.

  8. Re:What's next? by saskboy · · Score: 2, Informative

    It'll be easy to avoid the Google viruses though, just never install anything you find on http://virus.google.com/ especially if it's out of Beta version.

    --
    Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
  9. Re:In other news Jeremy D. Zawodny fired by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    What I don't understand is why everybody seems to blame Google for firing this guy.

    It is now a regulatory violation for public companies to release financial information early or via unapproved channels - all investors are required to have the same fair first shot at any such info. And what did this guy who got fired do? He blogged financial information early. It didn't leave Google with much choice BUT to fire him. Not very smart.

  10. Twisted comments by Escalus · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not sure if anyone noticed, but Jeremy Zawodny made some comments about these /. discussions in his blog, claiming that his words were twisted: Slashdot Twists My Words about Yahoo