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Mozilla Nixes Firefox EULA Requirement
Less than a week ago, Mozilla asked (and Canonical relucantly agreed, in development versions of Intrepid Ibex) that users be required on first use to agree to a EULA before using Firefox. This drew lots of criticism, and Mozilla agreed that the requirement was flawed. Now, according to a story at Groklaw, the EULA requirement's been done away with. From the Groklaw article linked: "Bottom line: Now, you can install and use Firefox without having to agree to a EULA. The services have been separated out. If they were opt in instead of opt out, I'd be happier, but this is acceptable to me. There may be further tweaks, I understand, but I think it's time to acknowledge that Mozilla is behaving very well indeed now and demonstrating a desire to get this right."
A purely honest question: Why does the EULA issue in the article matter at all?
Apparently Mandriva found a way around it too, because their packages of Firefox are modified in many ways from the official source, too (different icons, different file browser, Font changes, non-default color scheme, preloads of different bookmarks, etc).
I haven't tried it in a while so I can't remember but might the portable version of openoffice.org be a solution? http://portableapps.com/apps/office/openoffice_portable
http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
umm, because they think it is better and a lot of people agree. I really do think that you awesome bar detractors are the odd one's out. But there's good news, it's open source, you can add or remove any features you want. And before you start going on about how you're not a programmer so you don't have the option, surely there's someone out there who *is* a programmer and who dislikes the awesome bar - get them to do it - and if there isn't, then maybe you're just nit picking eh?
Really, if you want software to be exactly the way you like it then you have no option but to learn how to customize it to your own personal liking.. and often that means programming. The good news is that you didn't need to code up the awesome bar (or the original bar) to decide which one you preferred..
How we know is more important than what we know.
Some further research suggests it may originate from a BBS, probably in 1994. The earliest Usenet posting of it shown on Google Groups is from July 1994. I find the joke even more pleasing now that I know it pre-dates Windows 95 by at least a month!
That's because plenty of users like it. I love the thing, personally. Users who don't like it (usually a small but vocal minority of changephobes) complain, but eventually get used to it. That's how every major change in every software I've seen works. People react because it's not what they're used to, with very few concrete reasons for their opposition. The reasons they do come up with are usually either unwillingness to consider the reasons behind the change, or pointless and/or insignificant nitpicking. After a while, they get used to it, adjust, and move on. Then when things change again, it's back to complaining about how the old design (the same thing that was new and terrible last time) is way better, and the new one is crap.
;)
*For a Windows OS, anyway. I'm writing this on Linux because using Windows for any extended period of time just annoys me anymore, so I'm not making any claims of absolute decency, just relative to the rest of the Windows line. (Yeah, yeah, Win2k excepted)
It's happened before. Look at Pidgin's name and interface change, Facebook a few times, and, yes, Firefox. Heck, look at XP. "Everyone" decried it as bubbly and stupid, but it's turned out to be a decent system.* And Office 2k7 - everyone (yes, me included) decried the ribbon, it was terrible, the worst idea anyone ever had. But most people who actually took the time to use it (again, myself included) found that it was a far more productive interface. But it took some relearning and some (gasp!) change. For another random example, Blender is often cited for its unintuitive user interface (it does have a very steep learning curve), but it's designed in such a way that once you learn it, it's much more productive and easier to work with.
Changephobia in software is largely detrimental, and rarely results in any good.
The devs don't listen to your whining about the Awesomebar because they've seen this cycle time and time again, and know that you'll get used to it and learn to love it. They had a lot of reason behind creating the Awesomebar, and for the vast majority of users, it's a boon for usability and a great idea. In the case that you're part of the vast minority that will cling to their extensions and old versions, you're just that - a vast minority who is willing to sacrifice effort (downloading an extension) for keeping things like they were. It's not worth the dev's effort to try to satisfy a minority that can easily be satisfied through other means.
Also, random aside: your sig doesn't make sense. The idea is true enough, but you can't mod someone with a combination of Troll and Flamebait. Look up the definition of boolean logic.
Besides, we all know that "-1:StronglyDisagreeAndWishToCensor" is what "Overrated" is for
You all have Oo.o and Firefox, so get World Wind.