Sun Slips Firefox Extension Into Java Update

pcardno writes "It seems it's not just Microsoft that have spotted a good opportunity to distribute their software through Firefox Addons. On installing the latest annoying, sysbar bubble based Java update, my Firefox informed me that I had a wonderful new Java addon automatically. Here's the addon screenshot. Yes, I could opt out of it, but why are Sun installing Addons to my Firefox without me making specific choices in the application itself? To be clear — I have never chosen to install this Addon, yet it has been installed without my permission with the latest Java Update."

Comments

Re:Beurk

[Forty Two Tenfold]

He does. He's an MacOS X user and runs Aqua. OOOOH LOOK MOMMY - A SPINNING CUBE!!!!!!11 MOMMY WHEN I CLOSE A WINDOW IT DISAPPEARS IN A PUFF OF SMOKE!!!1 I AM A L33T APPLE FANBOI AND MY SYSTEM KNOWS WHAT I WANT BETTER THAN I DO!! OH AND MY HAND ONLY HAS ONE FINGER!!

FTFY

Haven't you heard?

[nurb432]

You don't own or are allowed to control the PC.

Just shut up and smile, we know best for you. "Where do you want us to take you today? Never mind we will take you where we want to go."

Re:You're right--convenience sucks

[Alien Being]

ANY VENDOR should make it an opt-in when they're about to change the behavior of ANY existing software on the install target.

Adding/substituting a JVM plugin to something as ubiquitous as Firefox is a blatant example of this type of negligence/abuse.

Comparing this to the addition of unicode support in an OS library is just trolling, Mr. Score Whore.

Re:You get what you pay for.

[theshowmecanuck]

Hey fan boy... sorry to burst your bubble, but opt out types of transactions especially when they don't let you opt out... e.g. you can't uninstall them. Java and MS .net installed unadvertised software... that is the Mozilla add on. Mozilla allows them to use a feature of Mozilla to prevent people from uninstalling an add on, even if it was not installed with the users knowledge. I know that is a fine point for you to grasp, but Mozilla is complicit in this due to their negligence... negligence since they obviously know this situation exists. And instead of helping users of their product, they blow them off by saying "talk to the people who installed stuff on your machine that was not advertised as part of their update". Something like a cop telling saying to you, "what do you expect me to do, go ask the thief to give back your money." People want Mozilla to modify the add on mechanism to allow any add on to be removed so this situation doesn't happen again. But if you don't think this is an issue, lend me your PC for a few hours, I promise I'll only install useful stuff... I'll even tell you what I'm installing... and I promise I won't install anything else with enough hooks to make it difficult to uninstall, and impossible to uninstall if you are an average user. Give me break.