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Firefox Search In Ubuntu 10.04 Changed To Google

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the we-call-that-flip-flopping dept.

kai_hiwatari writes "Sometime back Canonical decided to change the default search in Firefox that comes Ubuntu 10.04 to Yahoo! from Google. In a surprising turn-around, Canonical have decided to a ditch Yahoo! for Google. Rick Spencer from Canonical announced that Google will now be the default Firefox search in Ubuntu 10.04, not Yahoo! as was previously decided."

9 of 224 comments (clear)

  1. Unfortunately by dsavi · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Unfortunately, apparently nobody outside of Canonical actually knows why they switched back. Wasn't it that Yahoo! offered them money? Then the only conclusion I can come to is that Google outbid them.

    1. Re:Unfortunately by dan828 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Really it's a non-issue. A couple of clicks and you're using the search engine of your choice anyways. I downloaded the ubuntu 10.4 beta the other day just to play with, and was mildly surprised that Yahoo came up as the default search engine. I spent all of 5 seconds thinking it must be some financial/political thing that I hadn't heard about, then changed it to Google. Most people savvy enough to use Linux can figure out how to change the settings in Firefox to what they want. People that don't know how, probably won't care, or are to busy wondering why the hell their computer guru son installed this damned weird OS on their computer to notice.

  2. Re:Good for them by HarrySquatter · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Money? Google must have offered them more to come back then they were originally paying Canonical.

  3. Re:A good sign? by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Such a quaint and naive view. The real reason is that Google offered more than Yahoo hence they decided not to go to Yahoo.

    Such a cynical and presumptive point of view, unless you have evidence. What do you have to back up your claim?

  4. Would have been Firefox with clean installs only by TejWC · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Do note that the Yahoo change was going to effect Firefox users. Konqueror, Arora and all other browsers users were not affected in the first place.
    Also, if you upgraded from 9.10 to 10.04 and were using Google back in 9.10, Google stayed as your default search engine.

    I think the real reason why Ubuntu went back to Google is because Google has too much branding over the idea of searching the web. Nobody says "just Yahoo! that". Shockingly enough, there are people who are new to the web and do not even know what Yahoo! is but has heard of Google. Remember, Canonical true goal is Linux on the desktop for everybody; even users who are new to computers.

  5. Smart move by IGnatius+T+Foobar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Smart move. Ubuntu has figured out that most Linux users will (correctly) follow this line of thought:
      1. Yahoo == Bing
      2. Bing == Microsoft
      3. If Ubuntu search == Yahoo, then Ubuntu == sucks

    --
    Tired of FB/Google censorship? Visit UNCENSORED!
  6. Re:Give us a choice! Let us pick! by BrokenHalo · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The first time Firefox is started up, it should display several popular search engines in a random order, and then let the user select the one to use as a default.

    Or you could just let people find out for themselves. After all, if they've never heard of Google, let alone any of the other search engines, then they probably have little business being on the net. In my case, I don't bother with FF's search box at all. I just use a local homepage with a simple table of links for a whole bunch of my most-frequented sites, the most prominent of which leads directly to a Google advanced search.

  7. Re:It probably doesn't matter by jimcooncat · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I disagree. I set up computers for people that have had no or little previous exposure to computers, and I set them up with Linux because it's easier for them to learn. Though I'm now moving to Debian, some of my first victims -- I meant users -- were first exposed to default Ubuntu and Xubuntu installs. You know what? They were able to email, browse the web, and play games with very little help from me.

    For something like changing the default search engine, they would give me a call and I'd ssh/vnc into their machine and make the changes; they would watch and sometimes learn how to do it next time. Sometimes they wouldn't.

    No longer can you assume that linux users have a clue. I feel it is much harder to use (and maintain) a Windows system. Unless you've had years of exposure to Windows, that is.

  8. Re:Good for them by shaitand · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Has anyone considered the possibility they were boycotting Google after they caved to gov censorship in China and now support them again now that they have moved out?