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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."

4 of 224 comments (clear)

  1. It probably doesn't matter by blahbooboo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you're running Linux as your desktop OS, I suspect you have the necessary knowledge & skills to change the default search engine in your web browser

  2. Re:But why? by game+kid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or maybe they just felt lucky.

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  3. Re:Unfortunately by Sounder40 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Fortunately one Canonical employee is prepared to share what they know with us: from TFA:
      Rick Spencer, who announced the change back to Google, said that Canonical have decided to change back to Google after deciding that Google Search will be more familiar to a lot of users upgrading to Ubuntu 10.04...

    Of course, you may choose not to believe that. But Canonical are providing an explanation.

    If "familiarity" was the issue, then why move the fsck'ing window buttons to the upper left? I don't buy that as an argument.

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    A clever person solves a problem, A wise person avoids it. -Einstein
  4. Re:Give us a choice! Let us pick! by natehoy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Why? No, seriously, why?

    Canonical is a for-profit business that builds a seriously kick-ass distro of Linux, and they put a lot of work into doing so, and they give it to you for free. They even let other smart people use their hard work to build derivatives like Mint.

    If they can make a few sheckles from setting the default search engine in their distro, when anyone with opposable thumbs and an IQ over 50 can click on the search engine logo and choose another one, why should they be going to the trouble of programming a random-order list?

    If they took away the choice list, or blocked all search engines but their "preferred" one, OK, I could see an objection. If choosing a new search engine was as hard as downloading and installing a browser, I could see an objection. But this is literally a two-mouseclick choice. Other than the "in random order" part, Ubuntu already provides exactly what you propose.

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