Is Yahoo hijacking browsers?

Dominus Atheos · Post by **Dominus Atheos** » 2007-01-21 03:47am

Several articles on Slashdot and other websites are reporting that, in an attempt to gain more of a foothold on browser searching, Yahoo is employing some shady tactics.

One way for a search engine to gain a popular place among internet users, is to become the default search tool of choice in the browser. You see this in the upper right portion of the browser in both Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Being the default search engine builds brand loyalty and can return millions in advertising revenue for the company who gets the most searches and the most results. The fight for default search on browsers is well known. Google threatened a lawsuit when Microsoft made its MSN Live the default search in Internet Explorer 7. Google has also signed deals with Firefox and Opera, successfully beating out the competition, as most people often do not change the default settings.

Yahoo is taking a different approach. When you install or download a Yahoo program you are given the option to include several ‘features’ things like a tool bar for internet explorer, links added to your desktop, your bookmarks to other Yahoo portals and services. Some users are complaining that even after opting out of these extras, Yahoo changed their default searching function.

The new software for ‘Y! Messenger’, Yahoo’s own instant messenger program, comes with and ‘auto update function’ using this will allow Yahoo to alter your browser. You are told this in the fine print when you install the program, but as one comment on TechDirt put it, “*looks for the "yes, I agree" box*” often no one notices until it’s too late. Many people are aware that by adding a new Yahoo services, they will be adding features and programs to their computers, but seldom do they realize they will be inundated with programs and updates that they have no particular interest in obtaining. Browsing the comments on TechDirt one can see other examples.

“Yes, I was baited with this Yahoo thing late one night while not thinking clearly! I thought I was downloading an upgrade to Windows. Next thing I knew my whole page had changed, with Yahoo crap everywhere...it eliminated my Favorites, something I use continually. Thankfully my son was able to get rid of it. It was very annoying.”
- Megan White.

User Chaos reports, “Few weeks ago I downloaded the most recent YIM install and unchecked everything extra and still got [Internet Explorer] loaded down with Yahoo crap and links to games I'll never play dropped everywhere.”

While brand loyalty is how smart business is done, isolating your customers and forcing them to remain loyal is the fastest way to lose them. It is interesting to note that most ‘bloat ware,’ or applications that install other things aside from the intended program usually focuses on Internet Explorer users. This is mainly due to the large market share Internet Explorer commands on the internet.

However, its users are quickly moving to other browsing solutions. Firefox and Opera are fast becoming the browser of choice, and often these ‘extras’ don’t work or will not install on them.

Mange · Post by **Mange** » 2007-01-21 07:10am

Who needs Yahoo! Messenger when you have Trillian (or Messenger)? I'd never download any toolbars or crap like that anyway.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-01-21 10:30am

I suppose it's a good thing I don't really use Yahoo, except their email service for Paypal on occasion.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2007-01-21 01:24pm

I only ever use Yahoo! on my DS browser, and even then, only if I've not found anything with Google.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2007-01-21 03:21pm

Mange wrote:Who needs Yahoo! Messenger when you have Trillian (or Messenger)? I'd never download any toolbars or crap like that anyway.

Try sending a file to a Yahoo user from Trillian. Instant disconnect.

Caveat: Keep in mind Trillian's a buggy piece of shit...

Edward Yee · Post by **Edward Yee** » 2007-01-21 08:07pm

Likewise, I don't recall having any luck with file transfers (outbound) on GAIM....

RThurmont · Post by **RThurmont** » 2007-01-21 09:01pm

I'm not suprised to see this coming out of Yahoo, considering their CMO is blithely unaware of the fact that the "blue" used all over their branding, is, in fact, purple (she referred to Yahoo's purple as blue repeatedly at a speech that she gave, that I attended, at a conference at UC Berkelely in late 2005). The mere fact that she would make such a mistake suggests that her subordinates were too afraid to point out her error to her, which suggests a disturbing, tyrannical workplace indeed. Yahoo under Terry Semel has been one of the absolute worst performing internet companies, and this is a shame, as its allowed Google to accumulate massive amounts of power, which Google appears bent on using for destructive purposes.

I hate the tech industry.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-01-21 09:03pm

RThurmont wrote:I'm not suprised to see this coming out of Yahoo, considering their CMO is blithely unaware of the fact that the "blue" used all over their branding, is, in fact, purple (she referred to Yahoo's purple as blue repeatedly at a speech that she gave, that I attended, at a conference at UC Berkelely in late 2005). The mere fact that she would make such a mistake suggests that her subordinates were too afraid to point out her error to her, which suggests a disturbing, tyrannical workplace indeed. Yahoo under Terry Semel has been one of the absolute worst performing internet companies, and this is a shame, as its allowed Google to accumulate massive amounts of power, which Google appears bent on using for destructive purposes.

I hate the tech industry.

Destructive purposes? What the fuck are you blabbering about?

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2007-01-21 10:49pm

General Zod wrote:
RThurmont wrote:I'm not suprised to see this coming out of Yahoo, considering their CMO is blithely unaware of the fact that the "blue" used all over their branding, is, in fact, purple (she referred to Yahoo's purple as blue repeatedly at a speech that she gave, that I attended, at a conference at UC Berkelely in late 2005). The mere fact that she would make such a mistake suggests that her subordinates were too afraid to point out her error to her, which suggests a disturbing, tyrannical workplace indeed. Yahoo under Terry Semel has been one of the absolute worst performing internet companies, and this is a shame, as its allowed Google to accumulate massive amounts of power, which Google appears bent on using for destructive purposes.

I hate the tech industry.
Destructive purposes? What the fuck are you blabbering about?

"Destructive purposes"? Ok, you're not allowed to use my bong any more, Widgy.

RThurmont · Post by **RThurmont** » 2007-01-21 11:06pm

ROFL. Seriously, there are some reasons to be apprehensive. Monopolies can often be unpleasant, as the experience with Microsoft demonstrates, and Yahoo's idiocy is rapidly leading to such a condition.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2007-01-22 09:30am

RThurmont wrote:ROFL. Seriously, there are some reasons to be apprehensive. Monopolies can often be unpleasant, as the experience with Microsoft demonstrates, and Yahoo's idiocy is rapidly leading to such a condition.

You should probably start wearing less tinfoil there. And put down Ein's bong.

Shroom Man 777 · Post by **Shroom Man 777** » 2007-01-22 10:50am

Remember that Google moonbase? And those brain-sucking Googlebots?

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2007-01-22 03:33pm

RThurmont wrote:ROFL. Seriously, there are some reasons to be apprehensive. Monopolies can often be unpleasant, as the experience with Microsoft demonstrates, and Yahoo's idiocy is rapidly leading to such a condition.

Some. I doubt Google will be as unrepentantly evil as MS, and even MS are softening up a bit even with the nutso Vista DRM (which I'm sure'll bite 'em in the ass right about.... now).

RThurmont · Post by **RThurmont** » 2007-01-22 09:51pm

Some. I doubt Google will be as unrepentantly evil as MS, and even MS are softening up a bit even with the nutso Vista DRM (which I'm sure'll bite 'em in the ass right about.... now).

Yeah, to their credit Google is doing some nice things. They funded a new website for FreeBSD last summer, for instance. Still, I hate the fact that they have so much power in the online experience, although their monopoly status, unlike that of certain other tech monopolists, was at the very least legitimately earned, as they really do have the best search engine. However, they're not a company I could say I trust at this point.

EDIT: Also, the only aspect of Vista DRM that Microsoft backed off on was the licensing term that would only allow you to reinstall it once. That was idiotic, and after huge vocal protest from hobbyist system builders, they retrenched on it. Everything else is still there. However, evidence suggests that DRM is starting to loose favor among media companies, so we might (hopefully) start to see it loosened up (although I doubt Microsoft will retrench when it comes to the DRM they use to protect their operating system).

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2007-01-22 10:18pm

RThurmont wrote:
Some. I doubt Google will be as unrepentantly evil as MS, and even MS are softening up a bit even with the nutso Vista DRM (which I'm sure'll bite 'em in the ass right about.... now).
Yeah, to their credit Google is doing some nice things. They funded a new website for FreeBSD last summer, for instance. Still, I hate the fact that they have so much power in the online experience, although their monopoly status, unlike that of certain other tech monopolists, was at the very least legitimately earned, as they really do have the best search engine. However, they're not a company I could say I trust at this point.

I'm honestly baffled by why you put that link up as a reason to think ill of Google. They're buying up dark fibre and building decentralized hubs to handle all their search traffic. You really do have to be seeing daggers in shadows to think this is trying to manufacture a bandwidth shortage.

Their monopoly status is a little unnerving; they've become so dominant they have the Xerox Effect(You 'xerox' a paper, not copy. You 'Google', not websearch). But it's unnerving primarily due to speed.

I don't see any reason not to 'trust' them, or be terrified Yahoo's going under. It seems like hyperventilating, quite honestly, particularly given how fragile Google's search monopoly is. It's not like one where you're locked into legacy hardware, nor do they have vast lobbying political power.

Then again, perhaps I'm biased, because Google is taking a crack at turning it's brand to smash apart other monopolies. Going after paypal(Not all that great; 18% satisfaction vs. 44%), Microsoft Office, and so forth.

Einhander Sn0m4n · Post by **Einhander Sn0m4n** » 2007-01-22 10:25pm

RThurmont wrote:
Some. I doubt Google will be as unrepentantly evil as MS, and even MS are softening up a bit even with the nutso Vista DRM (which I'm sure'll bite 'em in the ass right about.... now).
Yeah, to their credit Google is doing some nice things. They funded a new website for FreeBSD last summer, for instance. Still, I hate the fact that they have so much power in the online experience, although their monopoly status, unlike that of certain other tech monopolists, was at the very least legitimately earned, as they really do have the best search engine. However, they're not a company I could say I trust at this point.

EDIT: Also, the only aspect of Vista DRM that Microsoft backed off on was the licensing term that would only allow you to reinstall it once. That was idiotic, and after huge vocal protest from hobbyist system builders, they retrenched on it. Everything else is still there. However, evidence suggests that DRM is starting to loose favor among media companies, so we might (hopefully) start to see it loosened up (although I doubt Microsoft will retrench when it comes to the DRM they use to protect their operating system).

Gagh, I meant "MS are softening up a bit even DESPITE the nutso Vista DRM". I apologize for my failure to communicate.