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By Steve Ragan Jan 17, 2007, 19:05 GMT
Is Yahoo hijacking browsers?
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Older Talkback
It's true. My mother installed Yahoo Messenger on her computer and I had to take time out of my word day to get rid of all the accompaying rubbish and toolbars. I don't see why these yahoo programs aren't looked on the same as ordinay spyware/hijackers really. It's easier to get rid of, but just as invasive and intrusive.
Do these corp execs realize why AOL is not popular among most people? It because of all the horrible programs that forced on thier users that add little functionality and slow down PCs. Here it looks like Yahoo is trying the same thing. Mark my words if they keep going this way users will run away from yahoo and go to Google or another. All Yahoo will have left are the few users that don't know anybody.
Yes, it's true and it really pisses me off! Yahoo, shape up.
This is exactly the reason why I do not use yahoo instant messenger or any of their other software.
It might not be shadiness. My experience with Yahoo's software is that it's just bad and buggy.
Still, I'm sure there are those at Yahoo who could live with such mistakes or shadiness.
This tactic is common with many 'free' programs. Be aware of this along with Browser Helper Objects (BHO). A BHO is a DLL (code providing specific functionality for the Windows OS and other SW applications) that can be exploited by application developers to wrest control of Internet Explorer and potentially compromise a user's privacy & security.
Anyone who deals with a Yahoo! product gets what they deserve. Everyone knows Yahoo! is run by unethical people.
I remember trying to unistall Yahoo Messenger from my friend's computer. The functions still would populate. I googled 'How to Unintall Yahoo Messenger?' I got some bloggers that tell you how to go into the code and run the application to get out of the computer. Hum took me like 40 minutes but worth it. Yahoo is becoming like spyware or something.
Yahoo as we all know are trying to maintain its popularity, but lost alot of it in the recent years too Google. W/ simple examples as 'Google It!', and its numerous services, including Maps, News, Blogs, Groups. Its a billion dollar company, where as Yahoo was known as a simple bot or spider surfing the internet, collecting information about the internet. But that isnt enough these days, you need realtime collecting of information, as something happens you need to know about it!
Yahoo has realised this, and has opened up to providing more services to its members, where as Google, most services are provided with out a membership, w/ the exception for those that are in Beta, including mail.
I'm not surprised that Yahoo has sold its self to numerous other corperations including Dell, which comes installed on Windows Operatings Systems. Within the Internet Explorer, as a tool bar. I agree that most spam software should detect its use as a 'spyware' trojan to collect information about its users.
We should also look at the fact that these search engins actually collect information about its users, from their queries, which should a violation of privacy, because I personally read 'The Years Top Search Results' garbage. However, I have not personally contacted Google about this issue as of yet, to verify this fact.
Thnanks to this article, I will not be *EVER* downloading Yahoo IM or installing any such crap on my machine.
Even when you go to the Yahoo website your browser will throw you back a message that the site is trying to install junk onto your machine! I refuse to use Yahoo for that reason. Any site that tries to put spyware, adware, or some other form of Trojan on my computer can kiss my patronage good-bye.
heyy just like Apple huh? Install Quicktime and get the insideous itunes ... want it or not. As a web developer, quicktime has made itself a non-option for media delivery by this underhand tactic
If you need to use YIM, just use Gaim instead. Same functionality (connects to YIM servers), none of this crap. Plus it connects to other IM services, and it's open source.
Why keep users in dark? They should default to the least intrusive options by default in the setup. To be sure what will be installed, I always select the 'custom' option and remove crap. Helps keep it clean.
Yahoo is going the same route as AOL. AOL IM used to be simple and spyware free, until Triton. I chucked AIM and YIM and now have GAIM to connect to my unfortunate friends who don't use google talk.
I use Yahoo Messenger and like its cool features like free voice chats, funny audibles and the emoticons. However like an earlier commenter said 'Always use the custom install' this works perfectly and no additional crapware is installed.
Its true. I had to get my brother to figure out how to get rid of it.
Why would use the Yahoo chat app anyway? Trillian is much better and doesn't install any hidden stuff.
They should learn from AOL's mistakes! The least experienced pc users always loved AOL, while the rest of us hated it for trying to control your computer. Its my darn computer, so don't do me any favors my changing my settings to what you think is best for your market share. They just push their customers away by doig that crud.
Solution for Y! IM users is VERY simple. Uninstall that crap and install GAIM or TRILLIAN for Windows or FIRE for Macs. These programs allow the user to IM on all the major services (Yahoo/AIM/ICQ) with a single client. No spyware, no scams. Find them all at www.sourceforge.net and you'll never be at the mercy of these services' crappy clients and shady business practices again.
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