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Is Yahoo hijacking browsers?
By Steve Ragan Jan 17, 2007, 19:05 GMT
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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.
I think its difficult times for yahoo...kinda do or die situation. But putting mal-ware on people's computer is no option for a company like yahoo. Shame on them.
But recently google has been doing the same, pop-ups to change default page and software like irfanview trying to download google products.
Do the Yahoo servers have this software installed on them? Answer: No, it would slow down the servers speed of putting this garbage on your PC.
Who's next?
Apples Quicktime with auto iTunes installer? or How bout RealPlayer with it's annoying extras?
Point in case: You must watch the actual install program and look for the inclusion of extra software in the UEL agreement. As we all know, we dont read them, we just wanna use the stuff.
Yahoo is guilty of this, installed Yahoo Instant Messenger and it changed my homepage, erased many (website) favorites and installed features & additions (yahoo toolbar) originally deselected. Add security vulnerabilities introduced (known beforehand) and Yahoo's badly (flawed) redesigned homepage; no longer have any desire or reason to interact with Yahoo again.
why install any IM when you can go to www.meebo.com and login.. it's a browser IM... i love this product..
thanks
It seems that Yahoo is deliberately forcing you to upgrade and so create for them the opportunity to unload all the unasked for 'features'.
I only use their IM part, and am now paring down my contact list by switching them over to MSN.
I agree with other commentators that this smacks of the same tactics used by AOL and will likely result in the same decline in the number of users.
I wonder if the yahoos up at Yahoo read all the reponses posted here..;)
User choice need to be respected. That is why I havent updated Yahoo IM.
Yahoo's features have not worked correctly
No doubt that these 'bundling' techniques are the best way to loose customers. The worst offenders are not just Yahoo but include apple and the itunes and quicktime takeover. Customers hate it.....
I've stopped using Yahoo, because every time i use the site, i get these very anoying animated adverts that pop up on the screen when you may be reading or even about to click on a link when all of a sudden BANG this advert pops up on the screen. Yahoo you are one big pop up and every pop up manager should block Yahoo's site.
I use Yahoo as a home page on my Firefox browser but I don't get all the rest of the crap they are talking about. Maybe it's because I use Mandriva Linux 2007 (http://www.mandriva.com/) as an Operating System. Remember: Friends don't let friends use M$ Windoze!
One more company that uses shady practices to gain market share, oh well....
It goes to show you that this was not really an ethical decision, just financial. They figure that by doing this, they will gain a greater amount of customers (who don't really care) then they would lose...
i will make sure to tell people i know about this, and i'll even try to tell it to over my usual average of 10 people
Yes! Thank you for addressing this issue! Yahoo and Hotbar dumped a bunch of software and spyware on my computer one afternoon when I was simply trying to upgrade my flash player. Suddenly my email and browser moved at a snails pace, even though I have high speed internet. It took my entire afternoon and into the evening - valuable work time for me - to to learn how to eradicte the stuff without doing damage to my operating system, and get it removed. I figure the whole episode cost me several thousand dollars. I might just file a lawsuit just for the principle of it.
DON'T INVADE MY COMPUTER SYSTEM AND INTERFERE WITH MY ABILITY TO CONDUCT BUSINESS!
I work maintaining and repairing computers. The deceitful nature of some of the big names in IT is worrying. Not only do I have to worry about the criminals destroying my clients computers I now have to worry about keeping out a herd of Toolbars, Sidebars, ISP's 'browsers' and other 'fine print bandits' from supposedly legitimate companies.
I wont sing the praises of Windows because it has a host of security holes and crashes without assistance if it wants to. However the truth is: it works reliably and well IF you do not fill it up with unecessary software doing things in the background you did not ask them to.
There is nothing in Business that is free. Most free software is either paid for by Advertising or seeks to build a profile of your browsing habits to sell to an advertiser. The only exceptions are the 'loss leader' items: a software house gives you a free product so you will learn its Brand Name and buy its professional program instead of a current market leader in the future.
In short lean, mean and clean. DO NOT INSTALL any Toolbar, Screensaver, Messenger and your PC just might run faster, without crashing as often.
Remember: If it is free its probably worth what you paid for it!
Read one of googles privace policies. Yahoo won't seem so bad.
'Google Desktop may send information about the websites that you visit'
'Google will securely transmit copies of your indexed files to Google servers'
The information google is getting from its users will eventually let them, if they choose, to do some serious stuff.
Already I can type in someones phone number and get a map to their house along with an satellite picture.
Fear not your govt. Fear Google.
Scans your emails.
Knows your phone number.
Where you live.
Has a picture of your house.
Copies of the files you have on your computer.
Lists of the web sites you have been visiting.
What you have been searching for on the internet.
AOL just did this to me . It became my home page after checking out their deal and deciding to opt out. I can't get rid of it. I cannnot even get my favorite home page to trump AOL. I'm pissed
isn't the outrage about this about 5 years too late? Everyone has been doing this for years.
When you instal a google service they do the _exact same thing_! People have been hiding little self-interested tweaks in downloads since there have been downloads.
AOL is the worst offender when it comes to hijacking a computer. And yes. Yahoo! Messenger is full of unnecessary add-ons. Despite many disliking Microsoft, I use Live.com search.
yeah its true
some times when u install the yahoo messanger and select the option not to install the yahoo tool bar ........... it just get installed ...... its fucken stubid
plus sometimes I get my IE7 default is yahoo and I never did that
plus its messanger has become disgusting lately ....... it always hangs up and swallow alot of memory ......... if you have yahoo messanger and your PC get slow then check your memory you will find some time that yahoo messanger is taking 200-400 MB
I dont know what its fucken doing with all this memory
and by the way I always install the latest version of yahoo messanger in hope I will get rid of its problems ....... but no hope
Its so wierd why a muli-billion company fails to creat neat messanger that is so vital to its buisness
I hope one of them will read these notes
It reminds me of something that happened to me yesterday. I was installing Halo CE on my computer and it asked me if I wanted to install GameSpy Arcade. I unclicked the checkbox, but it installed anyway.
I hate Yahoo! it installed messenger as a drive-by download and it took AGES to remove it.
Its true.
even me got it.. And i needed to uninstall all yahhoo things to get rid of it..
now i only have yahoo msngr.. :)
Are you serious? What kind of folks read this stuff? Reading half the comments on this article gives me a headache. Wow, and to think I believed in evolution.
No, Yahoo! is not run by 'unethical' people - it's just another corporation, with profits before everything else. And when you use a piece of software you agree to certain terms and conditions. Yahoo! would be unethical if these terms and conditions were not made explicit, or if you could not opt out of them (which you can during install). Every company resorts to it - hell, my Dell notebook came with a bunch of Google stuff and Windows itself comes with all kinds of rubbish.
What were people expecting, a free ride? Gee.
I quit Yahoo! long time ago when their spam blockers never realy worked and every time you would download something from the that terrible toolbar just kept poping back on explorer. I had to unistall about 3 times before it worked.
They should consider Y! same as adware or spyware because of their useless crap. I'm even scared to go on Flikr on any other Yahoo! branded sites because of this.
Anyway after the helped the chinese goverment jail or execute regular people browsing on sites that were banned by the chinese authorities i crossed Y! of my list sites to visit.
Yes Yahoo used to be my favorite portal. I will not download anything from them.
It's all spyware adware and I hate this stuff. It does not install clean and it does not uninstall clean. Thats just plain evil.
One of the main reasons why I have always used Cerulean Studios Trillian - or GAIM (on Linux Platform)! None of the usual spyware/trojans get installed - and for a subset of features, i get the complete IM experience - the safe way!
Yahoos.
Yahoo desktop is still the best desktop-program there is
The sad demise of Yahoo, once the predominate messenger and chat engine, as well as one of the most popular home pages and until recently my favorite news source, is due (I think) to the following:
1.Installing the items you uncheck, and embedding the software so deeply that you have to dig through the operating system in order to fix it.
2.The annoying constant reminders of unused features when using YIM
3.The chat rooms' overpopulation with porn bots
4.Removal of the discussion feature in Yahoo News.
5.Lack of any real help function
6.Lack of security concerning credit card numbers, etc. in Yahoo Wallet.
7.Requiring the use of Yahoo Wallet to purchase services, etc.
It's true sad. Yahoo used to be the number one destination at my house.
My wife, who is a dedicated Yahoo user and her home page set to Yahoo, they kept prompting her to upgrade her Explorer. The next thing you know they have hijacked her browser. While I am a little bit better, even I couldn't change the settings.
Solution: I installed Firefox for her.
What's wrong with Yahoo? If they can't fight with Google in search, they want to be come a spyware/malware company.
I had this happen over the weekend. I wrote yahoo about it and this is the response I received:
'We understand that you would like to reset your homepage and empathize
with the present situation.
We sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused. We
have discovered an issue with the Yahoo! Messenger Auto-updater which
was not enabling the custom installation option when installing through
the Auto-updater. When we were made aware of this issue, we immediately
stopped the auto-update feature to further investigate these reports as
well as to correct the issue. Our engineering team has corrected the
issue to ensure that with future updates, you are prompted before any
additional software or application changes are made during the upgrade
of Yahoo! Messenger.
Again, we do apologize for the changes that had been made as it was not
our intention to make modifications without your prior consent.
. . .
New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - better than ever!'
Even after uninstall (through 'add/delete programs' cause yahoo! doesn't offer an uninstall feature) I am still able to access some sites (www.nba.com) and almost all sites are running ridiculously slow on my broadbank connection.
If anyone can lead me to some instructions for making sure I got rid of all the yahoo crap I sure would appreciate it.
Mike
I had the same issue... Yahoo installed a search bar and made itself comfy on my internet explorer... (I guess it must have stated something like this in its agreement)..
SIMPLE SOLUTION.. after the update I uninstalled the Yahoo toolbar and yahoo updates apps from my list of programs..
I want to remove yahoo from my computer and im having problems doing it why is this happening.
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Paris-Hilton.wikidot.com
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