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hey Google - don't auto-update my toolbar!

auto-patching software is a big no-no

         

amznVibe

1:43 am on Aug 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I was quite thrown when my Google toolbar suddenly sprouted new buttons and options!

Seems with the new toolbar going from beta to final they decided to push it onto all desktops.

Don't do this Google! Huge no-no! Can't you see all the flak Microsoft is taking for their automatic system update proposal? Don't touch my system without a warning and the ability to opt-out!

I was so surprised a company like Google would do an action like that. Very un-Google like.

I liked the old toolbar and I don't need any features in the new one. The old toolbar had a more compact layout since the search web button was integrated.

Now I have to rip out the v2 and reinstall the old one while blocking the auto-update.

GoogleGuy

8:39 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Net_Wizard, I thought we did a pretty good job of letting users know about the auto-update by putting it in the FAQ. I'll pass on the feedback that you think it should be more visible. In general, we only want users to install the toolbar if we have their fully informed consent. I'll mention that someone here thought that discussing it in the Frequently Asked Questions wasn't clear enough.

piniyinipompom, if using the toolbar makes you uncomfortable in any way, I'd read through all the documentation--we do our best to make the toolbar useful, and to disclose exactly what it does and doesn't do. If you enjoyed reading Google Watch, I think the same author has written a really interesting article about mind control too. If you do a search for "mind control and the secret state" it should show up. I'd never heard of technologies like radio hypnotic intra-cerebral control and hypnotic dissolution of memory; it's a good read--I enjoyed it a lot.

[edited by: GoogleGuy at 8:43 pm (utc) on Aug. 23, 2003]

mfishy

8:43 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Although I do not find what Google is doing to be that intrusive, whether or not something is in the TOS or not doesn't mean jack.

All reasonably sized spyware/scumare companies have a tos

Gator has a TOS. Wonder how many people realized they were agreeing to pop ups every few seconds....

Net_Wizard

8:46 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)



Morgan,

You are absolutely right! :)

Pardon my ignorance of the FAQ page, I guess I'm just the type that don't read FAQ thoroughly unless I have a problem or don't read Terms that much.

I guess I'm just the type that gives some trust to web sites that I deemed thrust worthy that they would do the most sensible thing of continuing that level of thrust and would not do such things to break that thrust.

So, Kudos to you for bringing it to my attention. I hand it to you for reading 'everything' in the FAQ page and I suppose you read also the toolbar privacy and the full Google privacy statements and terms of service thoroughly before you have downloaded and installed the Google Toolbar.

I further applaud you of your dedication to read every terms of service, license agreement, etc., etc...thoroughly...that you have encountered whenever you install something in your system.

If I'm just like you, I wouldn't have this problem of having the Google Toolbar slowing my browser on the first place.

Thank you

p.s. since it was my fault, I have uninstalled the Google Toolbar and now I have to spend a few moment hunting down those components that were not totally removed from my system. Wish me luck.

GaryK

8:51 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



GG and others, we are drifting off-track again.

From recent experience I can tell you that most visitors do not read the TOS and only occasionally read the FAQ. So, GG, that argument is moot to me.

I think the essence of this thread was that Google should warn us about the toolbar being updated.

At that point we can refuse the update or accept it.

If we refuse the update we might lose use of the toolbar or some functionality.

But ultimately the decision is ours. Google should not be forcing new software on us even if we did legally agree to it.

It's just potentially bad public relations, especially if something goes wrong with a toolbar update and makes a machine unusable, times how many machines are using the toolbar.

[edited for spelling]

[edited by: GaryK at 8:57 pm (utc) on Aug. 23, 2003]

Namaste

8:52 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



GG, put it in BOLD at the time of install: "IMPORTANT: The toolbar will auto-update to ensure that any security holes are plugged. But you will have control over installation of new features and enabling dormant ones. We assure you that none will be installed without your consent"

that will make it fair.

futureX

9:26 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



All reasonably sized spyware/scumare companies have a tos
Spyware with TOC isnt really spyware.

And if people agree blindly to TOC when downloading programs then why complain when it does something which is in the TOC that you agreed to.

markus007

9:37 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Other then the view complainers on this forum, the general public likes having things autoupdated. If 1 million people have the toolbar installed, over 900,000 probably never think of going back to the google toolbar download page and checking to see if there is a new version.

GoogleGuy

9:38 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



I'll certainly go to the toolbar team and ask if we're making it clear enough that the toolbar auto-updates. Talking about it in the FAQ is good, but I'll ask if we can do anything else.

Net_Wizard

10:22 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)



Other then the view complainers on this forum, the general public likes having things autoupdated. If 1 million people have the toolbar installed, over 900,000 probably never think of going back to the google toolbar download page and checking to see if there is a new version.

So does hundreds of thousands if not millions of users who downloaded Gator...

Yet, only few webmasters discusses that issue of Scumware. Does it make the rest of the users consenting to Gator action?

So, what's next? Auto update the toolbar with Adwords to 'enhance your surfing experience'? Hey, I suppose that would be really cool.

Let's go further...I suggest auto update of Google toolbar that would parse all web sites that we surf and replace all adverts found to either adwords or links to destinations that 'Google think' would enhance your surfing experience.

Why resist Google? Resistance is futile...all web sites and pc's would be auto assimilated by Google in the future...all in the name of...enhancing users experience...I'll be the first to change my signature to Google_Drone, promise :D

<added>Forget to add - all pc's system should upgrade to Google-googleow(similar to window OS) to prevent conflict. If not, who cares if your system crashes. What's in your pc is not important to Google anyway</added>

loanuniverse

11:05 pm on Aug 23, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



That Google Watch site is a hoot! and with a nice PR too.

People are funny and not everyone can be pleased at the same time.

I think that the portion of people that really care about this issue enough to rank it as important enough to take action {remove the toolbar, block the update url} or even consider it is very small. Of course the number is skewed because of the audience of this board. For argument sake, let's say the toolbar asked you for permission to update. I will guess a good number of users will click "No" and leave themselves exposed to a security flaw.

Someone here said something like: "I don't follow the logic of forcing an update because of a flaw in the software" Well, I am no programmer, but there are bugs in almost every piece of software. I think you would like to force the update for that very reason. I don't think the Google has ever claimed to be the producers of 100% bug-free software. The request for permission might or might not make it into the next release, which will be delivered by auto-update, but if a bug is found and is exploited by malicious individuals, you will see people complaining about how Google left their systems open to attack. Even if the toolbar had asked for permision before.

Like I said, people are funny

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