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The ever-annoying, ever-moronic[*] Java Updater popped up today and prompted me to update. I indulged it, figuring there was probably some new gaping security hole again.
What did I find as I proceeded? It wanted to install the Google Toolbar. Did I have the Google Toolbar already installed? No. So why is the default action to install it, unless I opt out?
Apple’s taken some heat lately for their decision to push Safari to anybody who runs their Apple Software Update utility. I didn’t want Safari, but unless I opt out of it I’ll get it. Now Sun and Google are doing the same thing with the Google Toolbar. Users know that if they don’t update their software they’ll get hacked, and Sun, Google, and Apple abuse that by pushing unwanted applications (Safari) and spyware (Google Toolbar) to systems that didn’t already have it. It isn’t enough that they allow you to opt-out. They do this knowing that most users aren’t going to opt out, either because they don’t know any better or because they miss the option.
If there was ever a reason for a law to be passed, this is it.
———————-
[*] Ever-moronic because the updater seems to like starting two, three, or four copies of itself, all sitting in my system tray. Maybe they think that I’ll be more inclined to update if the updater takes over the entire bottom of my screen.
According to Sean Walsh,
President and CEO of
Skyway Software, 'Our
Skyway Community is
thriving and our members
are very talented. We
truly look forward to
their RIAs submittals and
Skyway Builder extensions
and are excited that all
of the contributions will
benefit the entire Skyway 
From Application
Virtualization to Xen, a
round-up of the
virtualization themes &
topics being discussed in
NYC June 23-24, 2008 by
the world-class speaker
faculty at the 3rd
International
Virtualization Conference
& Expo being held by
SYS-CON Events in The
Roosevelt Hotel, in
midtown 
Weitzner brings 30 years
of publishing experience
to ZDE, starting in
editorial at Hearst
Business Communications
and moving over to the
business side at CMP
Media. As CMP Media COO
and CEO, he transformed
the company from a
print-centric publisher
focused on multiple
markets to a tech
You remember back in the
early days of video games
when there wasn't enough
capacity on the carts
themselves to support 30
hours of gameplay? What
was the solution to keep
you playing? They made
the games unbelievably
freaking difficult. Try
playing Kid Icarus now
after having played a
