Enough with the Browser Toolbar Assaults!!!

<rant>
I am so fed up with having to remember to UNCLICK all of these stupid checkboxes to signify that I DON"T want to install the wonderful Browser Toolbar add-on for {insert vendor here} everytime I have to patch an existing application or install a new one!!!!  UNCLICKED should be the DEFAULT!

NO I don’t want the Google Toolbar installed on my system when I install a Java patch…NO I don’t want the Yahoo Toolbar installed…NO NO NO NO!!!

Come on guys.  It’s a cheap and dirty trick to tuck toolbar add-ons, or any other app for that matter, into a patch or an installer…hoping to sneak it onto a users system without their knowledge and thus their knowledgeable consent.  You know you’re doing it…you know it’ deceptive and sneaky…and it’s gotta stop!  I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had to sit down at a users computer and just marvel at how they are able to get any browsing done.  They’ve got three or four toolbars from the various "helpful vendors" out there that have duped them into installing their toolbar into the mix.  The top half of the screens are nothin’ but toolbars!!!

I spend the next half-hour or so uninstalling all of these spawns of the devil and if I’m lucky, I can weed out MOST of the crap they’ve brought along for the ride.  Cut it out!
</rant>

We now return you to your normally scheduled blog reading…

Doug White