In my view we can rank order degrees of deceptiveness as follows: Bad: Pre-checked box one can easily overlook
Worse: Telling you what's going on only after (or during) the fact, when it's too late to stop it (as happened in this case, although it's fixed now) Worst: Never telling you at all. I'm sure many of you feel I'm making a mountain of a molehill, but I still think the principle is important. If you like, you can think of it as the straw breaking this camel's back (i.e. mine) after so many years of deceptive marketing practices from merchant after merchant. On the other hand, one could even wax patriotic about it since, as they say, 'it's the American way!' (Which must mean even Superman would have supported it.) Peyton ________________________________ From: shawn gorrell <[email protected]> To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> Sent: Wed, March 14, 2012 10:01:58 AM Subject: Re: [ACFUG Discuss] Unconscionable Adobe Behavior Peyton, there is nothing new about them bundling crap with Flash and Acrobat. They have done so for years, and the default is that it is checked to install. I've accidentally installed it before in haste, and went back an uninstalled it. I don't care for the practice either, but it is hardly deceptive. Deceptive would be bundling it in the installer and not giving you an option at all, nor telling you about it. There was a time when a bunch of programs used to bundle garbage like Gator and not tell you about it... ________________________________ From: Peyton Todd <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2012 8:41 AM Subject: Re: [ACFUG Discuss] Unconscionable Adobe Behavior I just tried it again and was told again I had to install the latest Flash Player, which is odd since I had already done so yesterday, but putting that aside, the point of interest is that this time I experienced the same behavior you did, namely the pre-checked box signaling agreement to install McAfee. So it looks like someone at Adobe discovered this scandalous behavior and corrected it. My faith is more or less restored even though defaulting the box to Yes is still too manipulative in my opinion. Peyton ________________________________ From: Clint Willard <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, March 14, 2012 9:31:12 AM Subject: Re: [ACFUG Discuss] Unconscionable Adobe Behavior Ah ha. I disabled Flash in FF and made it ask me to install Flash. It does take you to the Adobe site to install Flash and it does "ask" if you want to install McAfee with a check box defaulted to checked. Simply uncheck it. Your working too fast man, slow down and notice the check boxes, it's standard practice. But yes, it's the first time I noticed the McAfee thing, doesn't bother me though. Cheers, Clint Willard Senior ColdFusion Programmer Analyst [email protected] On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 8:57 AM, Andrew Powell <[email protected]> wrote: I think you're getting a bit too worked up. Simply uninstall it and move on. Obviously it bothered you enough to craft an email about it, but is it really a big deal? Just uninstall McAfee and be done with it. > > > > >On Mar 14, 2012, at 8:51 AM, Peyton Todd wrote: > >The website is the one at the url below: >> >>http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp;jsessionid=F0820D54374464EDF158A9C6740AB907.ecom303_main?sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=Share-_-Personal-_-Email-_-Sharee-_-Images&token=7319175931105%3A201251901&_requestid=122667 >> >> >>And if it matters, the browser I was using in Firefox. But do either of these >>things matter? Can I not assume they were merely passing the ball to Adobe? >>Certainly the look and feel of the installation windows were unmistakeably >>the >>Adobe style! >> >>Peyton >> >> >> >> >> >> ________________________________ From: Clint Willard <[email protected]> >>To: [email protected] >>Sent: Wed, March 14, 2012 8:18:58 AM >>Subject: Re: [ACFUG Discuss] Unconscionable Adobe Behavior >> >> >>"Yesterday I went to a website" - What web site? Did it take you to Adobe for >>real. It seem possible for someone to make an installer with flash to include >>a >>copy of something else, not sure. If so, it probably has an affiliate >>tracking >>attached to make them money when you "hopefully" buy it. If "a website" tells >>you that you need Flash, then get it from a trusted source like Adobe, >>especially if it doesn't look right. If this is not the case you should be >>more >>specific in your complaint. Personally I've never had a Flash install include >>anything, let alone ask if you want anything else that I can remember. >> >>Clint Willard >>Senior ColdFusion Programmer Analyst >>[email protected] >> >> >> >>On Wed, Mar 14, 2012 at 7:06 AM, Peyton Todd <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>Hello all, >>> >>>Can anyone please instruct me on how best to complain to Adobe about a >>>loathsome >>>practice I have just experienced? (Or perhaps, as their official >>>representative, >>>you, Josh, can do this for me?) >>> >>>Yesterday I went to a website, and was told I had to download the latest >>>version >>>of Flash Player, which I agreed to do, whereupon I found McAfee Security >>>program >>>being installed at the same time. The previous practice was bad enough (in >>>fact, >>>already despicable): one had to notice that the check box for agreeing to >>>download McAfee was already defaulted to Yes, and explicitly un-check it to >>>prevent this from happening. Now, however, it simply installs McAfee without >>>warning, and without giving one any other option. >>> >>>I had thought Adobe was a good company. But surely all will agree that this >>>is a >>>disgusting practice truly beneath contempt, perpetrated by scumbag >>>scoundrels >>>who should be lined up before a firing squad immediately. >>> >>>Peyton >>> >>>------------------------------------------------------------- >>>To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ >>>http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform >>> >>>For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists >>>Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ >>>List hosted by FusionLink >>>------------------------------------------------------------- >> >>------------------------------------------------------------- >>To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ >>http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform >> >>For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists >>Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ >>List hosted by FusionLink >>------------------------------------------------------------- > > >------------------------------------------------------------- >To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ >http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform > >For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists >Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ >List hosted by FusionLink >------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ List hosted by FusionLink ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ List hosted by FusionLink ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from this list, manage your profile @ http://www.acfug.org?fa=login.edituserform For more info, see http://www.acfug.org/mailinglists Archive @ http://www.mail-archive.com/discussion%40acfug.org/ List hosted by http://www.fusionlink.com -------------------------------------------------------------
