The ever-annoying, ever-moronic[0] 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.
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[0] 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.
[0]Ever moronic too, because each new release of Java installed by the Java updater does not overwrite the previous version, but instead uses up another 100MB to install the entire set of binaries with new libraries to a new location. Not much space in today’s terms, but after the tenth update…