Now distributed raman amplifierSun is getting into the game of secretly futzing around with FireFox! A recent Java Runtime update added something called Java Quick Starter to FireFox and just like with the Microsoft one, they did it without telling you or giving you a way to say “No Thanks”. Again, the uninstall option is not available.
I’m not sure if there is any security risk with this add-on but I’m getting a little tired of having updates to one piece of software go and screw up some other, unrelated, program. How do we tell these pushy companies to keep their cotton picking hands off FireFox? Maybe the folks at Mozilla need to block add-ons that aren’t explicitly requested by the user.
Anyway, if you find it in your list of add-ons, here is a link to information on what it does and how to get rid of it if you want to. They seem to work but require a reboot.
Good sleuthing, Tom! You have always been a wonderful advocate of both privacy and controlling your own software environment. I love posts like this.
I’m surprised and a little disappointed to learn Firefox is not at least insisting its users get a head’s-up on these installs along with a choice of whether or not to install.
Having once been one of the Internet’s greatest promoters almost to a fault, I now begin to think the world may well come to regret what it has wrought world-wide in so many countless ways.
I remember (and still have) an article in the local paper (The Tampa Tribune), who discovered somehow I was a “webmaster” and featured yours truly in an article, complete with photo with two others.
Of course without it, my somewhat restricted life would be lots less immediately entertaining and instantly gratifying.
In the words of Linda Ellerby, “And so it goes . . .”
Yes Mike, the Internet has given people a large number of new ways to cause trouble. I think the same has been true with all sorts of innovations. Cars, airplanes, credit cards, radio and TV are just a few others I can think of. All of these give us reason to regret and wonder if we would be better without them. But as many have said, you can’t stop progress.
I hope there will be some effort made at Mozilla to fix this particular problem.