I think it would be a great shame. One of the biggest selling points when trying to sell the idea of Flash to a client has been for a long time the fact that it's simple, and pure. Clients are happy to use it because it's a great tool with a solid reputation. Please don't spoil it.
Its a really bad cheap idea to add a worthless toolbar to such a widely used product such as Flash Player. I seriously doubt that Macromedia needs the money.
Bad bad macromedia, this is a cheap shot that will not only harm your reptuation but the repuation of all the developers (those that MAKE your liveliehood) by forcing people to download extra software just to view a simple website. Rediculous.
If I wanted to use Yahoo I know how and where I can find it. If I need to know what the weather conditions are, I have only to open the door and stick my head out (looking out the window works, too!). I really hate how that nowadays, it seems, nearly EVERYTHING has to be somehow co-branded. We can't even watch a sports event anymore without "Staples" or "Kinko's" or some other corporate partner imposing themselves on everything related to that event! Just put your partner's icons on the MMbox, and give them a cut. We don't need to be constantly reminded that you are partnered with services we would not otherwise consider using. As far as I am concerned, this is invasive and makes your product look "cheap." If cheap is how you want to look, then why not knock a few bucks off your price?? :-(
First the flex liscensing and now this. Does MM want to kill every oppertunity they have for long term flash as a platform in favor of short term gain?
If the players will be using spyware that is cumbersome to me or my users, I will not utilize the players. Please do not add the yahoo toolbar to or weatherbug to the players.
This toolbar turns away my clients from allowing me to be the most creative for them. You are strangling my potential business by pushing a product my clients are not requesting.
This is a terrible, terrible idea and puts Flash developers at a significant compeditive disadvantage. Please make an official statement that you will NEVER do anything like this again.
As a computer support tech, I have to uninstall things like Yahoo's toolbar and the weatherbug; they contribute to bogging down the system. Please do not encourage their installation.
Spyware paranoia aside, I al ready have my "bar of choice and don't need anyone else forsing their stuff onto me. I remember a brilliant emerging company called "Brilliant Digital". Created a great 3d Streaming technology. They bagan doing the same thing and now the the brilliant digital player is sinonimous with spyware... take notes and learn from others mistakes.
Dear Macromedia,
You might as well go ahead and pour sugar in my gas tank while anally raping my mother. First you screw us with $800 updates, might as well screw us with some spyware too.
It's like pairing a nice glass of champagne with a corn dog. Not very appetizing guys. Flash is just getting on it's way to becoming the driving force of the web and you're going to stifle that progression. Don't shoot yourself in the foot and take for granted what you've already been able to achieve.
no bundles. pure flash. bundling is only as good as its worst component. flash is fantastic as it is. doesn't need any help from other companies or services. bad macromedia.
This is dubious business, questionable ethics and poor psychology. Macromedia should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves -- but I wonder if they will be?
Macromedia products hold their own in the ever-changing and often unstable world of software products. While Yahoo also represents quality in the search engine arena the two markets should remain separate to avoid the appearance of "selling-out" their loyal customer base for some marginal profit. I HATE being forced or tricked into an action I did not choose and resent companies who do this.
It may only be a matter of time until a Class Action Lawsuit may be filed. Every license of director ever purchased is affected as well as every website that has ever used or promoted shockwave software. Every person who has a job related to shockwave software is affected because their job is based on the license of a free shockwave plugin. Every license of dreamweaver ever sold was partially based on the free plugins available also. That's a very broad spectrum and a very big risk for Macromedia to take.
The bait and switch is illegal in all states in the USA. As you know users are told they are installing or upgrading the shockwave plugin but are actually presented with a license for a Yahoo toolbar. This is in direct violation of the intent of the user and promised purpose of the upgrade at the time the user clicks to upgrade or install. This type of bait and switch, behind the back, adware install is considered illegal and fraudulent in the USA and many other countries, not to mention it violates Macromedia licensing agreements with it's customers in multiple products going back years.
Any one here can find a lawyer who would gladly take a case this big on contingency. It could cost Macromedia in the billions and the lawyers will make loads too. I advise them to stop the bait and switch adware installs immediately to reduce their liabilty.
Macromedia has knowingly and willingly damged the integrity of the shockwave plugin.
Thus Macromedia has knowingly and willingly damged the integrety of every software application written with director, past, present or future including all applications further licensed to other parties.
In addtion all businesses that use or license the products or ancilliary products have their integridty willingly damaged by Macromedia.
This has very far reaching consequences for Macromedia.
They are now liable for massive direct damge they have caused and open to massive punitiative damges.
Stop the toolbar before it puts you and all of us out of business!
This is a move that is obviously money-driven and not well thought out. I will definitely be looking for other development solutions in the future if this is not removed.
Don't make the same marketing mistake others have made..don't force anything on viewers that "Skip Intro" mentality has hurt flash development it is bvad enough designers do the company should know better
Macromedia have got somthing good going, this will bring them down to the same level as every other crap piece of software on the net thats filled with adware and crap. SHAME ON YOU.
Do I have a mobile telephone attached to my shoe, or an alarm clock in my pool? no, because how can I walk if my foot is next to my ear and also sound doesn't travel very well through water. What I'm trying to say is, although Weatherbug and Flash are both brilliant ideas, to combine them would be like putting chocolate sauce on your roast ham...well, you get the point.
i just lost a client because of this... thanks macromedia! I wish we could start some sort of class action suit! this is really bad for all flash designers and developers.
