The decision to offer Yahoo! toolbar installation (at all, let alone by default) at a time when RIAs are about to take off, is a very bad one. RIAs are here to stay, but the technology they'll use has not been written in stone yet. A seemingly minor marketing decision such as this may be sufficient to tip the scales in favor of some other platform/technology (Java? Or maybe something Microsoft comes up with?).
It's time for MM to do damage control: remove the association with Yahoo! toolbar, and issue a clear statement about the fact that you will not associate the plugin download with a 3rd party software/service in the future. Without such guarantee many volatile RIA projects may be abandoned entirely, or may take another technology route.
We pay enough money as developers of Flash and ColdFusion apps for the needed software to run those apps on the servers end that the consumer should not have to worry rather or not the plug-ins to view them come bundled with the ever so abundant trash littering the internet such as the Yahoo! Toolbar just so MM can make a little side cash for advertising! You have a good reputation. Don't blow it with something so irresponsible.
I make my livelyhood through Flash. If it starts getting filtered out do to it's association with spyware, I will have to find a different solution for my clients.
When I download a macromedia player it's to view macromedia content only, nothing more, nothing less, if this door is not closed we'll end up like Gator or comet cursor in a few years
very bad decision...you alientate your users..and show that in the end its not all about experience mm..its all about revenue..and the almighty dollar..seriously someone needs to be fired for such a bad decision without thinking about the repurcussions to your community. what ever happened to asking the people who keep U in business about what we think..shame shame
I think it is a travesty for Macromedia to blatantly disregard what has made it such a great plugin in the first place. It is hard for me to conceive that an actual DEVELOPER would come up with this scheme. Macromedia, make your decision on integrity and not on the all mighty dollar. You are going to cheapen the Flash brand if you do not.
Why not just bundle in some free trial AOL software while they're at it?
Give Yahoo! their money back and remove the toolbar! Its a cheap tactic and something that RealPlayer or Netscape would do!
I was so disgusted with MX2004 that I felt I had no energy left to be appalled by what Macromedia was capable of doing against their own best interests. Now, they've done it again--just differently--with this toolbar thing.
Absolutely no strings attached please. I know our company would prefer it that way.. On a side note, if your company uses MM products and hasn't got legit licenses, please consider the side effects?
Your not going to use a great product like Flash because its bundled with Yahoo! Tool bar which you can choose to not install? thats the stupidest thing i ever heard. Learn to use the "uncheck" option...
We primarily deploy MM Coldfusion and Flash-based solutions. We used CF when Allair owned it, however
we support MM, but only because the player is becoming more readily available. If this goes into effect, we will be not be using Flash or Coldfusion.
