4 ms·

Mozilla Blocks Official Skype Toolbar Add-on for Firefox

78 points by twapi 16y ago

rfugger 16y ago
http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/2011/01/20/blocking-the-skype-toolbar-in-firefox/ http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/2011/01/20/blocking-the-skype...
alanh 16y ago
“The current shipping version of the Skype Toolbar is one of the top crashers of Mozilla Firefox 3.6.13, and was involved in almost 40,000 crashes of Firefox last week.” “This extension is bundled with the Skype application, and is installed into Firefox by default when Skype is installed or, in some circumstances, updated.” — Mozilla It also busts certain designs. This sort of behavior from Skype is unacceptable. Good on Mozilla, this is great for their users.
- wheaties 16y ago
  I disable any add-on for any browser I currently have that I did not expressedly install myself. That being said I've expected this kind of behavior and malpractice from Microsoft not Skype. Terrible shame, too.
  - kylec 16y ago
    You are right to expect this from Microsoft, they've done it before: http://robertnyman.com/2009/01/26/microsoft-force-installs-firefox-extension/ http://robertnyman.com/2009/01/26/microsoft-force-installs-f...
- yesimahuman 16y ago
  I also have never been able to remove it from the toolbar without uninstalling it unlike every other extension. Haven't used it lately though.
david2777 16y ago
I totally agree, I disabled the Skype Toolbar for Chrome a long time ago because it seems like it constantly crashes.
jeffb 16y ago
"Skype Toolbar is one of the top crashers of Mozilla Firefox 3.6.13" In 2010, Mike Beltzner (director of Firefox) announced that Flash causes more crashes than any other plugin. Maybe they should ban Flash while they're at it.
- stanleydrew 16y ago
  We all know that's not possible. That would be like Firefox blocking requests to facebook.com because some users end up getting phished or stuck with malware from facebook apps. Nobody would use a browser that blocks flash (and doesn't support h.264 in <video>).
- elxx 16y ago
  If I remember right, this was right before Firefox 3.6.4 introduced out-of-process plugins so Flash has its own process to crash instead of taking down the whole browser. Of course, for some reason the Skype plugin is still capable of crashing it...
  - kinetik 16y ago
    That's because it's an extension, not a plugin.
- rmc 16y ago
  The Skype plugin adds much less functionality to the browser than flash.
jchonphoenix 16y ago
It feels really fishy that skype forces you to install something like this. Any time a company pulls something like this on me, they lose all credibility in my book. Its as bad as spyware and adware.
- elxx 16y ago
  To be clear, it's an option in the installer that you can uncheck. Of course the vast majority of users won't notice that, and the add-on has a terrible habit of breaking page layouts, so this is a great move by Mozilla.
  - towelrod 16y ago
    No, its not. I just installed Skype yesterday, and the installer doesn't even mention the plugin. It just installs it. I immediately disabled it because it has caused problems for me in the past. The installer does ask if you want to install the Chrome toolbar.
    - elxx 16y ago
      Oops. I remember having an option before, guess they changed that.
getsat 16y ago
Could they also please block all the .NET-related addons that Microsoft development products install nowadays? They're even set so YOU CANNOT REMOVE THEM FROM WITHIN THE BROWSER. WHY is this even possible? The addons also alter your User-Agent. If you've never seen this before, Google ".net addon firefox".
- Hacktivist 16y ago
  I wish they would make it so that addons and plugins can only be installed inside Firefox (via addons.mozilla.org, File > Open or exceptions for trusted sites.) I have seven plugins listed and I only installed two of them. 2007 Microsoft Office system - Installed with Office 2007 Google Update - Installed with Google Chrome (??) Java Deployment Toolkit - Installed with Java (on Firefox blocklist) Java Platform - Installed with Java Picasa - Installed with Google Picassa Shockwave Flash - I installed this Silverlight - I installed this In the extension category only two are there that I didn't installed FiddlerHook - Installed with Fiddler (not removed after uninstalling Fiddler, uninstall button greyed out in Firefox) Java Console - Installed with Java
  - ciupicri 16y ago
    That wouldn't be good for Linux distributions which have their own package management system. For example Fedora offers the following packages: mozilla-adblockplus, mozilla-vlc, mozilla-noscript etc.
    - theBobMcCormick 16y ago
      IMHO, the Linux distros are doing it wrong. Just because you have a package management system, doesn't mean you have to use it for everything. I think hackers have seen the absolutely shitpile that most distro's make when they try to override things like CPAN, Ruby Gems, etc. They really need to go hands off on some of those things and let the secondary package manager do it's job Just because you've got a hammer, doesn't mean every problem is a nail.
  - getsat 16y ago
jsz0 16y ago
I'm a big supporter of not letting open platforms/systems/etc turn into digital ghettos. The "anything goes" approach is just a little too self destructive for me. Often it ends up just forcing people into a more closed platform. In this case FireFox starts crashing constantly so how do most people react? Go back to IE? Probably.
- sans-serif 16y ago
  Nobody's talking about you, Android.
jsz0 16y ago
I'm a big supporter of not letting open platforms/systems/etc turn into digital ghettos. The "anything goes" approach is just a little too self destructive for me. Often it ends up just forcing people into a more closed platform. In this case FireFox starts crashing constantly so how do most people react? Go back to IE? Probably.
tzs 16y ago
If Apple did this, Mozilla would be bleating about Apple censoring Skype.
harrybr 16y ago
I cannot take any site seriously that uses Kontera or any other "on-hover to trigger, click tiny close button to dismiss" in-text advertising (as used in the article posted). Does anyone actually disagree that this is a horrible way to monetise your content?
robinhouston 16y ago
Not only is it a pain for users, but also for web application developers. I recently had to explicitly check for and strip out the Skype phone number highlighting code in the back-end of a simple database app. Just look at the astonishing number of odd places that the highlighting codes have ended up on the web: http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=begin_of_the_skype_highlighting http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=begin_of_the_skype_highligh...
TorKlingberg 16y ago
We often see calls that Firefox should block outside programs from installing addons. That would be nice, but as long as installers have write permission to the Firefox directory, there is no way to block them. Mozilla could try to make it difficult, but the toolbar installers would just use more hacky methods, which would break Firefox even more often than it does now.

78 points by twapi 16y ago

http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/2011/01/20/blocking-the-skype-toolbar-in-firefox/ http://blog.mozilla.com/addons/2011/01/20/blocking-the-skype...

alanh 16y ago

“The current shipping version of the Skype Toolbar is one of the top crashers of Mozilla Firefox 3.6.13, and was involved in almost 40,000 crashes of Firefox last week.” “This extension is bundled with the Skype application, and is installed into Firefox by default when Skype is installed or, in some circumstances, updated.” — Mozilla It also busts certain designs. This sort of behavior from Skype is unacceptable. Good on Mozilla, this is great for their users.

wheaties 16y ago
I disable any add-on for any browser I currently have that I did not expressedly install myself. That being said I've expected this kind of behavior and malpractice from Microsoft not Skype. Terrible shame, too.
- kylec 16y ago
  You are right to expect this from Microsoft, they've done it before: http://robertnyman.com/2009/01/26/microsoft-force-installs-firefox-extension/ http://robertnyman.com/2009/01/26/microsoft-force-installs-f...
yesimahuman 16y ago
I also have never been able to remove it from the toolbar without uninstalling it unlike every other extension. Haven't used it lately though.

david2777 16y ago

I totally agree, I disabled the Skype Toolbar for Chrome a long time ago because it seems like it constantly crashes.

jeffb 16y ago

"Skype Toolbar is one of the top crashers of Mozilla Firefox 3.6.13" In 2010, Mike Beltzner (director of Firefox) announced that Flash causes more crashes than any other plugin. Maybe they should ban Flash while they're at it.

stanleydrew 16y ago
We all know that's not possible. That would be like Firefox blocking requests to facebook.com because some users end up getting phished or stuck with malware from facebook apps. Nobody would use a browser that blocks flash (and doesn't support h.264 in <video>).
elxx 16y ago
If I remember right, this was right before Firefox 3.6.4 introduced out-of-process plugins so Flash has its own process to crash instead of taking down the whole browser. Of course, for some reason the Skype plugin is still capable of crashing it...
- kinetik 16y ago
  That's because it's an extension, not a plugin.
rmc 16y ago
The Skype plugin adds much less functionality to the browser than flash.

jchonphoenix 16y ago

It feels really fishy that skype forces you to install something like this. Any time a company pulls something like this on me, they lose all credibility in my book. Its as bad as spyware and adware.

elxx 16y ago
To be clear, it's an option in the installer that you can uncheck. Of course the vast majority of users won't notice that, and the add-on has a terrible habit of breaking page layouts, so this is a great move by Mozilla.
- towelrod 16y ago
  No, its not. I just installed Skype yesterday, and the installer doesn't even mention the plugin. It just installs it. I immediately disabled it because it has caused problems for me in the past. The installer does ask if you want to install the Chrome toolbar.
  - elxx 16y ago
    Oops. I remember having an option before, guess they changed that.

getsat 16y ago

Could they also please block all the .NET-related addons that Microsoft development products install nowadays? They're even set so YOU CANNOT REMOVE THEM FROM WITHIN THE BROWSER. WHY is this even possible? The addons also alter your User-Agent. If you've never seen this before, Google ".net addon firefox".

Hacktivist 16y ago
I wish they would make it so that addons and plugins can only be installed inside Firefox (via addons.mozilla.org, File > Open or exceptions for trusted sites.) I have seven plugins listed and I only installed two of them. 2007 Microsoft Office system - Installed with Office 2007 Google Update - Installed with Google Chrome (??) Java Deployment Toolkit - Installed with Java (on Firefox blocklist) Java Platform - Installed with Java Picasa - Installed with Google Picassa Shockwave Flash - I installed this Silverlight - I installed this In the extension category only two are there that I didn't installed FiddlerHook - Installed with Fiddler (not removed after uninstalling Fiddler, uninstall button greyed out in Firefox) Java Console - Installed with Java
- ciupicri 16y ago
  That wouldn't be good for Linux distributions which have their own package management system. For example Fedora offers the following packages: mozilla-adblockplus, mozilla-vlc, mozilla-noscript etc.
  - theBobMcCormick 16y ago
    IMHO, the Linux distros are doing it wrong. Just because you have a package management system, doesn't mean you have to use it for everything. I think hackers have seen the absolutely shitpile that most distro's make when they try to override things like CPAN, Ruby Gems, etc. They really need to go hands off on some of those things and let the secondary package manager do it's job Just because you've got a hammer, doesn't mean every problem is a nail.
- getsat 16y ago

jsz0 16y ago

I'm a big supporter of not letting open platforms/systems/etc turn into digital ghettos. The "anything goes" approach is just a little too self destructive for me. Often it ends up just forcing people into a more closed platform. In this case FireFox starts crashing constantly so how do most people react? Go back to IE? Probably.

sans-serif 16y ago
Nobody's talking about you, Android.

jsz0 16y ago

tzs 16y ago

If Apple did this, Mozilla would be bleating about Apple censoring Skype.

harrybr 16y ago

I cannot take any site seriously that uses Kontera or any other "on-hover to trigger, click tiny close button to dismiss" in-text advertising (as used in the article posted). Does anyone actually disagree that this is a horrible way to monetise your content?

robinhouston 16y ago

Not only is it a pain for users, but also for web application developers. I recently had to explicitly check for and strip out the Skype phone number highlighting code in the back-end of a simple database app. Just look at the astonishing number of odd places that the highlighting codes have ended up on the web: http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=begin_of_the_skype_highlighting http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=begin_of_the_skype_highligh...

TorKlingberg 16y ago

We often see calls that Firefox should block outside programs from installing addons. That would be nice, but as long as installers have write permission to the Firefox directory, there is no way to block them. Mozilla could try to make it difficult, but the toolbar installers would just use more hacky methods, which would break Firefox even more often than it does now.