6 ms·

I really don't understand how this is allowed under the EU law... But then again... Google uses a lot of dirty tricks as well and the EU doesn't do much either

I really don't understand how this is allowed under the EU law... But then again... Google uses a lot of dirty tricks as well and the EU doesn't do much either so...

darkwater 5y ago
It is not, as proved by the EU case against Internet Explorer what? 15 years ago? I hope they will get fined again as well. Is Ballmer CEO again?
- jacquesm 5y ago
  The idea that Nadella is somehow a saint vs Ballmer's evil is really testimony to the fantastic PR exercise that MS has been engaging in. But ask yourself where Nadella was working when Ballmer was at the helm of MS and you'll see that he isn't as much of a change at all, it's just a nicer package.
  - darkwater 5y ago
    I totally agree with you, I was being ironic :)
goosedragons 5y ago
Apple pulls this crap too. Use a different browser on Mac and get a "helpful" notification telling you to try the new Safari. Only place you're safe these days is a fully FOSS OS like Linux and FreeBSD.
- baal80spam 5y ago
  I don't use Apple products but I don't think this is outrageous or something. Why shouldn't a company that sold me a refrigerator be able to point out that it produces ovens as well? Of course I despise what Microsoft does, it's absolutely over the top.
  - nicce 5y ago
    ”Helpful” notification is much less than Microsoft is doing indeed. After all, Mac is commercial OS and Safari is their product so at least a little bit is allowed. But Microsoft is closer and closer banning anything they don’t want.
  - goosedragons 5y ago
    Because its annoying and ridiculous? They also do it WHEN you open another web browser. Imagine if your Acme fridge had a camera that noticed every time you opened your non-Acme oven and bleated out "Try the new Acme Oven! You'll love its efficiency and design!". Is that okay?
    - playpause 5y ago
      Maybe they do that once? They definitely don’t do it every time you open Chrome. That would be ridiculous.
      - goosedragons 5y ago
        You're right thats its not actually every time but neither is this Edge install thing. If you click "Later" I think it won't do it for 3 days according to this blog post [0] and I think that's still accurate. If you hit Try Now I think you get a little more time to whenever Apple updates Safari/macOS. [0] https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/how-to-osx-try-safari-promotion.html https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/how-to-osx-try-safari-promotion....
        nicoburns 5y ago
        Once a year when Apple does an OS release isn’t too unreasonable. Apple’s iOS policy is completely unreasonable, but IMO Mac has stayed quite ok. The only thing I really don’t like is the rigmarole you have to click through when opening an app from the internet for the first time, but that can be turned off (and it will stay off)
    - bene_legionary 5y ago
- orf 5y ago
  Saying “hey why not try this” as a small easily dismissible notification is very, very different from what’s shown in the tweets.
  - goosedragons 5y ago
    No, it really isn't. Especially since the options are "Try now" and "Later" with no "Never" or some other easy way to permanently stop it.
    - orf 5y ago
      You really can’t see a difference between > “you don't need to download a new browser, we recommend Edge” > “to protect your pc we recommend only running ms verified apps, use Edge” And > “try safari, it’s energy efficient” If not, look a bit harder.
      - goosedragons 5y ago
        No I don't. They're both advertisements. One happens only at install. The other when you use a competitors program. Both are despicable behaviors from an OS. It's like asking whether I prefer dog or cat turds on my carpet. They're both turds.
        orf 5y ago
        That’s reductionist to the point of stupidity. They are also both words, so I guess there’s no difference between them and this comment? Except words have meaning, and the differences between these meanings are important. One set of words is telling you that you are not safe unless you use this browser. It’s implying you’re making a mistake by using Firefox, and in both cases it’s saying “the people who make your computer are telling you to use this thing”. Non technical people are easily fooled by this. It’s scary. The other one is saying “hey, Safari exists” in the corner of your screen. There’s a big difference between these two.
        5y ago
- raverbashing 5y ago
  The secret is to not use Safari ;) (which is slightly better than Edge, but just slightly)
  - InCityDreams 5y ago
    I use Brave on w10. How do you validate one browser being 'slightly better' (even 'just') than another? Me? I just like brave. The rest can all FO for now. I used to try new/ different ones irregularly but brave just seems ok-for-me for now.

I really don't understand how this is allowed under the EU law... But then again... Google uses a lot of dirty tricks as well and the EU doesn't do much either so...

darkwater 5y ago

It is not, as proved by the EU case against Internet Explorer what? 15 years ago? I hope they will get fined again as well. Is Ballmer CEO again?

jacquesm 5y ago
The idea that Nadella is somehow a saint vs Ballmer's evil is really testimony to the fantastic PR exercise that MS has been engaging in. But ask yourself where Nadella was working when Ballmer was at the helm of MS and you'll see that he isn't as much of a change at all, it's just a nicer package.
- darkwater 5y ago
  I totally agree with you, I was being ironic :)

goosedragons 5y ago

Apple pulls this crap too. Use a different browser on Mac and get a "helpful" notification telling you to try the new Safari. Only place you're safe these days is a fully FOSS OS like Linux and FreeBSD.

baal80spam 5y ago
I don't use Apple products but I don't think this is outrageous or something. Why shouldn't a company that sold me a refrigerator be able to point out that it produces ovens as well? Of course I despise what Microsoft does, it's absolutely over the top.
- nicce 5y ago
  ”Helpful” notification is much less than Microsoft is doing indeed. After all, Mac is commercial OS and Safari is their product so at least a little bit is allowed. But Microsoft is closer and closer banning anything they don’t want.
- goosedragons 5y ago
  Because its annoying and ridiculous? They also do it WHEN you open another web browser. Imagine if your Acme fridge had a camera that noticed every time you opened your non-Acme oven and bleated out "Try the new Acme Oven! You'll love its efficiency and design!". Is that okay?
  - playpause 5y ago
    Maybe they do that once? They definitely don’t do it every time you open Chrome. That would be ridiculous.
    - goosedragons 5y ago
      You're right thats its not actually every time but neither is this Edge install thing. If you click "Later" I think it won't do it for 3 days according to this blog post [0] and I think that's still accurate. If you hit Try Now I think you get a little more time to whenever Apple updates Safari/macOS. [0] https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/how-to-osx-try-safari-promotion.html https://www.ctrl.blog/entry/how-to-osx-try-safari-promotion....
      - nicoburns 5y ago
        Once a year when Apple does an OS release isn’t too unreasonable. Apple’s iOS policy is completely unreasonable, but IMO Mac has stayed quite ok. The only thing I really don’t like is the rigmarole you have to click through when opening an app from the internet for the first time, but that can be turned off (and it will stay off)
  - bene_legionary 5y ago
orf 5y ago
Saying “hey why not try this” as a small easily dismissible notification is very, very different from what’s shown in the tweets.
- goosedragons 5y ago
  No, it really isn't. Especially since the options are "Try now" and "Later" with no "Never" or some other easy way to permanently stop it.
  - orf 5y ago
    You really can’t see a difference between > “you don't need to download a new browser, we recommend Edge” > “to protect your pc we recommend only running ms verified apps, use Edge” And > “try safari, it’s energy efficient” If not, look a bit harder.
    - goosedragons 5y ago
      No I don't. They're both advertisements. One happens only at install. The other when you use a competitors program. Both are despicable behaviors from an OS. It's like asking whether I prefer dog or cat turds on my carpet. They're both turds.
      - orf 5y ago
        That’s reductionist to the point of stupidity. They are also both words, so I guess there’s no difference between them and this comment? Except words have meaning, and the differences between these meanings are important. One set of words is telling you that you are not safe unless you use this browser. It’s implying you’re making a mistake by using Firefox, and in both cases it’s saying “the people who make your computer are telling you to use this thing”. Non technical people are easily fooled by this. It’s scary. The other one is saying “hey, Safari exists” in the corner of your screen. There’s a big difference between these two.
        5y ago
raverbashing 5y ago
The secret is to not use Safari ;) (which is slightly better than Edge, but just slightly)
- InCityDreams 5y ago
  I use Brave on w10. How do you validate one browser being 'slightly better' (even 'just') than another? Me? I just like brave. The rest can all FO for now. I used to try new/ different ones irregularly but brave just seems ok-for-me for now.