6 ms·

This reminds me when my parents would have half their browser covered in random toolbars they'd get tricked into installing, whether by online ads or software b

by adamwk 4y ago

This reminds me when my parents would have half their browser covered in random toolbars they'd get tricked into installing, whether by online ads or software bundled with them. The modern dark patterns are really nothing like the early 2000's windows days.

olyjohn 4y ago
Yeah they were obvious, and easy to clean up back in those days. Now it's happening, and it's just built into the software you use, including your OS... and most people have no way of knowing.
- lotsofpulp 4y ago
  I recall some of them requiring editing registry, or using software like CCleaner. Far from easy in my opinion, especially for a layperson.
MiddleEndian 4y ago
Tragically, Microsoft has looked back and realized that people will put up with a lot of shit, so they decided to implement about 20% of it themselves.
yedava 4y ago
Smartphones are the modern dark patterns and are far worse than IE era toolbars. The toolbars and other Windows crap were easy to notice and easy to get rid off. The modern smartphone is a fast, sleek and utterly locked down device which collects a firehose of your personal data without ever giving any indication that it is harming you. Out of sight, out of mind.
- imwillofficial 4y ago
  Easy to get rid of? I remember a monkey one that was harder to cure than aids. Anyone remember that? Bonzi Buddy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BonziBuddy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BonziBuddy
  - andirk 4y ago
    no but I remember going in to these Windows registry files and removing things in an exact order like a bomb.
HeavyFeather 4y ago
Oof, what? Toolbars were painfully visible, but spam extensions are just as common today. The difference is that today you can get them straight from the comfort of the top search result for any innocuous term. The web today, without an ad blocker, is just as land-mined as it’s always been. And getting your spam code installed is super easy, barely an inconvenience.
- sdfghswe 4y ago
  > The web today, without an ad blocker, is just as land-mined as it’s always been. No dude. From this comment I would say that you're either too young to have living the toolbars that parents is mentioning, or too in your own bubble to know the kind of people who would fall for it.
  - nneonneo 4y ago
    Extensions are potentially worse - they can be quite hidden while still doing naughty things to your browsing history or even the pages you visit.
    - ipaddr 4y ago
      That's what toolbars did.
      - j16sdiz 4y ago
        and toolbars are not sandboxed. Back in those days, nothing (except java) in the browser is sandboxed.
    - sdfghswe 4y ago
      Oh you think that all "toolbars" are visible. That's so endearing.
  - StrangeATractor 4y ago
    Anyone else remember having their mom's boyfriend getting you to remove the animated porn lady walking on top of the windows bar while explaining that he had no idea how that got there?
andirk 4y ago
I miss those toolbars. And some ads had search bars in them that they'd also use to search thinking it was Aks Jeeves or whatever.
grishka 4y ago
So many installers for windows software tried to sneak the yandex toolbar past people clicking "next" without looking, it became a meme.
- wildrhythms 4y ago
  I remember Oracle sneaking the Ask toolbar into the JRE installer. Meanwhile the JDK installer (which also installs JRE) has no toolbar. Clearly preying on people who aren't developers. True scum.

by adamwk 4y ago

olyjohn 4y ago

Yeah they were obvious, and easy to clean up back in those days. Now it's happening, and it's just built into the software you use, including your OS... and most people have no way of knowing.

lotsofpulp 4y ago
I recall some of them requiring editing registry, or using software like CCleaner. Far from easy in my opinion, especially for a layperson.

MiddleEndian 4y ago

Tragically, Microsoft has looked back and realized that people will put up with a lot of shit, so they decided to implement about 20% of it themselves.

yedava 4y ago

Smartphones are the modern dark patterns and are far worse than IE era toolbars. The toolbars and other Windows crap were easy to notice and easy to get rid off. The modern smartphone is a fast, sleek and utterly locked down device which collects a firehose of your personal data without ever giving any indication that it is harming you. Out of sight, out of mind.

imwillofficial 4y ago
Easy to get rid of? I remember a monkey one that was harder to cure than aids. Anyone remember that? Bonzi Buddy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BonziBuddy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BonziBuddy
- andirk 4y ago
  no but I remember going in to these Windows registry files and removing things in an exact order like a bomb.

HeavyFeather 4y ago

Oof, what? Toolbars were painfully visible, but spam extensions are just as common today. The difference is that today you can get them straight from the comfort of the top search result for any innocuous term. The web today, without an ad blocker, is just as land-mined as it’s always been. And getting your spam code installed is super easy, barely an inconvenience.

sdfghswe 4y ago
> The web today, without an ad blocker, is just as land-mined as it’s always been. No dude. From this comment I would say that you're either too young to have living the toolbars that parents is mentioning, or too in your own bubble to know the kind of people who would fall for it.
- nneonneo 4y ago
  Extensions are potentially worse - they can be quite hidden while still doing naughty things to your browsing history or even the pages you visit.
  - ipaddr 4y ago
    That's what toolbars did.
    - j16sdiz 4y ago
      and toolbars are not sandboxed. Back in those days, nothing (except java) in the browser is sandboxed.
  - sdfghswe 4y ago
    Oh you think that all "toolbars" are visible. That's so endearing.
- StrangeATractor 4y ago
  Anyone else remember having their mom's boyfriend getting you to remove the animated porn lady walking on top of the windows bar while explaining that he had no idea how that got there?

andirk 4y ago

I miss those toolbars. And some ads had search bars in them that they'd also use to search thinking it was Aks Jeeves or whatever.

grishka 4y ago

So many installers for windows software tried to sneak the yandex toolbar past people clicking "next" without looking, it became a meme.

wildrhythms 4y ago
I remember Oracle sneaking the Ask toolbar into the JRE installer. Meanwhile the JDK installer (which also installs JRE) has no toolbar. Clearly preying on people who aren't developers. True scum.