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A comment on A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software with Java updates. Parent comment

Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by corresation on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @10:07AM (#5097413)
It absolutely wasn't a mistake. Most legitimate software makes the descriptive text for a checkbox (the label) a trigger for the checkbox. The Ask Toolbar installer option, however, disables this, forcing you to specifically target the checkbox itself.

It is incredibly scummy, and worse it actually encourages Oracle to create insecure software -- at least in the short term -- because each fix is another spin of the wheel.

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Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by _b8r0 on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @10:31AM (#5097508)
That's weird, I thought Oracle have been making insecure software for decades and this was just business as usual for them.
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Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by hnriot on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @01:08PM (#5098564)
clearly, you haven't been paying attention.
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Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by drzaiusapelord on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @01:06PM (#5098550)
How secure are these toolbars? It seems like end users are getting reamed twice. Once by just using java and again by increasing their vulnerability profile with toolbars.
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Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by logic on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @12:52PM (#5098452)
Disabled to make automation (corporate installations) difficult, perhaps?

I find it mind-boggling that people actually put up with (or defend) user-unfriendly behavior like this.

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Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by skymt on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @01:10PM (#5098578)
Oracle explicitly supports automated corporate deployment, albeit in a roundabout way.

http://docs.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/technotes/guides/deploy...

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Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by FredFredrickson on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @01:14PM (#5098606)
The only reason why anyone would defend these practices is that presumably, if the company did not monetize their software in this way, the software couldn't continue to be developed.

In Oracle's case, this seems absurd. The money they make from toolbar installations couldn't possibly be very high, could it?

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Re:A close look at how Oracle installs deceptive software wi... by talmand on Tuesday January 22, 2013 @10:33AM (#5097524)
There are examples of legitimate software failing in this aspect as well. Not to suggest that Oracle does not do this on purpose for nefarious reasons or that other software is being scummy somehow. I don't work at Oracle so I can't say if it's intentional or just part of the problem that's more common then you think.
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