Firefox Extension "Download Statusbar" Now Adware - Maybe Malware

[40hz]

Hmm...

It's back up on the Mozilla Add-ons page (good sign) with this updated info:



Looks like the author changed his/her mind. Nice of them to do so. But I still don't want to use it any more even if I will update my clients on the policy change.

Those of you who do elect to go back, please considering sending the developer a contribution. It will probably go a long way towards not having something like this happen again. 

[J-Mac]

I think he did remove the "bad" version, though since he tried to sneak that in I won't use anything from him again. Screw me once,,,

Thanks!

Jim

EDIT:  It is possible that the revised extension didn't pass Mozilla review; it definitely didn't pass user review!

[Curt]

-it is a little tiring to read all those hard words. Download Statusbar was developed and maintained freely by the trustworthy Devon Jensen. By the 20'th of September the addon suddenly belonged to a "C.J."; identity unknown. We don't know what happened, but we do know that shit happens. Get on.

[J-Mac]

-it is a little tiring to read all those hard words. Download Statusbar was developed and maintained freely by the trustworthy Devon Jensen. By the 20'th of September the addon suddenly belonged to a "C.J."; identity unknown. We don't know what happened, but we do know that shit happens. Get on.

-Curt (October 31, 2011, 03:27 PM)

So, what do you mean by "Get on"? Shouldn’t have notified anyone about the hijacking behavior of the new version that was current then? Why not? I don’t know who Devon Jensen is and I doubt many others do either. He might very well be trustworthy since Download Statusbar was such a great extension for such a long - and I do mean LONG - time. However it went bad sometime yesterday once all users were updated to that crap release!

Did "Devon" sell the extension or hand it over to this "C.J."? What is so trustworthy about that?     Or was it hijacked away from him?  Whatever the case, I don’t trust whomever the developer is now after receiving an auto-update of the junk that was installed yesterday.

Jim

[bobholm]

No longer wonky. Back to normal again Nov. 2, 2011.

[J-Mac]

No longer wonky. Back to normal again Nov. 2, 2011.

-bobholm (November 02, 2011, 01:58 AM)

Yeah - but I don’t trust him now.

Jim

[IainB]

I think he did remove the "bad" version, though since he tried to sneak that in I won't use anything from him again. Screw me once,,,

-J-Mac (October 31, 2011, 02:42 PM)

Yeah - but I don’t trust him now.

-J-Mac (November 02, 2011, 05:11 AM)

+1 from me.     

And now FF is in bed with the Corporate psychopath, Microsoft (re Bing).

And after the Google unilateral fiascos and/or removals:

• Google Notebook
• Google WAVE.
• Google SideWiki.
• Google Buzz.
• Google's software package download bundle.
• Google Desktop.
• Google Toolbar for Firefox.
• Google Plus.
• [Insert name of screw-up here]

- I am similarly unimpressed and and am wondering whether it is rational of me to trust Google with my data and/or my email, my Google Groups, my Google Webpages, my Google knol, etc.

I say this because it seems that Google have now clearly indicated that we users really do not matter and that ALL of these things are now uncertain and under consideration and could be taken away by Google at the drop of a hat, regardless of whether you pay for them currently. That's one reason why, for example, I keep my backups under MY control, duplicated on separate hard drives.

[cyberdiva]

And after the Google unilateral fiascos and/or removals:

Google Notebook
    Google WAVE.
    Google SideWiki.
    Google Buzz.
    Google's software package download bundle.
    Google Desktop.
    Google Toolbar for Firefox.
    Google Plus.

   [Insert name of screw-up here]

-IainB (November 02, 2011, 06:38 AM)

And don't forget Google's Translate Client, which has been free (and better than any other I know) but which will become unavailable after December unless one pays about $40 (they're offering $15 off if one buys it now).

[J-Mac]

Also don’t forget one of my favorites, especially on a cell phone: Goog411, which was a voice recognition information directory. You could call it and it would ask what city; you tell it; then it asks what you are looking for and you tell it. It then returnedwith the name, address and number and asked if you wanted it to connect. Google stated last October that they conceived of that service in order to get as many voice samplings as possible to improve their voice recognition capabilities, and since they had more than enough samples they dropped the damn service. Well, at least they were honest about it, even if only after the fact.

http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2010/10/google-shuts-down-goog-411.html

Thanks!

Jim

[perlguy]

Before jumping all over the extension author about silent updates... make sure you know exactly how firerfox itself is configured to update any/all extensions.  If FF is set to have extensions auto-update as the default, then *you* have to tell it which extensions you want to be notified of updates before they are install.  It's not really his fault if FF did it on your behalf.  Personally, I'm glad he backed out the change - whether it was because of the backlash, or because of hijacking.   And I have now reverted (again) to manual updates only, for all extensions. (default = no updates, and all extensions reset to default update policy).

[J-Mac]

Before jumping all over the extension author about silent updates... make sure you know exactly how firerfox itself is configured to update any/all extensions.  If FF is set to have extensions auto-update as the default, then *you* have to tell it which extensions you want to be notified of updates before they are install.  It's not really his fault if FF did it on your behalf.  Personally, I'm glad he backed out the change - whether it was because of the backlash, or because of hijacking.   And I have now reverted (again) to manual updates only, for all extensions. (default = no updates, and all extensions reset to default update policy).

-perlguy (November 03, 2011, 12:10 AM)

perlguy,

I was looking at different Firefox extensions and checking DC here for any info and I just noticed your post. FYI, I always have FF set to update manually, but Download Statusbar updated automatically anyway back in October 2011, when I first started this thread. I don’t know how that could happen but that was a big part of why everyone was so upset about that update - and was also the primary reason that the Mozilla Add-ons group removed the extension from the Add-ons site, at least until the author reverted back to the previous features and removed the adware functionality.

Thanks!

Jim