Updated Shockwave Player Installer Released
Check out Macromedia’s related announcement about the Shockwave player. Basically, what it means is that U.S. users installing Shockwave for the first time will now be asked if they want to install “Weather Bug” as well.
So the complete experience for most users installing Shockwave now includes installations of both the Yahoo Toolbar, Weather Bug and a huge plug for Shockwave.com.
This makes me sad and mad at the same time. After so many complaints from developers about the Shockwave.com promotion years ago, and a huge fuss over the Yahoo Toolbar last year, we now have yet another “unprofessional” element in the Shockwave installer. I know that the proceeds from these revenue streams help to fund Director development and Shockwave player promotion, but I don’t think they are worth the price.
These 3rd-party promotions in the installer hurt developers in two ways. First, potential clients are turned off from using Shockwave because their audience will be hit with these promotions. Second, and more important to me, it means that my Web publications are promoting other products without and compensation to me. If a new user comes to my site for the first time, and then gets the IE auto-install of Shockwave, they will see promotions for Shockwave.com, Yahoo Toolbar and Weather Bug. These three products don’t produce any revenue for my sites and they compete directly with the sponsors of my sites. Heck, Shockwave.com competes directly with my sites period.
Meanwhile, Flash developers pay half the price of Director for their tool and don’t have to deal with any of this. And Macromedia spends probably 10 times the effort developing and promoting Flash.
So to end this rant on a positive note, I must say that it is only because Director is such a fantastically great tool that I will continue to use it.
6 Responses to “Updated Shockwave Player Installer Released”
What a stupid thing for Macromedia to do. They have relegated their brand identity to the likes of internet spammers, telemarketers and Viagra pop-ups… Why on earth would a company think that pushing third party products via a player download would be good for business? What marketing genius came up with the idea? Macromedia should be promoting its own brand identity and products (which would build credibility with developers as well), not promoting Yahoo & Weather Bug. I hate, hate, hate, the increasing amount of intrusive advertising that is proliferating the internet. This sort of uninvited advertising is only going to prompt people like myself to “cancel” the download process and forget about visiting a Shockwave content site again. Now that’s the way to build marketshare and developer support for your product!
I don’t need “Weather Bug” to tell me that it’s Macromedia pissing on my leg and not the rain!
Sad sign for Director indeed. Let’s hope for new management in the near future!
It’s really a bad joke … maybe a petition to initiate.
Hey Gary, fwiw the ActiveX version of Flash 7 now also offers the Yahoo! Toolbar. Strange, sad, and true.
Not entirely true, Lewis- the Yahoo toolbar offer for the Flash Player is only presented when you download through the Flash Player Download Center/website- not through silent/background ActiveX player updates. It’s also only presented to Windows/IE users- Macs and alternate browsers are not presented the offer either.
Some FAQ points here:
http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/productinfo/faq/#section-4
HTH!
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