I was shocked to see this Google Software Update window on my Mac this morning asking me to install an update to the Google Talk Plugin:
First of all, I had never seen this update window in my life and I never approved the installation of any such Software Update Engine! Secondly, what Google Talk Plugin is it talking about? As far as I can remember, I never installed a GTalk plugin. I use Adium for chatting on GTalk and I never had to install a plugin to use Google Talk! Maybe the update engine is trying to update the GTalk plugin that came with Adium?
There are some other people who are also quite annoyed by this secret update engine installation. Apparently the update engine is fully open-source, but there is no uninstall program. To uninstall it, you must unregister applications that are using it and wait a day for it to automatically uninstall itself. How ugly.
you are an idiot. its for gmail moron.
Jeff,
I don’t use the GMail web interface for email OR Google Talk. Besides, I wasn’t complaining about the Google Talk plugin, nor was I wondering what the Software Update Engine was for. I was complaining that the Software Update Engine that was installed without my knowledge.
Hi Raam,
I think you asking the right questions. Nor do I use google-software like G-mail etc. Many times a day Google asks for ‘update checks’. At least it’s absolutely not transparent what Google wants from us.
BTW first Jeff… behave a little when someone’s discussing things
You’re right, Jeff, and I think that’s a bad way to run software!
Let’s face it, Google is up to nefarious things. There’s millions of apologists out there, but Google is the ONLY company in the history of ANY company I’ve EVER used on my Mac that thinks it’s kosher to install updaters on my Mac without my permission and (very purposefully) makes it difficult to remove them.
Google under the guise of “convenience” is taking control of computers across the planet when they remove control from their users.
EVIL as living hell.
Don’t believe that Google doesn’t have it’s sticky fingers in your Mac as we speak? Shut down everything on your computer that connects to the Internet, then look at your connected hosts.
If you don’t know how to do this with terminal, then get the free WaterRoof app and run “Analyze connected hosts”.
There you’ll see …1e100.net
That’s Google there whether you want them to be there or not basically spying on you.
We need a nationwide class action suit put together against Google to DEMAND that they make online updates OPTIONAL. In other words, a CHOICE between manual updates and automatic.
And if we CHOOSE manual updates then Google needs to stay the hell off our computers Internet connection sending data. ANY DATA.
Google needs to be sued for this and forced to stop.
NO OTHER company is this brazen on my Mac. I know apologists will say, just don’t use Google Earth, etc. – but they miss the point, that just because you use their product does NOT give them the right to have free reign over your computer and your right to privacy. And it certainly does NOT give them the right to be EVIL and invade your computer’s resources like sneaky weasel scum.
Google is evil. We need to form a class action lawsuit to force them to stop invading our computers just because we use Google Earth or Chrome.
Cowicide, thank you for sharing this here and adding to this post.