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PLan
Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 6:18 pm
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 Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 6:07 pm Post subject: Ubuntu Will Now Have Amazon Ads |
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Amazon shopping results have been integrated into the Unity Dash of Ubuntu 12.10.
The feature comes a day after news that Ubuntu were adding Amazon and Ubuntu One Music web-apps as default items on Unity launcher.
Canonical says that the feature ‘extends what was already introduced in the Music and Video Lenses’ by offering ’a “more suggestions” results category …to searches performed from the home dash.’
The boon for them is that they get a small % cut from every purchase made through the Dash (or the web-app mentioned yesterday), as Oliver Ries explained on the Ubuntu Development mailing list yesterday:
“…if a user clicks the item and purchases it, it will generate affiliate revenue that we can invest back into the project (in a similar way to how we generate revenue from the Firefox search
bar).
We have found affiliate revenue to be a good method of helping us to continue to invest in maturing and growing Ubuntu.”
Rest of article ...
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It can be removed easily but many users are still going to find the principal of ads somewhat tacky.  |
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Dutch_Master
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Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:49 am
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| Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2012 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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And one more reason to stay away from Dash...  |
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wyliecoyoteuk
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Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 11:41 pm
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Location: Birmingham, UK
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| Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 12:15 pm Post subject: |
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Well, how many people pay extra for the kindle without adverts?
Apparently some of the latest ones will not have this option.
Lots of people put up with ads in "free" android apps.
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Debian Acolyte
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:21 am
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Location: China
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 12:34 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | Amazon shopping results have been integrated into the Unity Dash of Ubuntu 12.10. |
If that means the task bar, it is ridiculous. I do not know if the Unity monstrosity has changed, but when it was introduced, applets could not be added to the bar. But now advertisements are there by default? I hope I misunderstand.
Whatever the case may be, I hope I am not the only one who sees an ethical problem with advertising as part of a Linux GUI, and by default! But hard core Ubuntu users who worship Mark Shuttleworth as a god will joyfully accept being used as Canonical prostitutes. (Yes. My Ubuntu experience left me jaded.)
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wyliecoyoteuk
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 6:45 pm Post subject: |
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I would see more of a problem if it was not possible to switch it off.
Android apps use advertising.
There is no need for "ethical" sneering at an attempt to pay for the development of a product, many open source projects are supported in a similar way. I suppose you don't use google, or view websites funded by their advertising, including this forum.
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Ram
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Location: Guisborough
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| wyliecoyoteuk wrote: | I would see more of a problem if it was not possible to switch it off.
Android apps use advertising.
There is no need for "ethical" sneering at an attempt to pay for the development of a product, many open source projects are supported in a similar way. I suppose you don't use google, or view websites funded by their advertising, including this forum. |
Android do but if you turn off your network they disappear.
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nelz
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Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:52 pm
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Location: Warrington, UK
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:19 pm Post subject: |
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There are no adverts, just Amazon search results included in the search facility. This is not an attempt to cover the desktop with adverts - not that I have a problem with adverts as such. I assume the people complaining about adverts squealed just as loudly in protest at the money that Shuutleworth poured into canonical.
Or is the evilness of money dependent on the direction of travel?
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Rhakios
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| Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:20 pm Post subject: |
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| nelz wrote: |
Or is the evilness of money dependent on the direction of travel? |
Yes.
Next question.
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Debian Acolyte
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:21 am
Posts: 25
Location: China
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:32 pm Post subject: |
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| wyliecoyoteuk wrote: | | There is no need for "ethical" sneering at an attempt to pay for the development of a product |
There is nothing wrong with offering a service. "We have a service that you can use both as a convenience to yourself and help the distribution at the same time." Installing it and putting it on the desktop as default is a different situation.
On the Debian forum, the main complaint about it is the security danger. Apparently, the data is sent between the user's computer and Canonical unencrypted. Potentially giving Amazon access to information intended to be private.
And no. I do not use Google. Not because of advertising, but for more important reasons.
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nelz
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Debian Acolyte wrote: | | There is nothing wrong with offering a service. "We have a service that you can use both as a convenience to yourself and help the distribution at the same time." Installing it and putting it on the desktop as default is a different situation. |
How can you use the service if the software for it is not installed? Maybe you would prefer a distro to not install a web browser in case you don't want to use it?
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Dutch_Master
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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There's a distinct difference between a basic service and an extended service and even, may I add, an extension to a basic service... A webbrowser is a basic service. Adblock is an extension to that basic service. What Canonical is doing now is make decisions for you: we know better then you what you want, and this is what you want, so we can make money from it I now see no difference between Canonical and M$ in terms of freedom to choose what to install.  |
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nelz
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 3:52 pm Post subject: |
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AIUI Canonical are making no decisions for you, they are simply extending the search facility to give results from one more source. There are no ads, in fact there's nothing until you choose to search for something.
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Debian Acolyte
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2012 8:21 am
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Location: China
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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| nelz wrote: | | How can you use the service if the software for it is not installed? Maybe you would prefer a distro to not install a web browser in case you don't want to use it? |
Apparently we are engaged in two different discussions. The discussion I am involved in is:
"We offer this service". (It is currently not installed. If you choose to install it, it will be available.)
That is different than, "We install this service (or software), whether you want it or not. It is up to you to remove it if you do not want it."
| Quote: | | How can you use the service if the software for it is not installed? |
I have no idea how this is supposed to relate to the discussion.
No. A service cannot be used if it is not installed. That is the point. In this case, it is installed by default. Those who do not want to use it, do not want it installed.
| Quote: | | Maybe you would prefer a distro to not install a web browser in case you don't want to use it? |
Comparing the inclusion of a web browser in an OS with the inclusion of Amazon sales services is ridiculous.
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nelz
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:42 pm Post subject: |
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You seem to be under the impression that this service will automatically put ads on the desktop, whereas I understand it to be incorporating Amazon results in the search facility. Until you search for something, you will see nothing from Amazon.
The service is not "on" by default, but it is available by default. Bearing in mind how few people RTFM, having this option without enabling it would be about as useful as not having it in the first place.
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wyliecoyoteuk
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:23 pm Post subject: |
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In actual fact, Amazon search is already offered among the search engine options in many web browsers, (as are Bing, ebay, yahoo and wikipedia) this is just adding it to the dash as well.
Not really that much of a problem is it?
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