Ubuntu 12.10 will include advertisements for products on Amazon. It will look like this - if you search, product suggestions will pop up. This seems like a rather slippery slope to me, and I certainly wouldn't want this on my desktop, laptop, smartphone, tablet, or anywhere else. On the web - fine, I'm on your site, not mine - but my desktop is mine, and mine alone. Not that it matters - open source, someone will disable them. Biggest concern: does this mean my search queries get sent across the web?
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Member since:2006-12-05
Don't install what? Ubuntu or the lens? Not installing Ubuntu is certainly possible, but this "lens" will probably be installed by default with the OS. Otherwise, how else would they be able to get those kickbacks from Amazon, sending all of everyone's HUD searches to Amazon while they're at it? If that's the case, then you can only uninstall it after it has already been installed. It's easier to just install one of the many other Linux distributions--and IMO, preferably one that is not based directly on Ubuntu.
Member since:2007-11-11
I have to say I find the whole thing fascinating myself. I mean here is the company that the community gushed over, now when they are bleeding to death and trying to keep the lights on its "ZOMG they are trying to make money! How dare they not do everything for free, i'll switch OSes first!" Wharrgarbl!
I guess like communism the whole FOSS philosophy just don't work, at least on the desktop. As i have said before it will take at least 100 million dollars to bring Linux up to the same level as Windows and OSX, you have whole subsystems like X and Pulse that will need to be replaced or rebuilt, docs, regression testing, QA and QC, yet as Canonical found out there is simply no way to make money on a Linux desktop. How many "Ubuntu derived" distros are there, enjoying the fruits of Canonical labor without throwing them even a beer? I rest my case.
The big mistake Shuttleworth made was using Linux in the first place, if he'd have used BSD as Jobs did he could have kept his work, charged $20 a pop once the buzz built up and would now have the money to not only continue but actually improve the system. Instead we'll see Canonical join Mandriva, Xandros, Linsprie and the rest on the scrapheap of history and nothing will ever get any better. Different and prettier yes, but NOT better. Heck you can't even update the system without Pulse or WiFi or something breaking, this is 2012 and Linux behaves like its 1993 when it comes to drivers, that just won't cut it.
Member since:2010-01-18
Member since:2007-11-23
I'm really tired of that kind of replies.
People are not moaning here senselessly. Canonical doesn't give you choice with this hardcoded option, and it's kinda not what Linux is all about.
I would presume that your avatar would have something to do not only with FLOSS OS, but also FLOSS philosophy, but it looks like it doesn't.
To sum up: "take it or leave" *IS NOT A REAL CHOICE*. It's an ultimatum. In such case you have only one choice, the other one is dropping the offer and leaving with nothing [in theoretical situation]. I know there are other distros, but what If someone loves Unity and Ubuntu that much and hates ads? So please, stop copying this "take it or leave it" Windows-world attitude. It doesn't help a bit to anyone. It is actually senseless.
The last thing is the privacy thing: don't know about you, but I would NEVER allow anything to display me ANY sort of ads on MY own computer and OS. NE-VER!
Member since:2005-08-18
Yes they are.
What philosophy would that be, exactly? FLOSS is bigger than Linux and the FSF. I'm pretty sure that making design choices isn't something that "philosophy" prohibits. Maybe it's against ads? Hmmmm..nope.
Or, you know, just uninstall the damn lens. That's a choice.
Really? How about all the choices that are "hardcoded" into every single distro, like SusE's Yast or Slackware's lack of sysv init or systemd that will soon make it into RH/CentOS. What if I don't like those choices? Am I being deprived of my freedoms by Patrick Volkerding?
Come on, the very reason we have different distros is BECAUSE they're different and does things differently.
Also, being a default is not the same as being hard-coded. There are some pretty fundamental differences between the two, actually.
Remove. The. Lens.
Remove. The. Lens.
Remove. The. Damn. Lens.
I'm pretty sure no-one has denied you that right.
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Member since:
2010-01-18
I don't know what all the hype is about, but it looks like to be just a fu**ing lens! Don't like it? Don't install it! Simple as that! And please stop spreading all this FUD!