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Re: [ARSCLIST] RealNetworks -- a horrid format from a horrible company
Thanks Stephen, for taking the time of describing that procedure. Removing
Real Audio is also a pain - they purposely *don't* make it easy. Perhaps
some folks here have a better understanding why this is such a touchy issue.
Personally, I can't understand how anyone can condone the practice of
"transparently" installing spyware/AdWare on anyone's computer - for any
reason. (And in particular with the kind of malicious intent that Real
Audio has.)
IMHO...
Rob Poretti
Sascom - Toronto
vox.905.825.5373 fax.905.469.1129 cel.905.580.2467
www.sascom.com www.cube-tec.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Steven C. Barr(x)
> Sent: October 28, 2006 9:53 PM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] RealNetworks -- a horrid format from
> a horrible company
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tom Fine" <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > OK, now it's time for a short rant, one user's viewpoint.
> Archivists,
> > please
> avoid using this awful
> > format for your public-available content.
> >
> > My favorite over-Internet radio show, Riverwalk Jazz, had a bonus
> > thing --
> excerpts from a 1973 WRVR
> > interview with John Hammond:
> > http://tinyurl.com/yd6s2e
> >
> > Unfortunately, no playback options except RealAudio. I
> smelled trouble
> immediately. Real player
> > launches and
> > demands to be updated. No playing the clips unless it updates. OK,
> > sigh, now I
> know there's trouble
> > coming.
> >
> > Download takes 5 minutes. Install takes another 5 minutes. Then the
> post-install process, where Real
> > shows itself as the most goniff-y, classless company out there. I
> > think all
> websites should be
> > strong told by their users and patrons not to use this format. I
> > always send
> messages to webmasters
> > because I feel that Real is truly
> > a horrible company.
> >
> > You have to UNSELECT all the formats you don't want Real to
> take over.
> > Instead
> of telling it what to
> > do, you have to take 5-10 minutes of CAREFULLY telling it
> what NOT to
> > do, or
> you'll find that Real
> > takes over all audio and video formats -- and throws its bloated
> > player and
> ads all over your
> > computer. Plus, you have to go into buried menus to turn off
> > auto-update, and
> if you don't register
> > it under a fake e-mail, they will spam you whether you
> uncheck all the
> > spam
> options or not. HATEFUL!
> >
> > Oh, and they also default select the pay-to-use player on
> the install,
> > so if
> you don't pay attention
> > they'll be asking for credit card info. Yeah, over my dead
> body! And
> > these
> goniffs sued Microsoft
> > over alleged "monopoly" issues! At least Microsoft provides
> a player
> > as part
> of the OS on 95% of
> > desktops, not as some bloated, ad-laden, invasive, spamming option.
> >
> > I sent a very strong e-mail to my friends at Riverwalk about using
> > this
> format. Real should be
> > driven out of business or forced to change their
> > spamming/invasive/toxicware
> ways.
> >
> > By the way, Quicktime is the same kind of setup -- you have to
> > carefully go
> thru several steps or it
> > will also take over all your media formats. Big strike
> against Apple
> > on that.
> Also, Quicktime used
> > to be toxic to some Windows computers, although that's improved in
> > recent
> versions. But I wouldn't
> > have Quicktime on any of my computers if it wasn't required for
> > iTunes.
> >
> The trick is (in Wintel) to use File Association (in Windows
> Explorer, the file-viewing accessory) to restore your old
> associations (or change them?). I have no idea how/if a Mac
> equivalent exists...
>
> And it should also be noted that most programs do their best
> to take over a computer once installed on it...I had to
> manually convince my machine that I wanted dBASE to open its
> own files, not MS Access!
>
> Steven C. Barr
>
>