April 26th, 2006
Is The “Destroy Internet Explorer Campaign” Ethical?
By Jimmy Daniels
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews
A new website, called Explorer Destroyer, has decided to try to destroy the use of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, and it’s using Google to help fund it, believe it or not. You download their script, install it on your website, and you have three different options to promote it to your users. Using a download link on your page, a splash page on which users are encouraged to download Firefox or the dead serious version that will not allow Internet Explorer users access to your site until they install and use Firefox.
The links to Firefox that they are using are available from the Google Adsense program, they will pay you $1 dollar for everyone who downloads the Firefox browser with the Google toolbar installed. This is how they are encouraging website owners to install their script, they say on their site that you can make some serious money if your user base is mostly IE users, and they are even going to put up links to sites who have dropped their IE user base below 50%.
You already want people to switch to Firefox. Now’s the time to get serious about it. Google is paying $1 for each new Firefox user you refer.
This is pretty amazing. Now you can advance your ideals, save people from popups and spyware hell, and make some serious money. Millions of people have heard about Firefox and are ready to switch–all they need is a friendly push.
That’s where these scripts come in. They’re specially formulated to give just the right push, maximizing souls-saved and dollars-for-you.
If most of your users use Internet Explorer, then you need Explorer Destroyer more than anyone. Sites with a lot of Internet Explorer users will also make the most money from Google Firefox referral fees, since you have more people to convert.
If most of your users don’t use Internet Explorer, then Explorer Destroyer is a perfect way to convince the rest of you users to switch. Most of your readers will never even notice it’s there and you’ll be doing a good deed at the same time. Source: Explorer Destroyer via the Inquirer.
We Say: I predict thousands of bloggers picking up this script and using it to make some money and a statement at the same time. Wonder what Microsoft’s and Google’s reaction will be. 
David Johnston says:
I can’t say that I completely support this movement. Though I really like Firefox, I don’t think it’s right to try and force people to use it. The “dead serious” level of “encouragement” which they seem to reccomend the most actually prevents users of IE from viewing your site. It seems overly harsh to me. The other options, which just suggest it are a bit better, but they’re still very obtrusive and bothersome.
April 26th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Yan says:
While this is a good opportunity for lots of people to make a few bucks and support a worthy cause, I’m not sure that the adsense program will support this initiative.. It is well stated in the adsense policies that you may *NEVER* encourage your users to click on any type of adsense advertisements whatsoever.
I asked them via email 3 weeks ago if I could encourage my users to download firefox via my “get firefox with google toolbar” button, and they told me that this was strictly prohibited.
Using this script will probably get you banned from the program. You have been warned
April 26th, 2006 at 9:58 am
ValuedCustomer says:
I use Firefox mostly (also use IE) but what’s the big freakin’ deal?? if you don’t like IE, fine, it’s a free country, move on to one of the other million browser solutions out there. but where are the sour-grapes coming from? what did IE ever do to anyone that’s not either been fixed or is completely avoidable by just switching your stupid browser?! - or is this some sort of “statement” about M$ in general? puhleease.. grow-up and get on w/ your lives, folks
April 26th, 2006 at 9:59 am
Jimmy says:
Yan, that was my thought when I wrote this, but I wanted to check with someone at Adsense first before I said I didn’t think it would be allowed.
David, you are absolutely right, and anyone who tries to force their users to do something to get to their content will probably loose some users, unless their content cannot be found anywhere else.
ValuedCustomer, They say on their site that they are four friends who want open source to come out on top.
I use both myself, mostly IE, but I am smart enought to keep it updated and out of the “grey” sections of the internet.
April 26th, 2006 at 10:05 am
degustibus says:
I rarely use IE. Recently had to update it simply to install Netscape 8.1, which I like a lot. I use FFox all tyhe time. I use Opera for some chores.
As I understand it, some sites allow only IE to access. Now Ffox is promoting what seems to me exclusionary tactics.
Include me out.
April 26th, 2006 at 10:34 am
Alice says:
I agree. That is going way too far.
April 26th, 2006 at 11:09 am
RecycledElectrons says:
He he he…
This reminds me of the ActiveX control to shut down a PC. I referred hundreds of people to my web site, and if they were running Netscape (at that time, Mozilla still did not exist) they saw the page. If they were running IE, it shut down their PC.
Andy Out!
April 26th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Charles says:
If Microsoft initiated anything remotely similar to this, wouldn’t the Open Source commuity be rioting in the streets? Wouldn’t Microsoft find themselves in court?
I see, it’s not ok for MS to do it because they want to make a profit and provide jobs, but it is ok for this group to do it because they think FireFox is cool.
April 26th, 2006 at 3:49 pm
Dmitri says:
I would say it’s a good tactic, but why it needs to be so aggressive? Anyway majority of the users will use IE. Why? Because it ships with Windows. And here is another problem, I think these people simply do not clearly understand, what are they about to.
As per Inquirer “In the UK such actions are illegal as they could be deemed an incitement to cause harm to a pillar of the community and therefore terrorist in nature.”
Questions?
The rest is here:
http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2006/04/the_great_googl.php
Got the idea?
It’s so cool, let’s promote aggressive idea to encourage users to switch to Firefox and at the same time earn some money from it. It is not about ethical aspect. It’s about money. Just a different way to earn using AdSense. With a small addition:
“Google AdSense has an onerous policy of only paying publishers when they earn more than $100.” Quote from http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2006/04/the_great_googl.php
Now where are we, ah, yes browser war… Yeah, right. Give me a break! I would use the browser after thorough testing in different environment and with certain applications. And still I’m using four of them: Firefox, IE, Opera and Lynx (in case I get bored watching all the ads)
April 26th, 2006 at 5:46 pm
bob says:
The whole thing smacks of violation of the RICO statutes, let alone n incredibly immature way of voicing what displeasure you may have with a pice of software. Get real people - it’s friggin’ software - not a life or death situation. The “software religion fanatics” seem to have brought themselves down to the level where they are strapping virtual bombs to their own websites in retaliation for what they perceive as a just cause?
April 27th, 2006 at 4:46 am
RecycledElectrons says:
> If Microsoft initiated anything remotely similar to this,
> wouldn’t the Open Source commuity be rioting in the streets?
> Wouldn’t Microsoft find themselves in court?
>
> I see, it’s not ok for MS to do it because they want to make a
> profit and provide jobs, but it is ok for this group to do it
> because they think FireFox is cool.
>
> Comment by Charles — April 26, 2006 @ 3:49 pm
Do you remember the amazing number of “IE only” sites out there?
Have you tried to run Windows Update with FireFox?
Did you try to download “Power Shell” with FireFox? It just gives you an error on your user name and password.
Have you tried to reply to a message in HotMail using Firefox? I pay $20 a year for Hotmail, and MS broke it in the last week so that it does not accept Konqueror connections. (If you don’t know what the Konqueror web browser is, get a Koppix Live DVD and learn.)
MS commonly makes all their sites “IE Only.” We are just returning the favor.
Andy Out!
April 27th, 2006 at 6:03 am
Jimmy says:
So this is your site? Did you all get google’s permission to promote the firefox downloads in this manner?
April 27th, 2006 at 6:55 am
Gord says:
It’s one thing to take swings at MS, quite another to take it out on IE users. Shame on anyone who supports this crud.
April 27th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Gord says:
It’s one thing to take swings at MS, quite another to take it out on IE users. Shame on anyone who supports this crud.
April 27th, 2006 at 10:06 am
Gord says:
oops….. posted twice… sorry
April 27th, 2006 at 10:07 am
ValuedCustomer says:
“I pay $20 a year for Hotmail”
holy crap! y’know, it’s prolly gonna take me an hour or so to wipe off the coffee I just spewed all over my display.. and you’re dishing out tech advice/commentary?? yeesh!
April 27th, 2006 at 11:17 am
John says:
I would like to thank Andy for the laugh… ya made muh day. Is there a difference between the free hotmail account, and the paid? Because firefox works fine for me on my “Free” Hotmail account
April 28th, 2006 at 4:46 am
o0o says:
Anyone noticed the new look and feel of microsoft search engine (http://search.msn.com/)? Its going to be a WAR! The way google is acting I dont realy know which side to take …
April 30th, 2006 at 7:21 am
toadpole says:
As far as I’m concerned, the only reason why IE has a majority in number of users is because its easier to use and faster. The usage statistics just prove it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers
No offense to Non-IE users, I respect that you have your own views regarding IE, though in my experience, Firefox just wasn’t good enough for me. I consequently gave it up because it was annoyingly slow.
But them doing something like this is just plain childish. Its the equivalent of a politician going around offering people a hundred bucks each to vote for him. If MS did something of this sort, these companies would be the first to drag them into court all over the world with antitrust lawsuits.
May 4th, 2006 at 12:52 am