Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Re: How Can I DISABLE Flash Player?

2 views
Skip to first unread message

Jeckyl

unread,
Jan 24, 2005, 4:47:32 PM1/24/05
to
Easy .. if you don't like Flash or HTML or PDF .. then uninstall all your
browsers for a much more peaceful internet experience .. although you'll
still get emails that might be spam, so better uninstall your mail client as
well. And then take a pill to calm yourself down.

Gees .. its amazing how a bit of animation can destroy someone's pleasure ..
perhaps buy some still life painting and look at those for a while. There
is nothing 'insidious' or 'malware' about Flash .. it is certainly
ubiquitous though, and that is not a bad thing .. I think you're a little on
the paranoid side here!

BTW: There is an uninstall utility from Macromedia you can download if that
will somehow make your life more pleasurable.
--
All the best,
Jeckyl


joe_user

unread,
Jan 24, 2005, 3:56:23 PM1/24/05
to
:disgust;
How can I disable or completely remove Macromedia Flash Player? This
ubiquitous, insidious malware seems to be impossible to lose or avoid and it is
destroying the last bit of pleasure from my internet 'experience'. This thing
is as bad if not worse than PDF and HTML.

Someone, somewhere has got to know how to rid us of this blasted thing.


joe_user

unread,
Jan 25, 2005, 7:58:09 AM1/25/05
to
Thanks for the info. I found the uninstaller and now the blasted thing wants
to download/install on almost _every_ webpage that I visit.
What I want is no Macromedia flash ads and no popups demanding that I install
the flash player. :cool;

BTW, the internet was much more pleasurable and informative before these
advertising jerks decided to forcefeed popups to the world.

Jeckyl

unread,
Jan 25, 2005, 4:16:59 PM1/25/05
to
Blame the advertisers .. not flash. Its not macromedia that is popping up
ads. If flash wasn't there you'd still have the same popup ads .. they'd
probably use GIF instead and take more bandwidth. And uninstalling flash is
not going to stop popup ads.

Web sites that use flash will prompt you to install it if you don't have it
already ... that is how plugins/controls work. So you are probably better
off having it and letting the animations run. Otherwise you'll keep getting
pestered to install it .. and probably even worse, be pestered by popup ads
asking you to install Flash.

Better to get a popup blocker instead, then you don't get the ad in the
first place .. then keep flash installed so that sites that use/need it will
still work. Flash itself is not a problem.

Kurt A

unread,
Feb 3, 2005, 10:50:50 AM2/3/05
to
Originally posted by: Newsgroup User


Did it ever cross your mind Jekyl that some people actually do need to
uninstall flash? I manage several servers remotely through terminal services -
I often have to get on the internet to download patches or whatever - of course
I have images turned off on the browser but whenever I visit a flash site
everything grinds to a complete halt and it's annoying as hell. I disable
flash but get a stupid popup on every page.

It should be simpler than that and that's why I am in agreement that it is
insidious.

You grandly state that Flash is not the problem. Well, it is for me. I suggest
you grow up and realise that just because somethings not a problem for you that
doesn't mean it's not a problem for something else.

Jeckyl

unread,
Feb 3, 2005, 6:41:36 PM2/3/05
to
> Did it ever cross your mind Jekyl that some people actually do need to
> uninstall flash?

Of course ... althought for most it would be temporary (eg during
maintenance/diagnostics), or because they are having problems with it .. or
because it is against company policy etc.

That's why I said to get the uninstall utility. Or did you not read that
part?

But to claim it is this evil insidious presence that ruins the web
experience .. and that it is malware (it ceratinly isn't by any definition)
and to top it of, saying it is as bad as the evil html ... that's just the
ramplings of parnoia .. and insane. What sort of web experience would you
have without HTML? Strange.

> I manage several servers remotely through terminal services -
> I often have to get on the internet to download patches or whatever - of
> course
> I have images turned off on the browser but whenever I visit a flash site
> everything grinds to a complete halt and it's annoying as hell. I
> disable
> flash but get a stupid popup on every page.

Fine .. nothing wrong with disabling or uninstalling flash ... but you
aren't claiming it to be the bane of your internet experience and as bad as
the terrible PDF or HTML.

BTW: Are you talking about a popup ad .. or a popup telling you that the
page needs Flash to view the conent? If it is the first, then the problem
is the popup, not the ad. If it is the second, then it is simply a message
telling you that to view the site you need the player .. annoying to be
reminded I suppose, but nothing more than that, surely .. and somthing that
really should be told (although it would be nice to have a 'never show me
this message again' option .. but not harmful).

If you disable the player (rather than uninstall it) then there is no popup
page or dialog .. just a polite status bar reminder that goes away on its
own telling you that the player is disabled.

> It should be simpler than that and that's why I am in agreement that it is
> insidious.

What is insidious about it .. and what is not simple? Flash Player will
play the flash content if it is installed and enabled. If you uninstall it,
then it won't. With recent browsers you can also control manage
plugins/add-ons .. so that makes it much easier to enable/disable as
required without having to go through uninstall / reinstall (or in the case
of the OP, uninstall and thrwo away .. and maybe get an exorcist to purge
the pc of its eveil spirits ;))

> You grandly state that Flash is not the problem.

What problem .. its popup ads that use flash that maybe cause a problem
withj the internet experience. How does Flash itself cause any problem in
internet experience?

> Well, it is for me.

How .. you've said that you can disable it .. what is the problem?

> I suggest you grow up

I suggest you do the same.

> and realise that just because somethings not a problem for you that
> doesn't mean it's not a problem for something else.

I never said that it is not an issue .. but its NOT an issue to the extent
that the OP is making out. ALso he seems to think that flash is the cause
of the popup ads that come up .. its not.
The OP problem seems more pyschological/pyschiatric than anything else :)

And so nice of you to contribute so constructively to the thread .. even if
it was a little late.

Jeckyl.

anon

unread,
Feb 5, 2010, 9:51:54 AM2/5/10
to
There is a bigger question at stake here.
Security. It would be possible to have a completely safe internet browsing experience (from the point of view of not getting a virus or trojan) without having an antivirus program or possibly even a firewal if the pc did not run any other network dependant software.
The problem with flash is that it is not possible to see/understand the data that is transmitted to your machine. In other words you can have very little idea of what is being downloaded to your machine or installed on it through this method. Yes people like to be able to have the animations but the price we are al paying for this is poorer security on the internet. Moreover in order to keep flash safe they keep updating it. It is very hard to maintian security when the foundations keep changing. Each time you download an update you have to trust that the update does not contain further security flaws or does not do things that you do not want it to do. I believe that Flash operates with elevated security permissions that enable it to access your web camera, Can you be sure that you are not being spied on, litterally, by someone who has written a flash script in conjuction with a trojan or virus to alter your permissions in order to access the web cam built in to your laptop?
Whilst I believe that Adobe is a trustwothy company at present in these times of mergers and acquisitions who knows who will buy them next? How much would you trust that software if it was owned by a state company of a foreign government. There is very little to stop that happening as international political power balance is shifting.

From http://www.developmentnow.com/g/82_2005_1_0_0_60450/How-Can-I-DISABLE-Flash-Player.htm

Posted via DevelopmentNow.com Groups
http://www.developmentnow.com/g/

0 new messages