'AMEN!'

hello Jahk, yahoo will be the default search provider in the US in firefox starting with version 34: https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2014/11/19/promoting-choice-and-innovation-on-the-web/

it's as easy as always to change your default search to google or a different provider of your choosing: Search bar - add, change and manage search engines on Firefox

In the address bar, type about:preferences#search<enter>

If you miss being able to switch search engines without going crazy with menus, try this out;

Context Search {web link} Expands the context menu's 'Search for' item into a list of installed search engines, allowing you to choose the engine you want to use for each search.

It is my understanding that the normal version update using the built-in updater will NOT change your search engine setting, but downloading the installer and running that to update Firefox WILL implement the change. Does that fit with what happened in your case?

Anyway, as always, you can choose your preferred search provider as described in this article: Search bar - add, change and manage search engines on Firefox.

Thank You. I did figure out a way. Still, the force feeding demonstrates that Firefox is no longer the "Independent" internet mecca it purports itself to be! ;-{(}

Thank You. I did figure out a way. Still, the force feeding demonstrates that Firefox is no longer the "Independent" internet mecca it purports itself to be! ;-{(}

Thank You. I did figure out a way. (Secunia PSI orchestrated the update, rather than Firefox updater). Still, the Yahoo force feeding demonstrates that Firefox is no longer the "Independent" internet mecca it purports itself to be! ;-{(}

It's easy to change your search provider, we aren't forcing anyone to use anything. we always have and always will allow you to change search providers. Switching to Yahoo has enabled us to cut ties with a company that is actively trying to drive out competition on the web, force developers to use their platforms, and close walls rather than open then, all in an effort to collect your data to sell to the highest bidder. Why should we associate ourselves with such a company any longer?

Easy for savvy programers, but not necessarily for program users, although I was eventually able to reduce the problem. I developed a distaste for Yahoo almost 20 years ago. As they grew, I found them to be much like a virus, wanting to take control of your computer. Most, if not all, of the hijacked emails I have received through the years were Yahoo linked. Not sure what that necessarily indicates regarding Yahoo, but, if Yahoo is the "lesser of evils" in your internet corporate collaborations, us common folk don't have much hope for the future of the net! The new "Big Brother"!

jscher2000 said

It is my understanding that the normal version update using the built-in updater will NOT change your search engine setting

Having used the built-in updater and had my search engine provider changed, your understanding appears to be incorrect.

I don't have a problem with changing the default search provider to Yahoo on a clean install but changing a user's existing setup is wrong and must be stopped.

Hi shakyjake, that post is obsolete now. Some time after my post users started auto-updating to 34.0.5 instead of 34.0, and 34.0.5 changes the default search provider. Firefox is now on version 35.0.

Hi jahak, I note you said you were " eventually able to reduce the problem. "

I hope that indicates you did manage to change the search engine back to Google or whatever your preferred choice.

Jahk said

Recent Firefox update forcibly changed my search setting, Google, to Yahoo. Yahoo is like a virus! I had Yahoo blocked in anyway possible for this 20 year neophyte internet user. I learned to hate Yahoo. Somebody at Firefox made a deal with the devil!

I won't go so far as to say that I'll remove Firefox from my computer, although I have removed Yahoo search from Firefox and my other browsers.

HOWEVER: My mother tried to make a comment on a Yahoo news item she found searching using Yahoo on Firefox.

Yahoo REQUIRES A MOBILE PHONE TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT.

My mother won't use her mobile phone that way and it's a plain model which doesn't support texting anyway.

SO, she uninstalled Firefox and won't use it any more. She says that having to give her phone number to get a userid to make a comment on Yahoo is a violation of her privacy and she simply won't do it.

In case you're wondering. My mother is in her 80's. She's a retired FORTRAN programmer and knows her way around the Internet, but she's also concerned about privacy - which is why she has a plain phone. She doesn't want to give her information to Google or to Apple to have one of their smart phones.

She's not Internet phobic, but she does use a debit card that she puts money on using cash at a local store to do her online shopping - which I think is actually a pretty smart thing to do. That way, the card isn't attached to her or to a bank account.

Anyway, I just thought you'd like to know you're not doing Mozilla or Firefox any good by teaming up with Yahoo.

Tyler Downer said

It's easy to change your search provider, we aren't forcing anyone to use anything. we always have and always will allow you to change search providers. Switching to Yahoo has enabled us to cut ties with a company that is actively trying to drive out competition on the web, force developers to use their platforms, and close walls rather than open then, all in an effort to collect your data to sell to the highest bidder. Why should we associate ourselves with such a company any longer?

Do you know anything about Duck Duck Go? According to their description on the Firefox Add-ons page, they claim they don't track you. If that's true, perhaps they're a better fit than Yahoo or Google.

@oldbrit, I fail to see why yahoo requiring a phone number to sign up for an account would make your mother uninstall Firefox. You'd need the same no matter what browser you use, and you don't need a phone number to use Firefox, or search yahoo, and if she really hates yahoo she could just change the search engine. Your story confused me.

As for duckduckgo, we do partner with them, and they are in the list of search providers provided by default with Firefox. However, they are a small company, and unable to pay royalties for this partnership, so we had to find a company that could pay us so we could continue developing software and advancing the open web

To her it was perfectly logical. She told me it was easier to uninstall Firefox than it was to mess with the search providers.

I'm simply reporting because I thought her response was interesting and could be similar to what others do.

Tyler Downer said

It's easy to change your search provider, we aren't forcing anyone to use anything. we always have and always will allow you to change search providers. Switching to Yahoo has enabled us to cut ties with a company that is actively trying to drive out competition on the web, force developers to use their platforms, and close walls rather than open then, all in an effort to collect your data to sell to the highest bidder. Why should we associate ourselves with such a company any longer?

How's about NAMING THAT COMPANY and give us a reason to believe you!!!!! If that is what they are doing, then it would be YOUR opinion of that company and opinions are free to have and you can't be sued for having them, an opinion that is!!!!!!!! Of course you might have to alter your opinion a bit like "i feel they are doing this and that", rather than "they ARE doing this or that".....get my drift??!!??

Waiting to hear your OPINION!!!!!

krklek said

How's about NAMING THAT COMPANY

Google, of course. Did you want to defend them?

How's about NAMING THAT COMPANY

The first reply in thread had a link about this. This about it, what was the default search engine (Google) for over 10 years, in Releases before the so called Firefox 1.0 release even I believe.

philipp said

https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2014/11/19/promoting-choice-and-innovation-on-the-web/