Consider this a public service announcement.
The Toronto Blue Jays are offering a free browser theme for all Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome users. If you’re the type of person who likes to install browser themes, you might be tempted to install this one. It’s got your favourite team’s logo everywhere, the colours are just right and it comes with handy-dandy links to mlb.com and bluejays.com built right in. In addition, the site promises the theme is “100% Free” and has “No Malware.”
Tempting, eh? For some it might be, but I’m here to advise you against installing this browser theme. The following tweet from its developers prompted me to look into the theme:
@infieldflyrule What's your call on the Jays browser theme? ow.ly/bptb8—
Brand Thunder (@brandthunder) June 11, 2012
I looked into the theme and I found this:
Now, I don’t know if the theme allows the Blue Jays or Brand Thunder (or maybe both?) to collect your personal information, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s not cool. Giving up my “data on all websites” is not the same as “100% Free.”
I only got this warning when attempting to install the theme on Chrome for Mac. Firefox didn’t give me the warning. Since I’m on a Mac, I can’t test IE. I can only assume this warning holds true for all browsers the theme supports.
The reason the add-on has to ask for data on all websites is to that we can put our toolbar at the top of each site.
Chrome doesn’t support toolbars, so we had to invent a way to do it.
In no way does the add-on read any of the data from your websites.
So why didn’t you just provide a Chrome theme without a toolbar? You must understand that that kind of warning is going to turn people off.
Unfortunately Chrome themes don’t monetize well (or at all).
We feel the model we’ve chosen provides a good balance.
Most add-ons that do any page modifications at all present this same message, so we don’t feel this will hinder people from using the product.
Hi,it is very nice theme. But I have problem with dpsliay in Internet Explorer 8. Themes dispaly correctly in Firefox or Opera. In IE is problem.Do you have same problem? How I can fix this?
100% Free! No Malware! | Infield fly, was in fact a awesome name to give this blog post. Exactly where may I actually read even more regarding this?
I had those warnings about a month back, but they diprasepaed the next day, came back, then went again the next day, then came back! It’s been no problem since, just happened over a few days. I use firefox if that’s any help.
What precisely honestly motivated you to compose “100% Free! No Malware! | Infield fly”? I personallytruly loved it! I appreciate it ,Jacelyn