This seems to be the biggest question out there. Just in case you haven't seen it yet, here are all the answers you all wanted. Straight from the MM FAQ:
Whether they will do something about it is "to be determined by DL stats".
Thanks to the "opt-out" decision that was made, I've decided to post the link to the directions on how to uninstall the toolbar after your client has inadverdantly installed it. That info is here.
If you don't want your clients DL'ing it at all, don't send them to that page. Use the "automatic flash detection" script. Supposedly it gives you the developer all kinds of options to make the upgrade/download seemless.
It sucks that such a business decision was made, and I can GUARANTEE there are very very few people happy with this other than the people getting the coin for the advertising. But it looks like it's not going anywhere (if history is going to repeat itself), so I figure the best thing to do is be informed (whether it stays or not) and make sure to keep your clients up-to-date on what is going on and how they can avoid the issues that are sure to come up.
On a side note, I read on JD's blog that Kevin Lynch is going to post on why this is a "good decision for flash". I can't wait to see that post...
Not sure if this post itself is going to be good/new info to anybody out there, but I certainly it helps a few people out there.
By the way.. it's not "bundled software"... just so you know, you know..
Not to be outdone by Jesse ( just kidding :D ) I've put up my notes/source files/preso and an online video presentation of what I talked about at MXDU. I had actually been thinking of doing this originally and wanted the original preso from MXDU but forgot to turn on my camera when the presentation started... So here is the "after" version :) and now I have a new app that will allow me to create these easily.
It's by far not a full version of the original presentation, being only 25 minutes long, but some of my thoughts on using video for the web and concentrating those efforts for flash are in there synced with the preso and some notes.
It's possible to go back and forth through the slides if you want, but it will sync up to the video upon change.
I hope this is useful to somebody out there. It's not for the pro's in video out there, but if you are just starting out it will probably help.
The online video version of Flash Video Capering
Here are all the related links:
The files (4.5MB DL with the ppt, flv, xml, fla, swf)
Microsoft presentation used for the "test case"
The spoof tutorial (which coincides with what I talked about in the presentation)
My 2 cents on this issue that is currently making flaming rounds on the net.
When I worked at Citibank here in Japan as the intranet admin I remember exactly how hard it was to get them to upgrade even to Flash player 6 from 5. There were a lot of things I wanted to add to the intranet using flash, but unfortunately at the time we were still sitting on Flash 5... and the only reason that was installed was because it was bundled in the browser on install.
Every single tiny piece of software that gets installed in a Citibank computer is rigorously tested inside and out for weeks. Then it goes through some process with people who have no idea what the software is, only to have to then be approved by some other department that says "umm.. so what is this again?" kind of idea.
The fact that I had to put up with version 6.22 of the player for over a year is testament that:
1. The flash player is generally hated by all thanks to the nasty advertising and lame animations that have built with flash
2. The flash player is untrusted as nobody really knew what could be done with it
3. Corporations are just looking for a reason to NOT install something
Only after another major court hearing was I able to upgrade to 6.65... umm.. but I wanted player 7.19.... *sigh*
Thanks to this nice new additive that can CLEARLY ONLY BENEFIT Macromedia, there are going to be a lot of frustrated administrators/designers/developers in corporations out there. No corporation in their right mind will EVER allow that in. I feel their pain at this time, and don't envy them.
Though on another related point, I now have to convince our clients that this is not an issue, when it comes up, (or is an issue and "this" is how to get around it etc..) Something that is going to use up more of my time, and not help either of us.
So here here to MM making even more money at the cost of their own clients.
It really really makes me wonder what they were thinking when that decision was made.