Browser Becomes Billboard

MikeKD writes "Citing a desire to 'enhance the user experience', United Virtualities is 'preparing to introduce a product [called Ooqa Ooqa] that will allow advertisers to automatically change the appearance of Web browsers, usurping some of the functions built into popular browsers...', according to an MSNBC article--and all this supposedly without downloading any additional software. UV says a lot of sweet things about being able to turn it off and allowing the web sites to customize the degree of intrusion (from reverting to normal form when leaving to retaining the rebrand even after leaving), but does anyone think advertisers will restrain themselves? Not I." Friends don't let friends use browsers susceptible to this.

Ooqa Ooqa?

[ShaunC]

What it does is bad enough, but what it's called is even worse. I think some of these dot com companies might do a little better if they didn't spend all the VC money on crack for the marketing department.. :)

-s

an analogy if you will.

[RestiffBard]

wouldn't this be similar to say you're watching friends and while you're watching someone enters your house and paints your television pink, puts a sign on top of your tv that says buy tampax, and replaces your remote with a tampax branded remote?

Uh oh...

[slipkid]

Is this going to affect my Bonzi Buddy??!!

Re:an analogy if you will.

[maX_]

reminds me of my friend's Forest Gump impersonation:
"Life is like a box of tampons, there's always strings attached..."

Imagine the opportunities...

[Schlopper]

I just __CAN'T__ wait to see the latest pr0n ads..
Wonder what we'll be clicking on to close the windows?

Gives a whole new meaning to 'pop-ups'.

Re:an analogy if you will.

[Raunchola]

"...puts a sign on top of your tv that says buy tampax..."

Puts new meaning to the "Tampax was here" slogan, doesn't it?

What Enhancement??

[Anonymous Coward]

this sounds like a really enchanting way to 'enhance the user experience.' I didn't know that viral marketing schemes were the ideal projection of usability.

maybe the next thing they'll be working on is a keyboard that grabs the money right out of our pockets...

Wow! I really W A N T to see triangle browser

[WetCat]

or circle browser ... or browser that looks like a ship... or a sheep...

Re:Ooqa Ooqa?

[mr. phantastik]

I keep thinking of Oompa Loompas. And the fact that its the nickname for the co-founders daughter...well...

Oompa Loompa doopity doo, we're going to change your browser for you...

Re:Experience with browsers

[Anonymous Coward]

will you marry me?

As a betatester..

[Sarin]

United Virtualities calls the product "Ooqa Ooqa," the nickname of one of the cofounder's daughters. The firm's signature product is the "shoshkeles," named after another daughter of a co-founder.

Hello! What planet is this cofounder-dude from? I heard his dog is called "Melissa" and his goldfish is called "Mary-Anne".

Could we get our regular /. poll as a toolbar?

[DocSnyder]

---- -
|o| Slashdot: News for nerds, stuff that matters - Galeon
|---- -
| Do you like toolbar polls? [Yes] [No] [Maybe] [CowboyNeal]
|---- -
|

Uh oh, slashdot...

[powerlinekid]

How long until slashdot does this. Although they'd probably at least give us options of how stupid they make our browser look. Like maybe a poll:

How do you want your browser to look this week?

1: Linux themed

2: Flashing slashot (looks like vegas strip club)

3: Cowboyneal

*shudder*

Re:Ooqa Ooqa?

[poot_rootbeer]

OH I GET IT!

"Ooqa ooqa" is just "eboo eboO" rotated 180 degrees!

Re:Ooqa Ooqa?

[Bob McCown]

Having your name attached to annoying advertising methods can't be good

Yea, I bet Carl Coldcall and Berny Bulkmailing are really fuming...

Re:Ooqa Ooqa?

[jsprat]

I think being named "Ooqa Ooqa" is already punishment enough!

Blame AMD, nVidia, and Intel, not Microsoft

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on, all these nifty programs that MS produces with their scripting and activeX controls would not be possible if it were not for the likes of AMD, Intel, and nVidia.

It's inappropriate to criticize Microsoft for doing stuff like this though. That would be like criticizing bacteria for causing illness. It's just the nature of software companies in an "ecosystem" that if they have an opportunity to do something that obnoxious, they'll do it. The problem is in hardware that gives too much power to the OS being used, and the real culprit is Intel.

Ooqa ooqa? I think not.

[MadFarmAnimalz]

Some names are just too stupid to be believed.

If linux was called GNU/Ooqa Ooqa instead of GNU/linux I would never have used it.

Honest. It truly leaves me speechless how mindless brand names are getting. Ooqa bloody Ooqa? WTF?

Did some marketing drone actually get paid for belching this one up?

Re:As a betatester..

[Tackhead]

> Well the cofounder is probably from earth. He could even be Jewish as shoshkele is a hebrew nickname for susan.

Thanks. As of today, and for the first time in my life, I can find some sympathy for the Palestinians.

Re:Imagine the opportunities...

[Britney]

Wonder what we'll be clicking on to close the windows?

Good luck, boys.

Most of you couldn't even find it, let alone click on it!

Re:an analogy if you will.

[cybermage]

but how do you change the volume or turn it off???

Simple: To increase volume, don't take out trash. To lower volume, buy flowers. To turn off, don't wash for a few days.

Will it change my Lynx theme?

[corezion]

;)

Just kidding... couldn't resist.

Re:Ooqa ooqa? I think not.

[SDrifter]

Oh and, say... Ogg Vorbis is any better?

Re:Uh oh...

[dynoman7]

Is this going to affect my Bonzi Buddy??!!

Oh great! You just had to mention that fucking purple ape, now didn't you? Do you know how many repressed tech support memories just jumped back to life in my frontal lobe? I know who they will target first too...the weak. You know the ones. They focus on the main screen too much and when an error occurs, they click on every god damned button to make the error go away so that they can get back to the main screen! Do you know how much shit I have to deal with because of that fucking ape (and his cronies too)?!?! I can hear the phones ringing as I type. Shit. My mother is going to call, too, I bet. "Honey? What's wrong with my computer? Why can't I use Word? What are all of these funny ads on my screen? Why doesn't work the same way it did the other day? Are you crying? Honey? Why are you crying?"

Thanks for the heads up. I need to call my therapist now.

Re:From the article

[CJ Hooknose]

If Satan had a daughter named Hell, I suspect he would have called the underworld something else.

If you check your Milton, you'll find that Satan had a daughter named Sin, and he banged her, and they had a son called Death. Taking this metaphor a little further, Business had a daughter named Greed, and together, they begat a brood called "Pervasive Idiocy", "Pointy-Haired Boss", "Dot-Com", and "RIAA". Nothing to see here, move along.

Re:Ooqa ooqa? I think not.

[tibbetts]

Ooqa bloody Ooqa? WTF? Did some marketing drone actually get paid for belching this one up?

Yes. As a matter of fact, that was the sound of the marketing drone belching up.

Re:Ooqa Ooqa?

[Takeel]

Oompa Loompa doopity doo, we're going to change your browser for you...

...Oompa Loompa doompeda dee,
If you are wise you'll listen to me.

What do you get from ad-blasting me?
One less pair of eyes, and I'll keep my money.
Why don't you stop this bad marketing ploy,
Or do you really think that this won't annoy?
You'll get no,
You'll get no
You'll get no,
You'll get no,
You'll get no revenue!!!