Does Comcast Hate Firefox?

destinyland writes "Comcast is the largest ISP in America. And they're requiring Internet Explorer for installations — even if you're using a Mac. The Comcast homepage even specifies that the page is optimized for IE 5.5 (which was released in 2000), and 'is not optimized for Firefox browsers and Macs.' With 13 million subscribers, you'd think they could spring for a web developer who could handle multiple browsers. (From the last line of the article: 'I'm afraid to ask how Comcast handles Linux...')"

Re:They don't hate Firefox

[timelorde]

The feeling is mutual.

homepage even species?

[VE3OGG]

What is this species, I have yet to hear about it? Is it endangered? Should be call PETA or Greenpeace or what?

Seriously though -- this seems like corporate laziness to the nth degree.

Like anyone uses their shit home page

[Anonymous Coward]

Just give me the friggn settings for my router and be on your way cable boy

Re:More likely...

[LighterShadeOfBlack]

Yeah. That must be it. Comcast are doing something which requires their users to use a web browser that has been the dominant browser for the better part of ten years, a practice that was common on many websites for years and unfortunately is still quite regular even today. Obviously this is Microsoft's doing. It couldn't possibly be that the ISP in question are run by idiots, are willing to save any money any way they can by only supporting the most popular browser in their ignorance and greed. No this is Microsoft's doing, they bullied and bribed poor little Comcast who got confused by the fast talking businessmen and big bright lights of Redmond. Oh curse that Steve Ballmer and his minions for desecrating the virginal and well-intioned Comcast!

Or maybe Comcast is just another company, ignorant to the ways of the Internets and all too quick to save a buck based on their own ignorant assumptions about their user's choice of software. I know Slashdot is trolled by a ridiculous amount of anti-Microsoft sentiment but it's really getting to something when even a major ISP is gotten off the hook in favour of blaming it on Microsoft.

The Mac Cop-Out

[CheeseburgerBrown]

Using a Mac is often seized upon by support technicians or customer service squids as a one-size-fits-all scapegoat to excuse themselves from providing assistance.

If I call anyone's support about difficulties (cable modem troubles at home, network issues at work) they will frequently jump as soon as they realize (sometimes after a comically long time) that I'm using a Mac, and declare with infinite righteousness and authority that my problem is definitely "Mac-related." And then they're off the hook, as far as they're concerned.

It doesn't really matter if it's a router issue, or even a bad password -- for some reason, the cause is always "Mac-related." They wash their hands of it and skip away free, easy as pie.

For me, when a technician or supportist utters that phrase what I hear is, "I'm incompetent, and I'm hoping you don't know enough to see that. See the pretty icon? Clicky-clicky!"

It plays into the myth that Mac users are somehow rare -- somehow few and far between. You can bash about market-share voodoo until you're blue in the face, it won't change the fact that it isn't hard to find Mac users. There are definitely fewer Mac users than Windows users, but that smaller number isn't nearly as insignificant as some would have us believe.

"I'm sorry, but the vast majority of our users use Windows. I can't help you."

"As a Mac user, that's very disappointing."

"Yeah, I get that all the time."

Verizon FIOS Techs required Windows

[Alexpkeaton1010]

The night before I got my Verizon FIOS internet installed I had nightmares that I was going to end up with Yahoo toolbar, Google Desktop, and Norton Antivirus on my pristine gaming PC. So right before they came I hid my gaming PC in my closet and had my Macbook sitting out. It was very obvious that I had a missing desktop since I had my 5.1 gaming speakers not connected to anything. I figured that I could undo whatever crap they did on OSX better than I could on Windows. They refused to touch my laptop, so I just had them leave the router and I configured it myself. I never found out what was on that CD they wanted to install, but I am sure it was something horrible and evil.

Re:Give me a BREAK.......

[toleraen]

cable modem, DHCP, viola, internet connection

FYI you can substitute the viola for a cello, worked fine for me. Just make sure to keep it in tune otherwise your cable signal goes all wonky

Re:My experience

[Bandman]

You just described my introduction to the internet, circa 1996 on Windows 3.1.

2 days of sitting in front of Trumpet Winsock twiddling options, 15 years old, never having heard of so much as an IP address. I will never forget the moment it worked. It was like magic. It was ethereal. It took me 20 minutes to find my first porn site ;-)

Re:Give me a BREAK.......

[CastrTroy]

requests that you plug you CPU directly into the modem I wasn't aware that CPUs came with Ethernet jacks.

Re:More likely...MS Troll

[deck]

How much were you paid by MS to astoturf?

Re:More likely...

[mroberts47]

Aww, it's so nice to feel loved.

Re:More likely...

[Anonymous Coward]

big bright lights of Redmond

I never saw any big bright lights in Redmond. Only the dim light of

WARNING: Windows Genuine Advantage has determined that this Linux
installation is not officially licensed. Please call Microsoft.
Until you call customer service the computer will only show pro-Microsoft ads.
Thank you for your cooperation.

Re:More likely...MS Troll

[LighterShadeOfBlack]

OK you got me. Microsoft forced me to do it.

No money though. Ballmer just sent me a photo of a mannequin with a chair embedded in it's chest with the word "You" scrawled along the bottom.

Re:They don't hate Firefox

[nospam007]

I use Comcast....and I have always used linux on it. I have a few widows machines,...
--
The fatherboard died on them? My sincere condolences.

Re:They don't hate Firefox

[Anonymous Coward]

Turns out we ran over a bit of the ground wire with the lawnmower. Smart fella, him.

Yeah I'm sure he feels inferior to someone that ran over their cable with a lawnmower and had to call tech support about it.

Re:They don't hate Firefox

[rasputin465]

ok ok, that's all very nice, but how do I attach the tubes?

Re:They don't hate Firefox

[elrous0]

Keep in mind that most Comcast techs moonlight as meth addicts. You probably caught him on a GOOD day.

Re:More likely...

[Darby]

They know *nothing* about networking, which is something that you would think would be required for someone that, well, supports a network.

Try their TV people. I called up to try and get them to update the firmware on my cable box so I could control it via a serial cable with my MythTV box.
I lied and said I had a Tivo and the guy was all "What's Tivo"?