Posted on 02/12/2020 7:15:23 AM PST by dayglored
Default-hijacking browser extension pulled from Office Pro Plus installations
Microsoft has U-turned on plans to automatically switch browser search defaults to Bing when users install Office 365 Pro Plus.
In January, Microsoft let slip its plans to install a browser extension for Chrome that makes Bing the default search engine when users installed or updated Office Pro Plus, a key part of enterprise subscriptions to Office 365. The move was buried in documentation, rather than being delivered in the usual enthusiastic blog post, suggesting perhaps the company knew it would not go down well.
The stated rationale was to let users, er, take, advantage of "Microsoft search in Bing", which integrates web search with results from internal business data stored in Office 365.
The plans were not well received. Feedback on the document was a chorus of "unacceptable... unacceptable... unacceptable."
Now the Windows giant has said: "We heard that customers don't want Office 365 ProPlus to change search defaults without an opt-in, and they need a way to govern these changes on unmanaged devices." Therefore, "the Microsoft Search in Bing browser extension will not be automatically deployed with Office 365 ProPlus."
Instead, there will be an option in the Microsoft 365 admin center where "administrators will be able to opt in to deploy the browser extension to their organization through Office 365 ProPlus". The fact that this says administrators rather than users means that some may still get a surprise change, though Microsoft added: "We will continue to provide end users who receive the extension with control over their search engine preference."
Another tweak is that "in the near term" the extension will only be deployed to devices joined to an Active Directory domain, ensuring that users who work on their own computers will not be affected. The company is promising a plan for these "unmanaged devices" in future.
The changes are such that delivery of the search extension is being delayed for an unspecified time.
The problem from Microsoft's perspective remains: how will the company deliver on its ideas about integrating internal and external search if users insist on using other search engines? The short answer is that it should make its product sufficiently compelling that users willingly make the change. There are also other ways to search in Windows 10 (such as in the Start menu) which bypass the default search engine in the browser.
While the change of mind will be welcomed, what is surprising is that Microsoft ever thought it could change search defaults in this aggressive manner without strong opposition. ®
Now you’re talking. Maybe we can get to the fabled 20 hour work week when all the machines are doing everything for us. We’ll have so much free time we can finally achieve the “Pelosi dream” where Obamacare (and now Microsoft) will “facilitate the type of ‘liberation’ that the ‘Founders had in mind’ because it allows us to quit our jobs and become photographers, writers, musicians or “whatevers”
Those guys seem to be able to generate a reason a day to be glad (no, ecstatic) I didn’t buy into their Orifice365 cloud “service”. If I had it I’d be feeling serviced about now, but not in a good way.
I'm afraid you have a long wait.
I hear that. I've got an old Win7 Pro VM with Office 2003 on it, with the 2007 extension pack for docx, xlsx, etc. format. I've never warmed up to the ribbon, even if you can hide it.
To each, their own. That's the concept Microsoft had trouble with. You like Bing, use Bing. :-)
As this very thread demonstrates, freedom of choice is a wonderful thing because hey, different people like different things! What a concept! Ya got that, Microsoft?
Go to UBitMenu and get the English 2007 Office version, and get the old menu back, I’ve used it for many years:
http://www.ubit.ch/software/ubitmenu-languages/
It would probably just include your file contents as part of the text search. So search for “thingamabob” you’d not only get all the web results but find out you used the word in 4 different documents in your cloud drive. Not really a big deal. BUT replace replace my default search engine, that’s a big deal.
Here’s how to make Office 2007 look like 2003:
https://ubitmenu.en.softonic.com
Also, Softronic’s got some useful apps at the bottom.
I enjoy and use Bing as my default browser...
*face palm*
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