slashkitty writes "Google updated their AdSense service to pay publishers for referrals. What's interesting is that now they pay publishers $1 US for each FireFox download with the Google Toolbar installed. Is this the bump that Firefox needs to boost downloads? Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads?" Google Paying for Firefox Installs Log in/Create an Account | Top | 218 comments | Search Discussion Display Options Threshold: -1: 218 comments 0: 214 comments 1: 158 comments 2: 104 comments 3: 42 comments 4: 25 comments 5: 18 comments Flat Nested No Comments Threaded Oldest First Newest First Highest Scores First Oldest First (Ignore Threads) Newest First (Ignore Threads) The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Zap Rowsdower! (Score:1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05, @11:18AM (#13957784) He truly taught me how to love a woman, from across the street, through a telescope. [ Reply to This1 reply beneath your current threshold. Hmmm... I think it's time to upgrade (Score:5, Funny) by ylikone (589264) on Saturday November 05, @11:19AM (#13957791) all the Firefox installs at the lab here. I'll even download them a few times each for every system, to make sure it downloads properly. [ Reply to ThisWon't work with Firefox 1.5 rc1 by rapidweather (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:19PMRe:Won't work with Firefox 1.5 rc1 by anti-trojan (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @07:59PMRe:Hmmm... I think it's time to upgrade by StarsAreAlsoFire (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @04:21PM Will Google be able to pay? (Score:2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 05, @11:20AM (#13957798) I strongly doubt it. Yessir, I do. [ Reply to ThisRe:Will Google be able to pay? by perzquixle (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:09PMRe:Will Google be able to pay? by Ireneo Funes (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @02:09PMRe:Will Google be able to pay? by Eric Giguere (Score:3) Saturday November 05, @02:33PMRe:Will Google be able to pay? by NetRAVEN5000 (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @04:23PM Bloody optimists... (Score:5, Insightful) by daniil (775990) <evilbj8rn@@@hotmail...com> on Saturday November 05, @11:21AM (#13957802) (Last Journal: Saturday November 05, @11:04AM) Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads? Google has, what, three billion dollars in cash?Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads? Don't you think it's a bit too optimistic to expect "millions of downloads"? [ Reply to This Re:Bloody optimists... (Score:5, Interesting) by Jeff DeMaagd (2015) on Saturday November 05, @11:24AM (#13957826) (http://www.demaagd.com/ | Last Journal: Sunday October 27, @06:53PM) I think it invites a massive fraud potential which not only drains money, but bandwidth. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Bloody optimists... by noamt (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:14PMRe:Bloody optimists... by Jon_E (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @07:17PMRe:Bloody optimists... by ClamIAm (Score:1) Sunday November 06, @12:07AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Re:Bloody optimists... (Score:4, Interesting) by slashkitty (21637) on Saturday November 05, @12:29PM (#13958161) (http://slashdot.org/dev/null) Ok ok, so that was a bad question... But, is it worth it for the $1 install? Most spyware companies only pay $0.25, and they get massive pop up ads and unlimited upgrades! [ Reply to This | ParentGBrowser by sznupi (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @01:31PMRe:Bloody optimists... by diegocgteleline.es (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @01:50PM Re:Bloody optimists... (Score:4, Funny) by Skim123 (3322) <mitchell AT 4guysfromrolla DOT com> on Saturday November 05, @04:22PM (#13959272) (http://scottonwriting.net/) Don't you think it's a bit too optimistic to expect "millions of downloads"? I'll tell you what I expect - a whole slew of forwarded emails from parents and friends I don't keep in touch with much anymore that read, "In response to Google offerring to pay $1 for people to download the FireFox browser, Bill Gates is willing to pay YOU $1 for every person you forward this email to!" [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Bloody optimists... by kesuki (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @06:08PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Payment... (Score:5, Interesting) by Karma_fucker_sucker (898393) on Saturday November 05, @11:22AM (#13957810) When a user you've referred to AdSense first earns US $100, we'll credit your AdSense account with US $100. When a user you've referred to Firefox plus Google Toolbar runs Firefox for the first time, you'll receive up to $1 in your account, depending on the user's location.And: Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads? Easily. If Google can pay the $100, the $1 (1%) will be no probelm especially since there's a disclaimer - the depending on the user's location part. [ Reply to ThisRe:Payment... by ceejayoz (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @11:26AMRe:Payment... by Deekin_Scalesinger (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:02PMRe:Payment... by MinutiaeMan (Score:3) Saturday November 05, @12:03PMRe:Payment... by Donniedarkness (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @11:44AM Spyware (Score:5, Insightful) by saskboy (600063) on Saturday November 05, @11:22AM (#13957813) (http://www.abandonedstuff.com/ | Last Journal: Friday October 28, @08:52PM) I'm sure Google is completely innocent of spyware, but I'm resisting installing the Google toolbar in Firefox, or IE. There's already a Google search bar in Firefox, and I've been anti-addon-toolbar for years now, since every unstable system I've worked on had at least one of them. When the great Google Toolbar Trap is sprung, I'll be on the outside of the box, thank you very much. [ Reply to ThisRe:Spyware by scaryjohn (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @11:41AM Re:Spyware (Score:4, Interesting) by mla_anderson (578539) on Saturday November 05, @12:03PM (#13958021) The Google toolbar gives me enough advantages that I install it. The option to open searches in a new tab/window is very nice as is one click link to search on the page for search items. In addition spell check can be very handy (if I remember to use it). I don't use the other options very much, but until they start acting more evil I'll keep it around. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Spyware by an_mo (Score:3) Saturday November 05, @03:08PMWhat does this toolbar? by matt me (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:21PM Re:Spyware (Score:5, Informative) by Dr. Spork (142693) on Saturday November 05, @12:28PM (#13958155) What's great about the Google toolbar in Firefox is just how configurable it is. I've only kept a couple of buttons from it on the left side of my menubar. Really, if this were bundled with Firefox, it would seem harmless enough to not bother me. What I like about Google is that they didn't force Firefox users to display the toolbar in some sort of a monolithic way. It's just as configurable as all the UI elements that come standard with Firefox. [ Reply to This | ParentIt's not the toolbars by BReflection (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @02:56PMRe:Spyware by quentin_quayle (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @03:59PMRe:Spyware by gad_zuki! (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @05:16PMRe:Spyware by saskboy (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @05:32PM4 replies beneath your current threshold. Wow. (Score:3, Interesting) by Spy der Mann (805235) <spydermann.slash ... m ['gma' in gap]> on Saturday November 05, @11:23AM (#13957815) (Last Journal: Wednesday October 12, @01:42PM) Google REALLY wants to fscking kill Microsoft! MWAHAHAHAHA!!!This is much better than a fight between gladiators. Popcorn, anyone? B-) [ Reply to ThisRe:Wow. by EnsilZah (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @11:40AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Wow. by cmdr_tofu (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @02:33PMRe:Wow. by jacksonj04 (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @02:46PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Able to pay? (Score:5, Insightful) by HexaByte (817350) on Saturday November 05, @11:23AM (#13957820) Will Google be able to pay all those million? Get a grip! They've been paying millions for all those open-source programmers that are working on Open Office and other programs.They want to hurt Micro$oft, and paying a couple of hundred million to make Firefox hit critical mass is just small change to a company with a few billion to spread around.When Firefox DOES hit critical mass, which means that web developers HAVE to create web apps that render/function correctly in Firefox, people will have less reason to stick with IE, adding more impetous to the Firefox migration, and weakening the MS lock-in on the web. [ Reply to ThisRe:Able to pay? by tomhudson (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @11:41AMRe:Able to pay? by tomhudson (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @05:44PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Able to pay? by jtjdt (Score:3) Saturday November 05, @11:48AMRe:Able to pay? by karmatic (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:03PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Able to pay? by HD Webdev (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:27PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Re:Able to pay? (Score:5, Insightful) by Patrick13 (223909) on Saturday November 05, @12:49PM (#13958254) (http://www.spam-filter-help.org/ | Last Journal: Thursday July 03, @12:46PM) > Will Google be able to pay all those million?Does you have any idea what a toolbar user is worth to Google? Conservative estimates are around $50 per year per user, due to the searchers clicking on Google Adwords advertisements that show in the search results.It's win-win for Google: they generate far more revenue per user than they shell out; they promote open source (ie "do no evil"); and they hurt their primary competitor, MSN, to boot. [ Reply to This | ParentCritical Mass by 1336 (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @05:48PMRe:Critical Mass by HexaByte (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @08:18PM One other way.. (Score:4, Insightful) by CSHARP123 (904951) on Saturday November 05, @11:24AM (#13957828) This is pretty good move from google. They know it is not possible to bundle with IE. The next best is to push with other alternative that is firefox. The advantage for google is to tap potential customers(?) who use Mac OS or Linux or Windows. [ Reply to ThisRe:One other way.. by aztracker1 (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @04:49PM Huh? and yes. (Score:5, Informative) by Will_Malverson (105796) on Saturday November 05, @11:26AM (#13957834) (Last Journal: Sunday January 02, @02:42AM) It seems to me that when posting a story like this, at least one of the links should lead to something that actually discusses the subject of the article.Here is a link to the actual section of the Google AdSense FAQ that mentions the dollar per Firefox install:http://www.google.com/support/adsense/bin/answer.p y?answer=27406&ctx=en:search&query=firefox&topic=0 &type=f [google.com]Also, Google currently has over 7.5 billion dollars [yahoo.com] in the bank, so yeah, they could pay one dollar for EVERY PERSON ON EARTH to install Firefox and not go broke. [ Reply to ThisSolutions (OT) by FlynnMP3 (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @01:00PM2 replies beneath your current threshold. Of *course* Google can pay! (Score:3, Informative) by shylock0 (561559) on Saturday November 05, @11:26AM (#13957838) The suggestion that Google might not be able to "pay for all those downloads" is absolutely rediculous. If there are 10 million Firefox downloads, and Google is paying $1 each, that's basically little more than a rounding error in Google's financial statements. You can check them out at the SEC if you don't believe me. Those numbers are in thousands. As in, Google has cash or marketable securities in the area of 2.1 billion dollars. 10 million is practically rounding error. Google's balance sheet is here: at the SEC [sec.gov] [ Reply to ThisActually 7.1 *billion* by shylock0 (Score:3) Saturday November 05, @11:32AMBut couldn't this cause a Firefox shortage? by abirdman (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @05:57PMRe:Of *course* Google can pay! by fastgood (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @11:54AM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Absolutely (Score:2) by eclectro (227083) on Saturday November 05, @11:26AM (#13957839) Put one buck in and get two back from all those people clicking on the topical paid links from google searches.Great business decision. I just wish I could have gotten in with the IPO stock. [ Reply to Thisstock by mbius (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @06:58PM There are still some reasons to use IE... (Score:3, Funny) by Anyd (625939) on Saturday November 05, @11:26AM (#13957840) I still use internet explorer (yea yea..) mostly because I don't want to install anything more than I have to. Windows is bloated enough as-is, and I don't need or want extra luggage attatched to my everyday computing. I've actually found that IE is fairly non-obtrusive if you turn all the extra crap off.I guess I've just found that I don't often use Firefox's extra features. I generally browse one page at a time, and I don't use my web browser for anything much more than reading the news (/.) or checking my email. [ Reply to ThisRe:There are still some reasons to use IE... by geobeck (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @11:59AMRe:There are still some reasons to use IE... by Dystopian Rebel (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @02:43PMRe:subtle! by Anyd (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @11:47AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:There are still some reasons to use IE... by IntlHarvester (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @11:57AM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:There are still some reasons to use IE... by Anyd (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:01PMRe:There are still some reasons to use IE... by The GooMan (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:33PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.4 replies beneath your current threshold. "Will Google be able to pay" (Score:2, Funny) by ewg (158266) on Saturday November 05, @11:27AM (#13957841) "Will Google be able to pay": that's a phrase we haven't heard in a while! [ Reply to This1 reply beneath your current threshold. Google vs. Microsoft (Score:5, Insightful) by Chris_Jefferson (581445) on Saturday November 05, @11:27AM (#13957844) Now, I agree with those people who think Google is basically a good company. However I also think one of the major reasons they are doing this is because Google want to make sure that Firefox's taking over from IE continues, as based on past experience, if Microsoft can keep IE in a monopoly position, it's only a matter of time until various bits of Google start getting "accidentially broken" during IE service packs. Also spreading firefox stops an increase in IE-only websites.So in conclusion, Firefox gets some more installs, Google gets some more google toolbar installs, lots of websites gain "install firefox" links, IE loses a bit more market share and Google loses a bit of spare change. Everyone wins, except those people we don't like :) [ Reply to ThisRe:Google vs. Microsoft by Reality Master 101 (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @11:39AM Re:Google vs. Microsoft (Score:5, Interesting) by IntlHarvester (11985) on Saturday November 05, @11:54AM (#13957981) (Last Journal: Thursday June 09, @12:30AM) Sorry to bitchslap you with facts, but Google just introduced a major desktop product based entirely on IE and COM/ActiveX infrastructure. Just the kind of Internet product that Microsoft has been talking about since Pearl Harbor Day, 1995.If Google actually thought that way, they would build their stuff on Mozilla technology. But facts speak louder than words. [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Google vs. Microsoft by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:09PMRe:Google vs. Microsoft by ClamIAm (Score:1) Sunday November 06, @12:15AMRe:Google vs. Microsoft by Slashdiddly (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:23PMRe:Google vs. Microsoft by aug24 (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:44PMRe:Google vs. Microsoft by Anonymous Coward (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @02:12PMRe:Google vs. Microsoft by NetRAVEN5000 (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @05:06PM1 reply beneath your current threshold. Google is now the 'Killer App' (Score:3, Insightful) by rkcallaghan (858110) on Saturday November 05, @11:34AM (#13957875) 1$ is a small price to pay to spread their wings like this. Google has the branding for their website, of which google has become a household term in the American language. They support IE for its massive install base, but I think its pretty clear Google wants its own software, and who can blame them! Google makes stuff good enough you actually want it. Are you listening, Linux on the Desktop Zealots? Half of all articles on /. talk about how Linux is "oh so close", and has been for years. In that time, I've been a linux supporter, I have a linux machine -- but now all my machines look more like Google machines than Linux or Windows. See the comparison here too with iPod/iTunes? Apple made a player that you would actually want, and sold music in a format you would actually want. ~Rebecca [ Reply to ThisRe:Google is now the 'Killer App' by Frankie70 (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @11:45AMWhy? by heinousjay (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:01PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.3 replies beneath your current threshold. Millions? (Score:3, Insightful) by earnest murderer (888716) on Saturday November 05, @11:35AM (#13957879) "Will Google be able to pay the millions for all the downloads?"Checks NYSE.... Do you suppose? Since we're talking about a lot less than "millions", more like a million or so on a good year here on out. That's for all installs, not the fraction of installs with google toolbar.Since the data/referals they'll get will grow/improve significantly. I would imagine that this is a screaming deal for all parties.Personally, I doubt I'll use it. The last thing I need is another toolbar I don't use (actually I would use the spell check, but that's a lot of real estate to give up to somthing that should be on the tools menu). The search bar is already more than I want. By more I mean I generally turn it of an use keywords to forward search terms to google from the address bar. [ Reply to ThisRe:Millions? by westyvw (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @01:31PM Google has no choice but to push firefox (Score:5, Insightful) by codepunk (167897) on Saturday November 05, @11:46AM (#13957940) (http://www.codepunk.com/) Google has no choice but to push firefox as hard as they can. The are facing a threat from the next version of windows / ie. Without a doubt MS is going to use their monopoly desktop to force people to msn search by embedding it into windows. Google should have already been doing this 6 mos ago including a direct download link right on the home page. Same thing goes for open office they need to be using it as a weapon right now also. [ Reply to This Re:Google has no choice but to push firefox (Score:5, Funny) by LaughingCoder (914424) on Saturday November 05, @11:57AM (#13957993) Without a doubt MS is going to use their monopoly desktop to force people to msn search by embedding it into windows Do you have a reference for this assertion? [ Reply to This | ParentRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by Tim Browse (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:31PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Yea by codepunk (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:59PMRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by afree87 (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @02:47PMRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by killjoe (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @03:40PMRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by nametaken (Score:3) Saturday November 05, @04:27PMRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by nelsonal (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @10:02PMRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by LaughingCoder (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @10:07PMRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by Tim Browse (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @10:36PM1 reply beneath your current threshold.Re:Google has no choice but to push firefox by Monoman (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @12:13PMRe:Google has no choice but to push firefox by codepunk (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @01:02PM gmail, openoffice , firefox? (Score:5, Interesting) by sonamchauhan (587356) <1acf AT exemail DOT com DOT au> on Saturday November 05, @11:47AM (#13957944) (Last Journal: Friday January 21, @11:08AM) Hmm... a scenario:Google starts providing OpenOffice as a client-side components within Firefox, perhaps downloaded as XPCOM [mozilla.org] components, perhaps using the GoogleToolbar as the entry point. The browser now provides straightforward access to both thin and thick client functionality.The gmail, google maps, etc interfaces are melded in too, providing a uniform interface to a free persistent 'office environment' that people can access through any browser, anywhere, with temporary working files stored locally for performance and content network-backed to Google's servers...This could explain Microsoft's recent launch of Windows Live [itnewsonline.com] as - perhaps - a preemptive defensive maneuvour. [ Reply to ThisRe:gmail, openoffice , firefox? by electrosoccertux (Score:1) Saturday November 05, @12:08PMRe:gmail, openoffice , firefox? by photon317 (Score:2) Saturday November 05, @01:38PM Bump to boost downloads? (Score:5, Insightful) by inerte (452992) on Saturday November 05, @11:47AM (#13957947) (http://www.inerciasensorial.com.br/ | Last Journal: Friday January 18, @05:56PM) Er... no.That's Google trying to control the plataform. They can contribute to Firefox, either hacking its source or creating extensions. Imagine Firefox with IE marketshare, ~85%, and Google releasing a new product tomorrow, integrated with their Toolbar, on all those desktops.Plus, Javascript/DOM/XUL support made exactly the way they want. [ Reply to This Microsoft... (Score:1) by Chickenofbristol55 (884806) on Saturday November 05, @11:49AM (#13957959) Made google angry! Google SMASH! pretty interesting idea though, looks like the battle of the browsers rages on. [ Reply to This The google extension crashes my Firefox! (Score:1) by ylikone (589264) on Saturday November 05, @11:50AM (#13957963)