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"Check for updates" is misnamed! >:(

  • 4 replies
  • 31 have this problem
  • 1 view
  • Last reply by beededea

RolandDrinn
RolandDrinn
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In the about box, I clicked "Check for updates". Instead of checking and telling me there was an update, it checked, found one, automatically downloaded it, and installed it! This is BAD BEHAVIOR! When a button says "Check" that is ALL it should do. Never, ever install software without asking permission first. Your browser used to be so good, but you've lost a step: this, constantly annoying me to check my plugins with no way to turn that off. These aren't bugs. They're design decisions, and in my opinion poor ones. Now I have to fix my plug-ins that don't support the new version I didn't want. If you can't stop the bad behavior, can you at least warn people first so they don't click buttons that don't do what they say?

In the about box, I clicked "Check for updates". Instead of checking and telling me there was an update, it checked, found one, automatically downloaded it, and installed it! This is BAD BEHAVIOR! When a button says "Check" that is ALL it should do. Never, ever install software without asking permission first. Your browser used to be so good, but you've lost a step: this, constantly annoying me to check my plugins with no way to turn that off. These aren't bugs. They're design decisions, and in my opinion poor ones. Now I have to fix my plug-ins that don't support the new version I didn't want. If you can't stop the bad behavior, can you at least warn people first so they don't click buttons that don't do what they say?

All Replies (4)

philipp
philipp
  • Moderator
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hello roland, you can change the behaviour in firefox > options > advanced > updates.

RolandDrinn
RolandDrinn Question owner
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Thanks, but this did not help. I already turned off automatic updates quite some time ago, as I do not allow software to automatically update. I like to look at what the update offers, first. I'm talking here about the behavior of the button on the About dialog (Firefox -> Help -> About Firefox). That button is labeled "Check for Updates" but its behavior is "check for updates, and if found, automatically download and install". Worse, it doesn't warn users that this is what it will do. If it had, I'd never have clicked it.

RolandDrinn
RolandDrinn Question owner
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Addendum: This was Firefox 14.0. I am now using 22.0. I did finally get all my add-ons working again, but I had to take time out of a busy schedule to do it.

beededea
beededea
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The responder to this post is missing something, the actual point of the problem raised. The text is incorrect. "check for updates" means check for updates. When an update is found it should tell you what the upgrade is then give you the option of installing it.

If the button is for downloading an update then the text should simply state "download update".

The button is not checking it is simply downloading if one exists.

Why are these simple UI issues so difficult for responders to comprehend? Do you know how annoying it is to ask one question but be answered with an answer to another question?

I expect more of you.