Verizon Pushed Content Complaint

[JRSCCivic98]

If you are unhappy that Verizon is pushing BrowserConfig content icons onto your phone (i.e. SongID and RingTone) call 611 and ask for it to be removed. They'll tell you that it cannot be done, but keep pushing the matter.

Other carriers can change your BIS profile to keep certain service books from coming to you. It's time again that we force VZW to change their ways once again for us customers.

The mass complaints about locked GPS have changed Verizon's practices in the past year. The no wifi on Blackberries complaints will be answered on the next releases of BB devices from them and other CDMA carriers (this was more of a RIM pushed complaint). Let's show our driving force for all BB users in the world that WE DON'T WANT PUSHED INSTALL SHORTCUTS! If we want to install apps, we'll do it ourselves. The pushed BrowserConfigs are no different then SPAM and forceful advertising tactics and we don't want either as part of our plans.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[MartyMcfly]

Its not that serious.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[vatothe0]

Yeah! I hate it when they send me free programs that do cool stuff. Boooo!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jcharris08]

I'm going to disagree with you on this one. It by no means hurts you or your device to have them pushed. For the average consumer it gives them access to something they wouldn't otherwise know was there because they do not go out searching for different apps. Just my 2 cents and not worth complaining about in my opinion.

Plus most are going to tell you if you don't want them simply do not install and hide the shortcut, as it is just that, only a shortcut. I'm normally on board with most of your posts and respect what you say, but this one just reminds me of the various other threads of people finding something new to complain about that really isn't a big deal.

[jnepsa]

Civic...i agree 100% for the 9.5 out of 10 people that own a BB its annoying as its a buisness phone(even if on BIS) you dont carry it to play with. You dont want the crap they offer. We are baisically beta testing these apps for free. Song ID bareley works...so Civic great post

[crackalackberry]

I both agree and disagree... You could hide the app, but why do they make it mandatory to have it? should just keep it in the VZStart page and if you want it download it. Curious how much app space this takes up?

[xXXNotMVAMXXx]

If I wanted it, I would download it, and I dont want it.

[jnepsa]

Originally Posted by crackalackberry

I both agree and disagree... You could hide the app, but why do they make it mandatory to have it? should just keep it in the VZStart page and if you want it download it. Curious how much app space this takes up?

the pushed content is just a .alx...if you click it you download it. but its the fact that they are there. should be on the start page as you said...song ID is about a 1MB or so file

[hummingbird314]

If I wanted their content I would download it myself. I wish they would keep it to themselves.

[crackalackberry]

Originally Posted by jnepsa

the pushed content is just a .alx...if you click it you download it. but its the fact that they are there. should be on the start page as you said...song ID is about a 1MB or so file

so before downloading it wont have any impact on memory? if thats the case, if you just hide I dont see that big of a deal.... I guess its just the principle

[oakindustries]

Originally Posted by jnepsa

Civic...i agree 100% for the 9.5 out of 10 people that own a BB its annoying as its a buisness phone(even if on BIS) you dont carry it to play with. You dont want the crap they offer. We are baisically beta testing these apps for free. Song ID bareley works...so Civic great post

You know what I found annoying was that songid was pushed to our phones but not the myverizon app. I had to download it myself.

[jnepsa]

Originally Posted by crackalackberry

so before downloading it wont have any impact on memory? if thats the case, if you just hide I dont see that big of a deal.... I guess its just the principle

yea no impact on memory just everytime you resend your service books it will be on the home screen

[grgiwoyna]

Originally Posted by jcharris08

I'm going to disagree with you on this one. It by no means hurts you or your device to have them pushed. For the average consumer it gives them access to something they wouldn't otherwise know was there because they do not go out searching for different apps. Just my 2 cents and not worth complaining about in my opinion.

Plus most are going to tell you if you don't want them simply do not install and hide the shortcut, as it is just that, only a shortcut. I'm normally on board with most of your posts and respect what you say, but this one just reminds me of the various other threads of people finding something new to complain about that really isn't a big deal.

I disagree entirely. While these really aren't that big-a-deal overall, it's still annoying and rather needless to have applications (or shortcuts, in this particualr case) forced onto devices for those that aren't interested and don't want them. As Civic stated - anyone that wants these is going to download them - those of us that aren't interested will pass.

The claim that people wouldn't know about them unless VZW pushed them to the devices is only slightly accurate. As I've stated in other threads, a much better approach would have been to send an email or MMS notification advertising these apps were available. Even a leaflet in the monthly statement could've accomplished the same - at least for those that receive and look at their statements. Again, those interested can download to their heart's content, while the rest of us could simply delete the notitfication, move on and forget about them entirely.

My other gripe over this practice is that there's no appreciable way to uninstall them aside from deleting the service books - which we know is only a temporary solution. The only option is to hide them. Obviously, it takes little to no effort to do that, but that's not really the point.

No harm, no foul... if you're interested in the apps. I just feel there are other ways to tackle something like this without putting off those that aren't interested by forcing them on people.

Sad thing is the one app most people are interested in (out of those that have an interest) doesn't even function most of the time. Pretty useless in my book. Keep it.

[JRSCCivic98]

Actually there is a small (very small) impact to device memory. The icon is service book based, but any and all service books take up some room on the device. So, no that excuse is not good enough. Also, "hiding it"... WTF? Why should I have to hide an icon that I don't want on my device? They don't push this BS content on business handsets (i.e. 8830), so why should it be pushed to consumer Blackberries? F dat! If they want to push these apps, then they should push them via the VZW homepage that they push to the device's browser. That way (to satisfy the complainers above) the people that are too noobie to know about these apps, will be too noobie to know how to change their homepage on the browser and see the apps advertised anyway.

For the rest of us, we don't want the icons. Also, this isn't the first time anything like this has ever come up. Ask AT&T Blackberry owners how many BS pushed BrowserConfig icons they get. Community Bloggers have complained about this for years.... the carriers need to start listening.

[starjoy]

Right on, Civic! You share my disgust at pushed content. I'd rather pull content that I want, rather than receive any pushed unsolicited drivel. This is my business phone; I like to keep my apps and docs tidy and I need to control my workspace!

I was searching this morning looking for a way to strip out the latest VZW push...tried CracMem, CracUtil, BBfilescout, etc. to no avail. I started searching the forums and came across this thread. I must have the same unreasonable belief that only I should be able to choose and determine what content takes up space on my handheld, without defference to my carrier's marketing desires. This is all spam in my book: unsolicited apps, all are unwanted. My phone, my app/mem space, my decision!

If anyone figures out how to strip this or any other pushed content effectively, please let us know. Till then, I will hide the darn icons. I will definately call Verizon...though I don't expect much.