FedEx Paying Five Dollars to Install Flash

Zarathustra[H]

Zarathustra[H]

Extremely [H]
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With Chrome, Edge and other browsers starting to block flash by default in favor of HTML5, many online services are in a mad dash to address their legacy Flash implementations. Fedex, however, is taking a different approach, and is offering a $5 discount if you go ahead and install that security swiss cheese of a plugin on your computer.

That page offers a link to download Flash, which is both a good and a bad idea. The good is that the link goes to the latest version of Flash, which includes years' worth of bug fixes. The bad is that Flash has needed bug fixes for years and a steady drip of newly-detected problems means there's no guarantee the software's woes have ended. Scoring yourself a $5 discount could therefore cost you plenty in future.
 
Dear FedEx: Will that $5 pay for getting my identity back or restoring my PC after a rogue Flash ad screws me over? I think not. Keep your $5, I'll be fine without using your site for a while until it uses HTML5.
 
Flash is not going away anytime soon.

Most Admin browser pluggins for managing server room class equipment is Flash based so Adobe has their hooks into the IT Infrastructure world big time and these businesses do not want to re-code their tools.

Cisco, IBM, HP, NetApp, EMC, Hitachi ................. the list just goes on and on.

Flash is not going away as simply as some people think and this is the single biggest reason why.
 
Pusher of Buttons said:
Reminds me of that time I went to Denny's and they offered me $5 off my breakfast because the pancake batter was made up of HIV infected blood
Click to expand...

Well that is an extreme analogy. I mean flash only has a good chance to do harm.

It would be more like Denys saying we'll give you all $5 off because 1 in 20 pancakes is smeared with nasty germs by the staff.

Wait hold on... that sounds like reality minus the $5 off for it. lol :)
 
Step 1: Create VM without Flash installed.
Step 2: Checkpoint VM
Step 3: Use no Flash VM to visit Fedex next time you need that service and accept the $5 discount for installing Flash.
Step 4: After transaction completed, restore VM from Checkpoint.
Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 as needed.
 
If no browser works with Flash anymore how is installing Flash going to magically make the browsers work? I guess people can just fallback to IE11 for the FedEx site... but still. I really hope people would drop Flash already.
 
Gasaraki_ said:
If no browser works with Flash anymore how is installing Flash going to magically make the browsers work? I guess people can just fallback to IE11 for the FedEx site... but still. I really hope people would drop Flash already.
Click to expand...

I have to use IE11 to use my home network switch web panel which is in Java. It's either that or using Firefox ESR but for that one thing I'd rather use IE11. I'm guessing FedEx assumes IE11 for this if other browsers physically lack support for NPAPI plug ins.
 
Dead Parrot said:
Step 1: Create VM without Flash installed.
Step 2: Checkpoint VM
Step 3: Use no Flash VM to visit Fedex next time you need that service and accept the $5 discount for installing Flash.
Step 4: After transaction completed, restore VM from Checkpoint.
Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 as needed.
Click to expand...

Ummm, "is offering a $5 discount", this isn't a $5 payment, it's $5 dollars less, less then how much? What's the price you are trying to pay over and over again ..... again ?

OK, it's $5 off your orders at Fedex. So this is great if you ship a bunch from Fedex, then again it's mostly businesses that ship alot with Fedex, and they people at businesses who do the shipping usually are not the IT staff who have permissions to manage workstations and install software soooo.

Maybe if you run a little home business it would be worth your time to save $5 on shipping related orders.
 
Dead Parrot said:
Step 1: Create VM without Flash installed.
Step 2: Checkpoint VM
Step 3: Use no Flash VM to visit Fedex next time you need that service and accept the $5 discount for installing Flash.
Step 4: After transaction completed, restore VM from Checkpoint.
Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 as needed.
Click to expand...
While that is easily done by most of us enthusiasts, it still takes time. Even if that only takes a few minutes to setup, that time is still worth more than $5.
 
From the The Register article:
The offer's being made to users of FedEx Office Print, the custom printing tentacle of the transport company. FedEx Office Print lets customers design posters, signs, manuals, banners and even promotional magnets.
Click to expand...

This affects this component and not the shipping site itself. So, you should still be able to print your labels in peace.

The one thing they don't mention is whether or not this is a one time discount attached to your account or if it can be used over, i.e., company account with more than one person/computer authorize to use that account.
 
I am sure they working on it, but it is to kiss the ass of customers who are having trouble using FedEx because FedEx is late to the ballgame and their browsers won't load FedEx services correctly.
 
Next they'll offer you $5 for leaving your front door unlocked so they can always deliver your package.
 
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