# Edge is using propaganda against Chrome (and Firefox) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 21, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678 "2017-01-21T01:01:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/1 "2017-01-21T01:01:27Z")
I usually use Firefox. Today I had to use Chrome because Firefox hated some site I was using. I haven’t deleted Edge from my computer, but virtually never use it. When I activated Chrome today, Edge put up a “pop up” (even though it wasn’t active) that said stuff like “According to NSS Labs. Microsoft Edge blocks more phishing sites and socially engineered malware than Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.” They said it was 13% safer than Chrome and even safer compared to Firefox. That was… strange. I guess Chrome is more popular than Firefox, since it doesn’t pop up that message when I use Firefox. (Or maybe because Firefox was already active today when I got home, if this is a really new thing.) I think this might just be a Windows thing rather than an Edge thing (as in I hope it’s not activating Edge if I didn’t tell it to activate Edge). I just thought this was some desperation from Microsoft. I’m already using your OS, I don’t necessarily want to use your browser too. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/2 "2017-01-21T01:09:59Z")
I can’t get Adblocker to “take” on Edge. Is this some kind of nefarious “Hal” thing? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/3 "2017-01-21T01:49:36Z")
Is the popup on the right side of your screen? Then it’s a Microsoft thing. They’re using the “notification” feature to promote their products. I got roughly three reminders telling me how great Edge is for every one that tells me new Windows updates were installed. Try clicking on the notification icon (on my screen it looks like a little speech balloon) go to settings and try to turn off every notification that you don’t think is necessary. I don’t know if Microsoft will agree your choices aren’t necessary, but it’s worth a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/4 "2017-01-21T03:08:28Z")
> [@Kimera757](#): > > I just thought this was some desperation from Microsoft. I’m already using your OS, I don’t necessarily want to use your browser too. I got this message the other day when I opened Firefox on my Windows laptop. It’s Microsoft trying to nag me into using their crappy Edge. For major whiny, use a machine that has a default Bing search engine and plug “Google” into the search box. Bing cannot comprehend that someone would not want to use it because it’s a piece of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/5 "2017-01-21T08:50:52Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I can’t get Adblocker to “take” on Edge. Is this some kind of nefarious “Hal” thing? Edge just isn’t very pluggable. I guess that’s a design choice. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/6 "2017-01-21T13:35:10Z")
This is _not_ a browser ad. This is an [OS ad](https://tech.slashdot.org/story/17/01/20/1739228/microsoft-targets-chrome-users-with-windows-10-pop-up-ad). One of several that MS is throwing out there via MS Windows 10. Ad blockers won’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/7 "2017-01-21T14:00:20Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Is the popup on the right side of your screen? Then it’s a Microsoft thing. They’re using the “notification” feature to promote their products. I got roughly three reminders telling me how great Edge is for every one that tells me new Windows updates were installed. I’ve never removed Edge from my bottom bar, and the popup first appeared right over Edge there. Then it appeared in the notification bar on the right side. I followed the link from there, using my default browser, Firefox. I’m not going to disable notifications because I don’t find them annoying. I just thought this was so odd that “I Must Share”. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/8 "2017-01-21T17:47:24Z")
This is why I HATE Microsoft. With each new install, I have to spend a significant amount of time removing things and changing settings so I CAN USE MY COMPUTER! Anyway search google for Microsoft edge notification (or a few of the exact words used in the notification) and you will find a way to turn this off or stop it. Also I kept having a Microsoft Office notification, searched google for that, and was able to turn it off. It is because of stuff like this that I switched to “Open Office” which is a non-Microsoft product. Open office… > **[Apache OpenOffice](https://sourceforge.net/projects/openofficeorg.mirror/)** > > Download Apache OpenOffice for free. The free and Open Source productivity suite. Free alternative for Office productivity tools: Apache OpenOffice - formerly known as OpenOffice.org - is an open-source office productivity software suite containing... ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/9 "2017-01-21T18:17:11Z")
I get those notices when starting Firefox so Edge isn’t just feeling threatened by Chrome. I think the last one stated that Edge prevents 20% more genital warts than Firefox. Or something. I really didn’t pay that much attention. ---
**Author:** ![Anxious\_Squirrel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anxious_squirrel/32/1083_2.png) [@Anxious\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anxious_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/10 "2017-01-22T00:42:55Z")
Weird. I have windows 10 and I don’t get those notifs. I use Opera and the Avast SafeZone browser. When I first got this computer, I went through and uninstalled/deleted absolutely everything it would let me, just went right down the programs menu, and I turned off every notifcation/alert it would let me, too. Plus, I didn’t leave edge on my toolbar. I hate the ugly-assed cortana box, but I can’t get rid of that, I tried. I know that edge is still on there somewhere though because when I save webpages that’s the format they save in, even though opera is my default browser. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/11 "2017-01-22T12:54:08Z")
I’ve been able to get rid of the Cortana box (but not the “Search Windows” box). In the latter case, I’ve forced it to only search my computer. I’m a happy Open Office user. Why pay for something that can read Office files for free? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2017, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/edge-is-using-propaganda-against-chrome-and-firefox/777678/12 "2017-01-22T14:00:48Z")
OpenOffice is great (I prefer LibreOffice because it’s where the core of the development community went when Oracle muscled in on OpenOffice) - but even with Open/Libre/NeoOffice, you’re still pretty much beholden to Microsoft’s document standards, because of the ubiquity of MS Office now. And I don’t really see that going away - there used to be competitors - Lotus Smartsuite, WordPerfect, etc - but MS Office is now so deeply entrenched in the workplace, it’s hard to see what could possibly knock it from its pedestal.