Yes, this gets annoying:
I’m interested in online music service, and the industry needs a strong alternative to Apple’s lock-in iTunes/iPod service. So I took a look at Yahoo! Music Unlimited. Actually, I didn’t get as far as the proper trial. I started with the “free Yahoo! Music Engine”. Downloaded and ran the install. I said “No” to every possible option that would not kill the install, even thought they all defaulted to “Yes”. Make Yahoo my home page … No. Make Yahoo my default search page … No. Install Yahoo Toolbar … No. Make Yahoo music my default media player … No.
Installer requires a reboot. Hey, I now have Yahoo Messenger as a startup application. I never asked for it. I signed up for a media player and an online music service. Not an instant messenger.
It’s not just a Yahoo problem; anyone who provides alternative “free” services seems to delight in just this behavior. That said, I do avoid Yahoo like the plague, when I can.
(via J-Walk)