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{{Short description|Discontinued web browser toolbar for Internet Explorer}}
{{use mdy dates|date=May 2011}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2011}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox software
{{Infobox software
|name = Google Toolbar
| name = Google Toolbar
|logo = Google Toolbar wordmark.png
| logo = Google Toolbar wordmark.png
|logo size = 250px
| logo size = 250px
|screenshot =
| screenshot =
|caption =
| caption =
|collapsible =
| collapsible =
|developer = [[Google]]
| developer = [[Google]]
|released = {{start date and age|2000|12|11}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googlepress.blogspot.com/2000/12/google-launches-google-toolbar.html|title=Google Launches The Google Toolbar|date=December 11, 2000|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>
| released = {{start date and age|2000|12|11}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://googlepress.blogspot.com/2000/12/google-launches-google-toolbar.html|title=Google Launches The Google Toolbar|date=December 11, 2000|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>
|latest release version = 7.5.8231.2252 (Internet Explorer)
| latest release version = 7.5.8231.2252 (Internet Explorer)
|latest release date = November 21, 2016 (Internet Explorer)
| latest release date = November 21, 2016 (Internet Explorer)
|latest preview version =
| latest preview version =
|latest preview date =
| latest preview date =
|operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| operating system = [[Microsoft Windows]]
| discontinued = yes
|platform =
|language =
| platform =
|language count =
| language =
|language footnote =
| language count =
| language footnote =
|genre = [[Toolbar]]
|license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[freeware]]
| genre = [[Browser toolbar]]
| license = [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] [[freeware]]
|website = [http://www.google.com/toolbar www.google.com/toolbar]
| website = {{URL|https://www.google.com/toolbar/ie/done.html}}
}}
}}
'''Google Toolbar''' is a discontinued [[web browser]] [[toolbar]] for [[Internet Explorer]], developed by [[Google]]. It was first released in 2000 for [[Internet Explorer 5]]. Google Toolbar was also supported on [[Firefox]] from September 2005 to June 2011.
'''Google Toolbar''' was a [[web browser]] [[toolbar]] for [[Internet Explorer]], developed by [[Google]]. It was first released in 2000 for [[Internet Explorer 5]] and above. Google Toolbar was also distributed as a [[Add-on (Mozilla)#Plug-ins|Mozilla plug-in]] for [[Firefox]] from September 2005 to June 2011. On December 12, 2021, the software was no longer available for download,<ref name="ATECH">{{Cite web|last=Amadeo|first=Ron|date=2021-12-12|title=Take one last look at Google Toolbar, which is now dead|url=https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/12/happy-21st-birthday-to-google-toolbar-which-inexplicably-still-exists/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}</ref> and the main website now redirects to a support page, though a page still exists with the original page design.<ref name="GSUPPORT">{{Cite web|title=Install Google Toolbar - Toolbar Help|url=https://support.google.com/toolbar/answer/81376|access-date=2021-12-20|website=support.google.com}}</ref>


== Features ==
== Features ==
Google Toolbar resides above the browser's tab bar and provides a search box to carry out [[Web search engine|web searches]]. Users can log into their [[Gmail]] accounts and access their email, saved bookmarks, and web history. It has tools such as [[AutoLink]], AutoFill, [[Google Translate|Translation]], spell checker common to all browsers, while pop-up blocker and word finder are restricted to [[Internet Explorer]].<ref name="gtf">{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/intl/en/toolbar/ie/features.html|title=Google Toolbar Features|access-date=May 16, 2009}}</ref> Google Toolbar is often distributed through [[product bundling]] with a primary download.
Google Toolbar resided above the browser's tab bar and provided a search box to carry out [[Web search engine|web searches]]. Users could log into their [[Gmail]] accounts and access their email, saved bookmarks, and web history. It had tools such as [[AutoLink]], AutoFill, [[Google Translate|Translation]], and spell checker on all browsers. The pop-up blocker and word finder were restricted to [[Internet Explorer]].<ref name="gtf">{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/intl/en/toolbar/ie/features.html|title=Google Toolbar Features|access-date=May 16, 2009}}</ref> Google Toolbar was often distributed through [[product bundling]] with a primary download.


=== Sidewiki ===
=== Sidewiki ===
[[Google Sidewiki]] was launched on September 23, 2009, allowing users to make comments, which are visible to the public, on any web page.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/help-and-learn-from-others-as-you.html|title=Help and learn from others as you browse the web: Google Sidewiki|date=September 23, 2009|publisher=Google|access-date=September 23, 2009}}</ref> [[Google]] uses [[PageRank|ranking algorithms]] to determine comment [[Relevance|relevancy]] and usefulness using criteria such as users voting up and down a comment and past contributions. Sidewiki is currently available for [[Internet Explorer]] and [[Firefox]] through Google Toolbar, the [[Google Chrome]] browser through an add-on,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fldmleagmkblgoeodhdlhdejhhngdihi | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219131413/https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fldmleagmkblgoeodhdlhdejhhngdihi | url-status=dead | archive-date=2011-12-19 | title=Chrome Web Store - Google Sidewiki| date=2011-12-19}}</ref> and for other browsers, like [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]], it was available as a [[bookmarklet]].
[[Google Sidewiki]] was launched on September 23, 2009, allowing users to make comments, which were visible to the public, on any web page.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/help-and-learn-from-others-as-you.html|title=Help and learn from others as you browse the web: Google Sidewiki|date=September 23, 2009|publisher=Google|access-date=September 23, 2009}}</ref> [[Google]] used [[PageRank|ranking algorithms]] to determine comment [[Relevance|relevancy]] and usefulness using criteria such as users voting up and down a comment and past contributions. Sidewiki was available for [[Internet Explorer]] and [[Firefox]] through Google Toolbar, the [[Google Chrome]] browser through an add-on,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fldmleagmkblgoeodhdlhdejhhngdihi | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219131413/https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fldmleagmkblgoeodhdlhdejhhngdihi | url-status=dead | archive-date=2011-12-19 | title=Chrome Web Store - Google Sidewiki| date=2011-12-19}}</ref> and for other browsers, like [[Safari (web browser)|Safari]], it was available as a [[bookmarklet]].


Web site owners cannot control Sidewiki comments,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/andrewkeen/100003634/sidewiki-google-colonial-sideswipe/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927175859/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/andrewkeen/100003634/sidewiki-google-colonial-sideswipe/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 27, 2009|title=Sidewiki: Google colonial sideswipe|author=Andrew Keen|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=UK|access-date=December 12, 2009|date=September 24, 2009}}</ref> and there was no way for a web site to opt out of Sidewiki; however, Sidewiki was disabled on [[HTTP Secure|secure sites]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Webmasters/thread?tid=494bb6012632fb05&hl=en|title=How do webmasters opt out of sidewiki?|access-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref>
Web site owners could not control Sidewiki comments,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/andrewkeen/100003634/sidewiki-google-colonial-sideswipe/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927175859/http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/andrewkeen/100003634/sidewiki-google-colonial-sideswipe/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 27, 2009|title=Sidewiki: Google colonial sideswipe|author=Andrew Keen|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=UK|access-date=December 12, 2009|date=September 24, 2009}}</ref> and there was no way for a web site to opt out of Sidewiki; however, Sidewiki was disabled on [[HTTP Secure|secure sites]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Webmasters/thread?tid=494bb6012632fb05&hl=en|title=How do webmasters opt out of sidewiki?|access-date=February 24, 2010}}</ref>


In September 2011, Google announced that it would discontinue Sidewiki.
In September 2011, Google announced that it would discontinue Sidewiki.


=== My Location ===
=== My Location ===
My Location was a [[geolocation]] service which uses the location of [[Wi-Fi]] access points to determine the toolbar user's location.<ref name="google-mylocation">{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/answer.py?hl=en-uk&answer=166104|title=Toolbar Help|access-date=May 20, 2010}}</ref> This location was used to optimize search results based on where the user was located.<ref name="google-mylocation"/> Google Toolbar can also provide the geolocation data to third-party websites<ref name="google-mylocation"/> through the [[W3C Geolocation API]].
My Location was a [[geolocation]] service which uses the location of [[Wi-Fi]] access points to determine the toolbar user's location.<ref name="google-mylocation">{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/answer.py?hl=en-uk&answer=166104|title=Toolbar Help|access-date=May 20, 2010}}</ref> This location was used to optimize search results based on where the user was located.<ref name="google-mylocation"/> Google Toolbar could also provide the geolocation data to third-party websites<ref name="google-mylocation"/> through the [[W3C Geolocation API]].


=== AutoLink ===
=== AutoLink ===
Google Toolbar was criticized when the AutoLink feature was added to the toolbar because this new feature directed users to pre-selected commercial websites. For example, if it finds a book's [[ISBN]] on a webpage, it provides a link to Amazon's product page for the particular book. Google said that the feature "adds useful links" and "none of the companies which received AutoLinks had paid for the service."
Google Toolbar was criticized when the AutoLink feature was added to the toolbar because this new feature directed users to pre-selected commercial websites. For example, if it found a book's [[ISBN]] on a webpage, it provided a link to Amazon's product page for the particular book. Google said that the feature "adds useful links" and "none of the companies which received AutoLinks had paid for the service."


=== Web caching ===
=== Web caching ===
The desktop version of Google Toolbar shows the [[web cache|cached copy]] of any given search result, which was useful for slower Internet connections and benefitted by [[Google Web Accelerator]] until its discontinuation in 2008. This feature does not exist for the mobile version.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}}
The desktop version of Google Toolbar showed the [[web cache|cached copy]] of any given search result, which was useful for slower Internet connections and benefitted by [[Google Web Accelerator]] until its discontinuation in 2008. This feature does not exist for the mobile version.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}}


== Privacy ==
== Privacy ==
Google Watch has raised concerns about Google Toolbar's possible threats to privacy, such as tracking of browsing patterns, automatic installation of updates without the user's knowledge, and a privacy policy that can be revised without notice.<ref>[http://www.google-watch.org/toolbar.html Google's new toolbar: Now more evil than ever]</ref> The toolbar does not track personally identifiable surfing activities of the end user unless advanced features such as [[PageRank]] are specifically enabled by the user.<ref name="Technology Source">{{Cite news|url=http://www.techpluto.com/google-toolbar-advanced-features/|title=Does Wesley’s Google Toolbar Invade Your Privacy? Not Really…|date=May 16, 2009|publisher=TechPluto|access-date=May 17, 2009}}</ref> It does track "anonymous" statistics, which can reveal a lot of information when correlated with other data, although similar criticisms could be made of Google's online search engine.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2786761.stm Is Google too powerful?] by Bill Thompson, BBC News, 2/21/2003</ref>
Google Watch has raised concerns about Google Toolbar's possible threats to privacy, such as tracking of browsing patterns, automatic installation of updates without the user's knowledge, and a privacy policy that can be revised without notice.<ref>[http://www.google-watch.org/toolbar.html Google's new toolbar: Now more evil than ever]</ref> The toolbar does not track personally identifiable surfing activities of the end user unless advanced features such as [[PageRank]] are specifically enabled by the user.<ref name="Technology Source">{{Cite news|url=http://www.techpluto.com/google-toolbar-advanced-features/|title=Does Wesley's Google Toolbar Invade Your Privacy? Not Really…|date=May 16, 2009|publisher=TechPluto|access-date=May 17, 2009}}</ref> It does track "anonymous" statistics, which can reveal a lot of information when correlated with other data, although similar criticisms could be made of Google's online search engine.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2786761.stm Is Google too powerful?] by Bill Thompson, BBC News, 2/21/2003</ref>


== Google Compute ==
== Google Compute ==
'''Google Compute''' was a separately [[downloadable]] add-on for the Google Toolbar which utilized the user's computer to help the [[Folding@home]] [[distributed computing]] project, which studies disease-relevant [[protein folding]] and other [[molecular dynamics]]. It was founded in March 2002 by Google co-founder [[Sergey Brin]]. Functionally, it downloaded a small packet of work, performed calculations on it, and uploaded it back to [[Stanford University]].<ref>{{Cite news | url = http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-867091.html | title = Google takes on supercomputing | date = March 22, 2002 | publisher = CNet News | first = Stephen | last = Shankland}}</ref> Although it was limited in functionality and scope, it increased Folding@home's participation from 10,000 up to about 30,000 active CPUs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://castroller.com/Podcasts/FuturesInBiotech/249153 |title=Futures in Biotech 27: Folding@home at 1.3 Petaflops |format=Interview, webcast |date=2007-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6Apnn3L2R?url=http://castroller.com/Podcasts/FuturesInBiotech/249153 |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The program ended in October 2005 in favor of the project's official clients, and is no longer available for the Toolbar.<ref>{{Cite news | url = http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1028770683&postcount=4 | title = Google is after your CPU cycles | author = ChelseaOilman | date = 2005-12-30 | access-date = 2011-09-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://toolbar.google.com/dc/offerdc.html/ |title=Your computer's idle time is too precious to waste |author=Google |year=2007 |access-date=2011-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611153319/http://toolbar.google.com/dc/offerdc.html/ |archive-date=June 11, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
'''Google Compute''' was a separately [[downloadable]] add-on for the Google Toolbar which utilized the user's computer to help the [[Folding@home]] [[distributed computing]] project, which studies disease-relevant [[protein folding]] and other [[molecular dynamics]]. It was founded in March 2002 by Google co-founder [[Sergey Brin]]. Functionally, it downloaded a small packet of work, performed calculations on it, and uploaded it back to [[Stanford University]].<ref>{{Cite news | url = http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-867091.html | title = Google takes on supercomputing | date = March 22, 2002 | publisher = CNet News | first = Stephen | last = Shankland}}</ref> Although it was limited in functionality and scope, it increased Folding@home's participation from 10,000 up to about 30,000 active CPUs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://castroller.com/Podcasts/FuturesInBiotech/249153 |title=Futures in Biotech 27: Folding@home at 1.3 Petaflops |format=Interview, webcast |date=2007-12-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129214623/http://castroller.com/Podcasts/FuturesInBiotech/249153 |archive-date=November 29, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> The program ended in October 2005 in favor of the project's official clients, and is no longer available for the Toolbar.<ref>{{Cite news | url = http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1028770683&postcount=4 | title = Google is after your CPU cycles | author = ChelseaOilman | date = 2005-12-30 | access-date = 2011-09-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://toolbar.google.com/dc/offerdc.html/ |title=Your computer's idle time is too precious to waste |website=toolbar.google.com |year=2007 |access-date=2011-09-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611153319/http://toolbar.google.com/dc/offerdc.html/ |archive-date=June 11, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

== Discontinuation ==
On December 12, 2021, Google Toolbar was quietly shut down by Google. The website redirected to Toolbar Support, stating the user should install [[Google Chrome]] instead, and showed instructions on how to uninstall Toolbar for those on Internet Explorer. Computers that still have Google Toolbar are not affected.<ref name="ATECH"/><ref name="GSUPPORT"/> It now redirects to Chrome Support.


== See also ==
== See also ==
Line 60: Line 66:
==External links==
==External links==
* {{Official website|toolbar.google.com}}
* {{Official website|toolbar.google.com}}
{{Google Inc.}}
{{Google LLC}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Google Toolbar}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Google Toolbar}}
[[Category:2000 software]]
[[Category:2000 software]]
[[Category:Google software|Toolbar]]
[[Category:Discontinued Google software|Toolbar]]
[[Category:Internet Explorer add-ons]]
[[Category:Discontinued Mozilla plug-ins]]
[[Category:Discontinued Firefox add-ons]]
[[Category:Browser toolbars]]


[[ja:Googleのサービス#Google ツールバー]]
[[ja:Googleのサービス#Google ツールバー]]

Latest revision as of 19:51, 12 November 2024

Google Toolbar
Developer(s)Google
Initial releaseDecember 11, 2000; 23 years ago (2000-12-11)[1]
Final release
7.5.8231.2252 (Internet Explorer) / November 21, 2016 (Internet Explorer)
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeBrowser toolbar
LicenseProprietary freeware
Websitewww.google.com/toolbar/ie/done.html

Google Toolbar was a web browser toolbar for Internet Explorer, developed by Google. It was first released in 2000 for Internet Explorer 5 and above. Google Toolbar was also distributed as a Mozilla plug-in for Firefox from September 2005 to June 2011. On December 12, 2021, the software was no longer available for download,[2] and the main website now redirects to a support page, though a page still exists with the original page design.[3]

Features

[edit]

Google Toolbar resided above the browser's tab bar and provided a search box to carry out web searches. Users could log into their Gmail accounts and access their email, saved bookmarks, and web history. It had tools such as AutoLink, AutoFill, Translation, and spell checker on all browsers. The pop-up blocker and word finder were restricted to Internet Explorer.[4] Google Toolbar was often distributed through product bundling with a primary download.

Sidewiki

[edit]

Google Sidewiki was launched on September 23, 2009, allowing users to make comments, which were visible to the public, on any web page.[5] Google used ranking algorithms to determine comment relevancy and usefulness using criteria such as users voting up and down a comment and past contributions. Sidewiki was available for Internet Explorer and Firefox through Google Toolbar, the Google Chrome browser through an add-on,[6] and for other browsers, like Safari, it was available as a bookmarklet.

Web site owners could not control Sidewiki comments,[7] and there was no way for a web site to opt out of Sidewiki; however, Sidewiki was disabled on secure sites.[8]

In September 2011, Google announced that it would discontinue Sidewiki.

My Location

[edit]

My Location was a geolocation service which uses the location of Wi-Fi access points to determine the toolbar user's location.[9] This location was used to optimize search results based on where the user was located.[9] Google Toolbar could also provide the geolocation data to third-party websites[9] through the W3C Geolocation API.

[edit]

Google Toolbar was criticized when the AutoLink feature was added to the toolbar because this new feature directed users to pre-selected commercial websites. For example, if it found a book's ISBN on a webpage, it provided a link to Amazon's product page for the particular book. Google said that the feature "adds useful links" and "none of the companies which received AutoLinks had paid for the service."

Web caching

[edit]

The desktop version of Google Toolbar showed the cached copy of any given search result, which was useful for slower Internet connections and benefitted by Google Web Accelerator until its discontinuation in 2008. This feature does not exist for the mobile version.[citation needed]

Privacy

[edit]

Google Watch has raised concerns about Google Toolbar's possible threats to privacy, such as tracking of browsing patterns, automatic installation of updates without the user's knowledge, and a privacy policy that can be revised without notice.[10] The toolbar does not track personally identifiable surfing activities of the end user unless advanced features such as PageRank are specifically enabled by the user.[11] It does track "anonymous" statistics, which can reveal a lot of information when correlated with other data, although similar criticisms could be made of Google's online search engine.[12]

Google Compute

[edit]

Google Compute was a separately downloadable add-on for the Google Toolbar which utilized the user's computer to help the Folding@home distributed computing project, which studies disease-relevant protein folding and other molecular dynamics. It was founded in March 2002 by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. Functionally, it downloaded a small packet of work, performed calculations on it, and uploaded it back to Stanford University.[13] Although it was limited in functionality and scope, it increased Folding@home's participation from 10,000 up to about 30,000 active CPUs.[14] The program ended in October 2005 in favor of the project's official clients, and is no longer available for the Toolbar.[15][16]

Discontinuation

[edit]

On December 12, 2021, Google Toolbar was quietly shut down by Google. The website redirected to Toolbar Support, stating the user should install Google Chrome instead, and showed instructions on how to uninstall Toolbar for those on Internet Explorer. Computers that still have Google Toolbar are not affected.[2][3] It now redirects to Chrome Support.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Google Launches The Google Toolbar". December 11, 2000. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Amadeo, Ron (December 12, 2021). "Take one last look at Google Toolbar, which is now dead". Ars Technica. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Install Google Toolbar - Toolbar Help". support.google.com. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  4. ^ "Google Toolbar Features". Retrieved May 16, 2009.
  5. ^ "Help and learn from others as you browse the web: Google Sidewiki". Google. September 23, 2009. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
  6. ^ "Chrome Web Store - Google Sidewiki". December 19, 2011. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011.
  7. ^ Andrew Keen (September 24, 2009). "Sidewiki: Google colonial sideswipe". The Daily Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on September 27, 2009. Retrieved December 12, 2009.
  8. ^ "How do webmasters opt out of sidewiki?". Retrieved February 24, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c "Toolbar Help". Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  10. ^ Google's new toolbar: Now more evil than ever
  11. ^ "Does Wesley's Google Toolbar Invade Your Privacy? Not Really…". TechPluto. May 16, 2009. Retrieved May 17, 2009.
  12. ^ Is Google too powerful? by Bill Thompson, BBC News, 2/21/2003
  13. ^ Shankland, Stephen (March 22, 2002). "Google takes on supercomputing". CNet News.
  14. ^ "Futures in Biotech 27: Folding@home at 1.3 Petaflops". December 28, 2007. Archived from the original (Interview, webcast) on November 29, 2011.
  15. ^ ChelseaOilman (December 30, 2005). "Google is after your CPU cycles". Retrieved September 6, 2011.
  16. ^ "Your computer's idle time is too precious to waste". toolbar.google.com. 2007. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
[edit]
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