Why Facebook asks to install Quicktime on Firefox, and how to make it stop

What: Maybe you've experienced this when you have Facebook open in Firefox - every once in awhile the "Additional plugins are required to display all the media on this page" bar pops up and prompts you to install Quicktime. You think to yourself, "why would I need to have Quicktime installed in order to view Facebook, and what can I do to make it stop?"

Why: You know the Facebook chat notification sound - the one you hear when someone sends you a message over Facebook chat? Well, Facebook sends that sound as an .mp3 and asks your system to open it with Quicktime. The .mp3 file that Facebook is sending as I write this post is located at http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/sound/pop.mp3 . If you don't have Quicktime installed on your system (and I refuse to install it, since there are better, less intrusive options to Quicktime out there), Firefox will prompt you to install it.

How to make it stop:

Update 12.05.2009:

There may be a simpler way to fix this issue without having to resort to the more drastic steps listed below. I haven't tested it yet, but will update as soon as I get the chance.

While logged in to Facebook, click to open the 'Chat' Menu on the bottom, right of the page
Now, click the 'Options' button
Uncheck the 'Play Sound for New Messages' checkbox

Firefox:

Option 1. If you want to hear the chat notification sound: Install Quicktime. Personally, I prefer not to install Quicktime, and I don't really care about the sound. If it's important to you to hear the chat notification, this may be your only option.

Option 2: If you don't want to install Quicktime, don't need the notification sound, and you have the AdBlock Plus Add-On nstalled, you can simply add a new filter for http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/sound/pop.mp3 . You won't hear the sound any more, and you won't be prompted to install Quicktime. If you want the nuclear option, which will block all potential future sounds from that Facebook directory, add the following filter to AdBlock Plus: http://static.ak.fbcdn.net/sound/* . I chose the nuclear option :)

Google Chrome:

If you're having similar problems in Chrome, you can install the AdSweep extension / user script and add a filter either for the individual file or for the entire /sound/ directory, as I showed you for Firefox.

Other Browsers & Other Methods:

If anyone has tips for dealing with this annoyance in other browsers, or has other methods for dealing with the annoyance, please feel free to share.

Hope this was helpful for someone.