I downloaded Opera, and it's a pretty nice browser. I can't live without all my Firefox extensions, though :roll:
BTW, I installed the latest Firefox version today (1.0.7) and it \"totally assploded\". I think it had a problem with one of the themes, cuz the toolbars were all screwed up. I went into safe mode, deleted that theme and it works fine now. I never woulda known to try that if Kenny's hadn't crashed yesterday
That's one of the cool things about forums like this-we all learn from each other's triumphs and misfortunes.
Hehehe... Opera is quite excellent and has been around for a while - and guess where it is developed Microsoft had some issues with their html code for people from Opera trying access msn. MS refused to fix it so Opera made their own twist. They wrote a code to translate all MS sites to the language of the Sweedish Chef, Bork, from the Muppets... Quite hillarious
Scroll down the page on the link and click on the msn pic to see the entire page...
I used to use IE but I always got tons of pop-ups and viruses. I had to reformat my computer every other month. I had less problems when I switched to FF but I still got a few viruses. Now that I have Windows XP and Firefox I havent one problem until I used IE one day. FF is great so I will never change browsers but I heard Opera is just as good.
Now that Firefox has become the first viable contender to Microsoft Internet Explorer in years, its popularity has brought with it some unwanted attention. Last week's premature disclosure of a zero-day Firefox exploit came a few weeks after a zero-day exploit for Internet Explorer appeared on the Internet. Firefox not only has more vulnerabilities per month than Internet Explorer, but it is now surpassing Internet Explorer for the number of exploits available for public download in recent months...
Now that Firefox has become the first viable contender to Microsoft Internet Explorer in years, its popularity has brought with it some unwanted attention. Last week's premature disclosure of a zero-day Firefox exploit came a few weeks after a zero-day exploit for Internet Explorer appeared on the Internet. Firefox not only has more vulnerabilities per month than Internet Explorer, but it is now surpassing Internet Explorer for the number of exploits available for public download in recent months...
\"As Firefox becomes more popular, it becomes a more attractive target. People who have swapped [from IE to Firefox], even if this is a blip, should ask whether the assumption that Firefox is more secure than IE is valid anymore. They shouldn't just rely on changing their browser, but may think about having to look at a different configuration.\"
I have to agree with this. The hackers are going to try and burn the most people they can. As Firefox gets bigger.... so does the target on it's back!
According to security monitoring company Secunia, there are 19 security issues that Microsoft still has to deal with for Internet Explorer, while there are only three for Firefox.
I still feel safer with Firefox. But even if the security issues were equal, I would choose Firefox over IE. I think it's the better browser.
Speaking of security, I quit using Windows all together for surfing the net. It's Linux or OS-X when I'm on line now.
I don't want to jump in on the security thread. But it's a fact that Gecko Browsers (Firefox, Netscape, Mozilla ...) are relying on internet standards and IE doesn't. Take the box model: the most common reason why a page looks differently on Firefox and IE is that the IE makes a mistake when interpreting margins and paddings of tables, divs and the CSS box model in general.
But instead of fixing that Microsoft just leaves it as it is because they want unexperienced people to think that \"their\" website looks silly on Firefox. That's not the case. The site was just \"developed for IE\" and therefore the layout of the site is based on a parsing bug. IMHO MS wanted people to refrain from using another browser but luckily this didn't work out.
Standards are there to make things easier for you and me - the users. But if one - very very large - company doesn't care about standards you and I will either be forced to deal with the problems they create or to use their products. Well, I decided to deal with the problems until *they* will learn.
I don't wanna rant about MS here. They have some good products for sure. But things like the box model or the opera stuff make me upset 'cause it's *their* fault and they don't fix it. So millions of people all over the world will need to use browserchecks, \"Box Model Hacks\" and crap like this in their homepages and stylesheets to deal with that...
Ah, and by the way... after I switched to Mozilla I *never* had a single virus again. Of course, some tried. But they were obvious so my virus scanner caught them before they were able to do harm...
When you look at web-related computer problems from a standpoint of what is actually affecting users as opposed to \"number of vulnerabilites\", they break down to:
-IE ActiveX malware
-IE toolbars
-IE BHO's
-IE browser hijack
-IE vulnerabilities such as Blaster and Sasser in non-firewalled, non-updated browsers
The major problem is a combination of naive users that mindlessly click away and install every piece of crap they come across, and Microsoft software which concentrates on eye candy and \"features\", and only gives security a moment's notice when public outcry reaches a crescendo.
It is possible to use IE in relative safety, but probably only if you have spent the many hours of research and study necessary to educate yourself. Firefox does a better job of protecting us from ourselves with more security-conscious default settings.
buzzby is absolutely right - deactivating active x unless you really, really, really need it is one of the most important tasks to avoid viruses from the net. Same goes for allowing software to install itself without asking etc etc etc.
I blame mostly active x for the viruses on my machine when I still used IE - but even after I deactivated that I still got viruses until I started using Firefox and Mozilla.
I do not think that firefox has *ever* installed a piece of software on my machine without me wanting it to do so...
Comments
I really like Firefox, though.
-Tod
BTW, I installed the latest Firefox version today (1.0.7) and it \"totally assploded\". I think it had a problem with one of the themes, cuz the toolbars were all screwed up. I went into safe mode, deleted that theme and it works fine now. I never woulda known to try that if Kenny's hadn't crashed yesterday
That's one of the cool things about forums like this-we all learn from each other's triumphs and misfortunes.
-Tod
I will never log on with IE again. They are a target for every threat and virus known to man.
Scroll down the page on the link and click on the msn pic to see the entire page...
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,890280,00.asp
Peace,
T
An interesting artical at ZDNet...
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/index.php?p=103&tag=nl.e550
The reaction from Mozilla...
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39219186,00.htm
I have to agree with this. The hackers are going to try and burn the most people they can. As Firefox gets bigger.... so does the target on it's back!
IMHO
KT
I still feel safer with Firefox. But even if the security issues were equal, I would choose Firefox over IE. I think it's the better browser.
Speaking of security, I quit using Windows all together for surfing the net. It's Linux or OS-X when I'm on line now.
-Tod
But instead of fixing that Microsoft just leaves it as it is because they want unexperienced people to think that \"their\" website looks silly on Firefox. That's not the case. The site was just \"developed for IE\" and therefore the layout of the site is based on a parsing bug. IMHO MS wanted people to refrain from using another browser but luckily this didn't work out.
Standards are there to make things easier for you and me - the users. But if one - very very large - company doesn't care about standards you and I will either be forced to deal with the problems they create or to use their products. Well, I decided to deal with the problems until *they* will learn.
I don't wanna rant about MS here. They have some good products for sure. But things like the box model or the opera stuff make me upset 'cause it's *their* fault and they don't fix it. So millions of people all over the world will need to use browserchecks, \"Box Model Hacks\" and crap like this in their homepages and stylesheets to deal with that...
Ah, and by the way... after I switched to Mozilla I *never* had a single virus again. Of course, some tried. But they were obvious so my virus scanner caught them before they were able to do harm...
Gwar
-IE ActiveX malware
-IE toolbars
-IE BHO's
-IE browser hijack
-IE vulnerabilities such as Blaster and Sasser in non-firewalled, non-updated browsers
The major problem is a combination of naive users that mindlessly click away and install every piece of crap they come across, and Microsoft software which concentrates on eye candy and \"features\", and only gives security a moment's notice when public outcry reaches a crescendo.
It is possible to use IE in relative safety, but probably only if you have spent the many hours of research and study necessary to educate yourself. Firefox does a better job of protecting us from ourselves with more security-conscious default settings.
buzzby is absolutely right - deactivating active x unless you really, really, really need it is one of the most important tasks to avoid viruses from the net. Same goes for allowing software to install itself without asking etc etc etc.
I blame mostly active x for the viruses on my machine when I still used IE - but even after I deactivated that I still got viruses until I started using Firefox and Mozilla.
I do not think that firefox has *ever* installed a piece of software on my machine without me wanting it to do so...
A quick comparison if anyone is interested
Tod
fast, small and OPEN SOURCE
no hidden spys
great bookmark management
easy to customize
read more on opera.com *g*
Tim