Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Firefox 1.0PR

It is arguable IE has two advantages (??) over FF.

These are:
(1) Tight integration into the (bloated) OS (which can be removed using a lite PC product)

(2) Support for ActiveX controls (which is, in reality, just a yawning cavern of security issues). But this too can be supported using the Mozilla ActiveX Project plugin.

Otherwise, why would you use IE6???

For those pages programmed by morons who think IE specific scripting is actually a good thing.

Then again, those pages are usually workable in Mozilla or FireFox. So...that still leaves the question open:

I can't think of one bad thing to say about Firefox, I really can't. I've been using it for ages now as my main browser and only use IE when I 'really' need to. I simply cannot fault it.

But... I have noticed more and more places are finding ways of getting round the pop-up blocker and the ad-blockers, etc... and other built in security which is a concern.

Today, for example, a 'friend' was visiting one of those w@rez site thingies (whatever they are :P) and not only did the site have a virus embedded in it, but it had a pop-up for an auto-dialler which it tried to install even after cancelling it, and it managed to open 2 other pages behind the main page. The sort of stuff FF is renowned for stopping.

Now, be assured my 'friend' is a very security conscious individual with all the usual stuff installed and fully updated. Kaspersky caught and dealt with the virus, (not much FF can do there), but I have to say that I, err... he was just a wee tad shocked and surprised to see this with FF. It's the worst instance of anything like this I have seen since starting to use the browser.

I suppose the price of increased popularity is that it will be more of a target and the bad guys Firefox has been stopping up till now are working just that wee bit harder to get round it.

As stated previously, I reckon FF is great, but it's not the 100% secure solution everyone is touting it to be.

Not a rant, not a complaint (unusual for me, I know), just a wee pause for thought guys.

~Bear B)

The trick of getting around FFs popup blocker? Make a site that opens the popups in an IE window ;)