Re: Firefox Security Warning

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Vagabond Software (carlfenley-X-_at_-X-san.rr.com)
Date: 01/08/05 

Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 23:18:24 -0800

"Terry" <F1ComNOSPAM@pobox.com> wrote in message news:O7bU9yU9EHA.3260@TK2MSFTNGP14.phx.gbl...
> On 1/7/2005 5:31 PM On a whim, nk_1 pounded out on the keyboard
>
>> "Bill" <dontwriteme@home.com> wrote in message
>> news:%23vH2ZnO9EHA.2804@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>>
>>>"Terry" <F1ComNOSPAM@pobox.com> wrote in message
>>>news:eJ84jLO9EHA.2680@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>>>
>>>>On 1/7/2005 9:12 AM On a whim, Richard Urban pounded out on the keyboard
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Seeing as how so many have switched to Firefox (including myself) I
>>>>>thought this should maybe be posted here.
>>>>>
>>>>>It it offends anyone by being considered out of place - I appologize in
>>>>>advance!
>>>>>Phishers catch out Firefox
>>>>>Browser open to URL spoofing
>>>>>Robert Jaques, vnunet.com 07 Jan 2005
>>>>>
>>>>>link to article: http://www.vnunet.com/news/1160352
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Herein lies the problem for most people;
>>>>"Balle urged users not to follow download links from untrusted sources."
>>>>
>>>>Until people stop clicking on OK whenever it pops up without knowing what
>>>>exactly they're agreeing to, this will remain a problem on any browser.
>>>>
>>>>--
>>>>Terry
>>>>
>>>>***Reply Note***
>>>>Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
>>>>Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.
>>>
>>>Exactly correct but the MS bashers just dont get it...and the media frenzy
>>>and anti MS crap contributes to it. In the 2000 or years I have been
>>>using IE and windows never one virus or whatever...:-)
>>>
>>>Bill
>>
>>
>>
>> I must say I support Bills sentiments, I initially loved the idea of open
>> source software, the concept was wonderful, and then when I started relying
>> on my computer as a work tool/work horse I then realised why people get paid
>> to write software, and why companies make software for a living have to get
>> it right.
>>
>> Therein although it is a generalisation I think some people have a more
>> subjective view about software, that can be seen in such phrases as "I won't
>> use Microsoft products out of principle", this is not being objective and is
>> not going to solve the problems that are encountered.
>>
>> I love the design of firefox, and I am amazed why IE has not had tabbed
>> browsing for so long, in fact I suspect the reason for this is a concious
>> effort by MS not to get into too many different areas otherwise it will
>> again be in danger of legal accusations of having a monopoly on all aspects
>> of computing...
>>
>> Going back to the point Bill made, I think people should be objective about
>> software and I think people should not take offence if some software is not
>> as good as others.
>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
> I have to disagree with both of you. MS has known about its security
> issues and has failed to address (basically hiding) the issues until the
> vulnerabilities show themselves to the general public. This is exactly
> the opposite of the way Linux deals with the issues (although I don't
> use Linux on a daily basis) but at least when their issues are made
> known the open source developers can quickly deal with them. How about
> the newest set of security flaws in IE? MS has supposedly known about
> them for months! They are rated "extremely critical" and the general
> recommendation is to "use another browser" until MS patches it.
>
> You paid for Windows and you don't take offense at the lackadaisical
> attitude of MS to give you a decent secure OS? Then that gives me all
> the more reason to say that NO ONE should ever complain about open
> source software. Linux and Mozilla are great examples of what can be
> done without taking out the competition because of $$$.
>
> --
> Terry

I must respectfully disagree. I was working on a project running Linux on an edge server card in a rack mount RAS concentrator. Our use of the Linux OS was particularly vulnerable to the NFS vulnerability in the 1.1x kernel. It was six months before we were able to apply a fix to existing installations. The Linux-based project basically became an in-house operation where we ended up developing our own proprietary solutions and fixing our own vulnerabilities.

The corporation, not wanting to get into the OS development business, scrapped the Linux-based project and shifted to an embedded NT edge-server platform because Microsoft does, in fact, release fixes for vulnerabilities even before there are any reported instances of exploitation. I don't know of any vulnerability in a Microsoft product that went ignored or was "hidden" until MS eventually got around to a solution.

Linux has the same problem that all the other responders to this post have pointed out. I had a co-worker that was trying Linux and found his hard drive was out of disk space. Get this! The Red Hat installation he used came with a CD that enabled the NFS and anonymouse FTP servers by DEFAULT! In my former zeal of spreading Linux to the masses, I gave a friend a copy of Debian GNU/Linux for Dummies as a gift. Guess what? NFS and FTP server running in the DEFAULT installation!

So, I like open source software and have even written a few little application myself. However, I made them open source and freely available because I never want to be responsible for addressing problems that may or may not exist in the software! All I'm saying is that much of the Open Source community is the same way. As a business owner, I would rather have a known cost for a known level of service, good or bad, just not indifferent.

carl

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Firefox Security Warning
    ... >> I must say I support Bills sentiments, I initially loved the idea of open ... >> source software, the concept was wonderful, and then when I started relying ... > the opposite of the way Linux deals with the issues (although I don't ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Re: Firefox Security Warning
    ... >> I must say I support Bills sentiments, I initially loved the idea of open ... >> source software, the concept was wonderful, and then when I started relying ... > the opposite of the way Linux deals with the issues (although I don't ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • OT? - Open source software - good and bad.
    ... This first link dicusses the benefits of Open Source Software in ... The second link covers problems with the user interface for Linux. ... It calls Linux desktops "klunky" in its comparisons. ...
    (Fedora)
  • Re: Wheel-reinvention with Python
    ... Cliff Wells wrote: ... I think this exposes one of the more interesting sides of open ... > source software in general. ... You can't even *run* Linux ...
    (comp.lang.python)
  • OT: Linux has M$ Running Scared!
    ... BALLMER TARGETS LINUX IN ANNUAL MEMO ... Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer didn't mince ... employees that noncommercial open source software, ...
    (comp.os.vms)