Slashdot Mirror
Firefox 2.0 Update To Remove Phishing Detection
An anonymous reader writes "Computerworld and others are reporting that Firefox 2.0.0.19, the last security update to be released before 2.0 goes end-of-life, will remove the phishing detection at the request of Google. The browser is using an older version of the Safe Browsing protocol that Google will discontinue. According to the latest NetApplications report, about 25% of all Firefox users were still on version 2.0. This move ought to result in an increased adoption of Firefox 3.0 and other browsers, unless it goes unnoticed by most users."
Hrm.. I don't think that's the intended use of security updates that causes users to be willing to accept and enable such updates.
In a way, it's a breach of trust if they were intentionally holding back on upgrading to 3.0. Users would be in slightly better shape if they refused to accept this update (at least until Google finally does turn it off).
I anticipate not necessarily a massive increase in users updating to Firefox 3.0, but more likely a massive increase in phishing targetting 2.0 users who still think they're protected (they didn't pay attention to the update release notes).
Somebody throw in some new phishing detection, for free, already. What else, are you going to do, today, over-use Google, and piss off an ISP?
(sorry about all the commas... I have no idea why I used them)
Have you checked back to see if your extensions/scripts have been updated to work with FF3? I could see that being the case right around when it was released, but hopefully they should be updated by now (assuming that they are still actively developed).
There are a variety of themes that you can use to make FF less ugly - I don't like the default theme myself on Windows (the default Mac one is fine; I'm not sure about the default Linux theme). Personally, I like Qute when running on Windows (it was the default theme during the pre-1.0 days, if you were using FF back then). I'm sure there are other themes that make FF less ugly, as well.
Personally, on OS X at least, I've found FF3 to be much, much better than FF2. It's very stable, and uses a lot less memory. I only have about 5 extensions installed, but I haven't had any problems with it at all since its release (aside from some extension oddness, but that is hardly Mozilla's fault).
You just gave a reason for Firefox 2 users not to upgrade to Firefox 3.
The reason not to switch from Firefox 2 to Opera instead (for older systems) is the same reason for Windows '98 users to not switch from MSIE to Firefox.
They are more familiar with their chosen browser, and there is an inherent resistance to switching.
It's ashame the last major, tried and true, stable release of Firefox is EOL'ed so rapidly, in favor of the bleeding-edge FF 3.
What would you think of Microsoft if they had discontinued further security updates for Windows XP in 2007, one year after the release of Vista?
Google has too much power, but you're just being ridiculous. This is the last FF2 security release ever. Leaving in an automatic information query to a dead server would be a GAPING security hole.
I don't mind the Awesomebar, but those are just my two cents. Then again, I'm still with Safari, holding out for a Mac version of Chrome.
I'm fairly certain that anyone who actually needs phishing detection probably won't even notice that it's gone, or won't know what it means. For example, people like my parents who only have Firefox because some well meaning geek installed it for them a year and a half ago...
If I don't put anything here, will anyone recognize me anymore?
Run their own phishing blacklist? Is that really a good use of their time?
Maybe they should sue Google, without any contract having been broken?
Or break into their data center and force them at gunpoint to turn the machines back on?
Mozilla should have gotten Google to contractually agree to keep the servers running through the end of life of Firefox 2, and they didn't, which is their screwup. But you're just conspiracymongering.
Not sure what's so bleeding-edge about FF 3, it's a lot more stable and faster than Firefox 2 was. I think your word choice is a bit disingenuous and designed to make FF 3 look bad. And the situation is a bit different since upgrading from XP to Vista costs money, whereas unless you're on Windows 98 upgrading from Firefox 2 to 3 doesn't cost a thing.
All your base are belong to Wii.
can't upgrade.
On Linux Firefox doesn't distribute RPM's or DEB's for the various major platforms, and most vendor's don't provide new software for distros once they've been released.
Also, getting firefox 3 compiled from source on older distros is incredibly difficult due to version skew of various libraries. I got most of the way there, and gave up.
People who use linux for work are often stuck on older distros due to long corporate maintanance cycle's. It costs them a lot of money to roll out a major update to thousands of machines, especially if you are developing software on top of them.
Thus, it really sucks that there is no way to put newer software on older linux OS's without running into library version hell. Especially since this is so easy on other platforms. After all, who has trouble getting software working on XP?
And what if you are still on FF version 2 because you don't like some of the 'features' introduced in FF version 3? I'm looking at you, 'Awesome Bar'.
There was a lot of resistance to the awesome bar, and I thought it was a stupid idea at first, but honestly, give it a week and you'll get used to it and wish it was there when you're forced to use other browsers.