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Microsoft Update Quietly Installs Firefox Extension
hemantm writes "A routine security update for a Microsoft Windows component installed on tens of millions of computers has quietly installed an extra add-on for an untold number of users surfing the Web with Mozilla's Firefox Web browser."
Dude, I don't want to ruin the surprise, bu we know you're gay. Everyone. It's obvious. It's actually kind of funny that you seem to be the only one who doesn't realize it. I don't know what this mumbo jumbo about dark sides and forbidden fruit is, but accept yourself for who you are: a guy who likes cock. We accept you for who you are.
Wow, so it not only installs the .NET security hole into Firefox, it then starts broadcasting it to every web site you visit? "Hey, you can infect me!"
Its not spyware. You made it up.
.NET applications. All windows-based browsers should embrace it. I'm sure it isnt your belief that such sandboxing isnt a beneficial feature by-and-large. Other OS's should create their own alternatives, because its a good thing to have.
If you dont want your browser telling websites what features you support, how about choosing a browser which doesnt do that by default? Firefox does that by default. Firefox has always done that by default. Its considered a Good Thing(tm)
If anything here is spyware, its Firefox.
ClickOnce is a good technology, providing a standardized installation methodology for sandboxed
"His name was James Damore."
Troll? No it's funny you dimwitted mod.
This was done at the request of the NSA. A lot of their data mining tools are installed through the IE interface. The NSA has no easy way to get these monitoring tools to a computer when the user is using FF. The NSA collaborated with MS provide a method using Windows update to update FF with this plugin that will now allow other software to be added through FF. I'm sure the FF team does not have the same relationship that MS does with the NSA so it was easier to work with MS in this case.
You really think MS would have done this on their own for only their own good? I don't think it would be worth the risk to them. There are reasonable explanations of why this was done but those explanations are not consistent with what MS normally does and although they are reasonable explanations, this plugin is not even close to the most reasonable way to accomplish the goals MS said they were trying to achieve with it. Bascially there are easier ways to do what the explained they wanted to do.
Even worse, they tried to do what Apple tried to do and failed. Win ME is some sort of Apple's failed "lets modernise MacOS" plan which took years and a top end manager to figure it won't really happen.
It is a really interesting Windows edition if you look deeper. They tried to make Windows 2000 on top of Windows 9x, even tried to "system restore" while that archaic FAT32 filesystem was the only option.
I ran Windows ME on my own machine for nearly 3 years on the same install, and also had it running on my mother's and sister's computers. I found it to be more reliable than Windows 98, which for me had a tendency to boot with drivers mysterious missing, though I did take the added step of disabling system restore and a few other additions (WMI for example). The fact that you simply say it "crashed" without giving much detail, as usual, leads me to believe you simply ride the "ME sucks" bandwagon because it feels good. You have plenty of insults, but not very much technical data.
"When you see a unixer brainwashed beyond saving, kick him out of the door." - Xah Lee
No, if it's impossible to disable, the author of the plugin got some 'splainin to do...
And the Firefox team wouldn't? Or are you telling they would need the explanation for the obviously needed fix?
Lars T.
To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck
I think I must have pissed off a troll last week, since I seem to be having a lot of posts rated "troll" for simply answering a question. The guy asked why my PC crashed and I told him. Unless I have a stalker troll I really can't see how answering why WinME crashed would be a troll unless somebody out there REALLY liked the old VXD driver model.
But like I said I may have gained me a stalker troll as I've noticed I have had a lot of my +3-+5 posts lately that suddenly dropped several points for no reason at all. Oh well, if somebody asks me a question I consider it rude not to answer, so stalker troll will be kept busy.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
Gee, what a fanboi. It should simply not be possible to write a plugin not following the API - if it were, Firefox would be defective by design. And you know why (don't answer that rhetoric question)? Because the functionality of en-/disabling a plugin should only be available from within Firefox and not to any external apps or plugins and most certainly not be part of a well-documented API.
Lars T.
To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck