Story: Mozilla hits back at browser security claim

Posted by: Arthur B. (Tuesday 20 September 2005, 10:59 PM)

To Ollie Whitehouse:

You have given us the answer you didn't want to give. By saying that people shouldn't switch their browser because popular browsers are or will be unsafe you in fact are saying that if people want to have a safe browser experience they should only use unpopular browsers.

But for that to happen true open/industry standards are required.

Thank you for confirming that true open/industry standards are indeed required to ensure an on-going overall safe browsing experience. Because that alone would allow people to switch to whatever (unpopular) browser they want once it turns out that their current browser is becoming to unsafe for them. Which seems to be exactly what's happening the world over right now and leading to "good enough" happy browsing.

As for reconfigurating IE in such ways that it's safer. Yes, that's possible. SImply follow (and keep on following for the remainder of your life) to the letter all the recommended security guidelines and advisories Microsoft comes out with on a monthly basis at least (hope you can understand them). Never mind that it'll severly impact your browsing experience ever so often for undisclosed amounts of time. However, make one mistake or be a little late and it could all be over or more likely, something less bad will happen. Yes, some say, that's how we should have a safe browsing experience in this new millenium. Question: is that how you do it yourself, Mr. Whitehouse? Answer: no, I rely on [insert commercial product here] to keep me safe! Gee, Mr. Whitehouse, what an unexpected answer that was. Tell me, could you make me such a fine protecting product for my current non-Microsoft browser of choice or is that you can't or won't? Because if you don't produce for the browser of my choice then why should I choose for your products that seem to require a browser I no longer want? Might I conclude that at least for the comming year I no longer need your IE specific product because of my choice of browser? And that by the time you do produce a product for my current browser of choice I will follow your excellent advise and move on to the next safe (unpopular) browser of that time. That is, if I ever need to.

A little word of advise, Mr. Whitehouse. You might want to start working on security products that don't come with IE specific add-ons and thus reduce the overall price of such products before your competition (which happens to include Microsoft itself in the comming years) does.

Because as things stand now by not using IE I do not only rid myself of plenty of annoyances but I can also replace by pricy anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-whatever commercial product for a much less costly one. Free even. Heck, I might even be able to use my current hardware a year longer.