Firefox Myths

[xtknight]

Nothing beats Opera/Proxomitron...
Judging by Secunia, Opera 8.x has the best track record. Right now I'm using Opera 9 beta.

It seems to hold true. I have not had ONE spyware/adware/malware, not ONE virus/worm/etc. using this combo (nor have I with FireFox). I see advertisements about once in a blue moon. I can't remember the last time I saw one...it's been too long. I almost miss the ads/pop-ups! Proxomitron isn't your typical sluggish proxy system. Very fast and optimized. Just as fast when you don't use it. Opera 9 is the only browser for me that was immune to the memory-overflowing attack posted a while back. FireFox slowed to a halt, unstable, and IE slowed and eventually stabilized. Opera did nothing. Shows you how multi-threaded it is having the other tabs still stable.

I generally find Opera to be more compatible with the sites I use than FireFox. IE, as expected, is the most compatible, but it also still has exploits, even with SP2.

I find this funny on such a myth-debunking site. GeneralAres, you operate this site (if I remember correctly), right?

Notes - Internet Explorer with Windows XP Service Pack 2 installed provide the exact same level of Spyware security as Firefox.

How do you know? You don't. I still had spyware drive-by install in IE SP2. There are still holes in IE. Making a blanket statement like that is ridiculous. Now through the HTML Help object, the pop-up blocker is also defeated.

 

[Megatomic]

Oh noes! Someone said something bad about Firefox and something good about IE!

Really people, it is possible to use either browser safely while visiting whichever sites you wish. :roll:

 

[igowerf]

Originally posted by: xtknight
Nothing beats Opera/Proxomitron...
Judging by Secunia, Opera 8.x has the best track record. Right now I'm using Opera 9 beta.

I really like Opera, especially now that it's free (without the ad banner), but there are some things that I just can't get used to. The default keyboard shortcuts don't work for me at all so I'm slowly going through and configuring my shortcuts the way I like them. I still haven't figured out how to cycle tabs like in Firefox. Ctrl + tab brings up a little menu instead of actually going to the next tab and pressing 2 will move me to the next tab, but puts the cursor in the address bar.

 

[potato28]

Also with FF they allow modders to freely publish the extensions, so if u say want a faster dwnloader, u can get DownThemAll!.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: igowerf
I really like Opera, especially now that it's free (without the ad banner), but there are some things that I just can't get used to. The default keyboard shortcuts don't work for me at all so I'm slowly going through and configuring my shortcuts the way I like them. I still haven't figured out how to cycle tabs like in Firefox. Ctrl + tab brings up a little menu instead of actually going to the next tab and pressing 2 will move me to the next tab, but puts the cursor in the address bar.

Hold right-click and mouse wheel is cool. Ctrl+F6 does next tab and Ctrl+Shift+F6 does previous tab like Windows MDI. You can change it in keyboard shortcuts. Look for "switch to next tab", not "cycle to next tab" under Application in the keyboard shortcut editor. 1 will go previous and 2 will go next too. Not sure about the address bar activating thing. If I click off the address bar 1/2 work fine afterwards.

 

[GeneralAres]

So I should restrict my browsing and be afraid to click on links because IE sucks?

You don't have to restrict anything. I use IE 6.0 with XP Sp2 24/7 and get infected with NOTHING. I can go to any site, no restrictions. I don't use limited user accounts or hosts files.

 

[hans030390]

Originally posted by: naruto1988
i want my 2 minutes back.

someone reads slow...

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Originally posted by: goku
Except the fact that browsing with IE6 for 2 minutes is guaranteed to get you spyware on your system unlike firefox, haven't had to do a "spyware scan" for ages because I use firefox and I haven't been infected since I don't use IE.

lol, I've been using IE6 for a few years and only once have I had a virus, and that was because of something I downloaded and installed. Just avoid the obvious pr0n/warez sites and you'll have pretty much no troubles.

 

[Auryg]

Originally posted by: GeneralAres

So I should restrict my browsing and be afraid to click on links because IE sucks?

You don't have to restrict anything. I use IE 6.0 with XP Sp2 24/7 and get infected with NOTHING. I can go to any site, no restrictions. I don't use limited user accounts or hosts files.

Well, I use IE 6 as my browser aswell and SP2, but I think you're taking it a bit far.

You could go to a popular website (starts with astalavista), click on one of the search results, and chances are you'll get spyware. It's happened to me a few times now (though it was always before i was going to reformat anyways).

 

[secretanchitman]

if everyone just practiced safe surfing...then it basically wouldnt matter what browser you use (firefox, opera, IE, etc). the only problems would be that hackers would find the tiniest bugs for them to hack into and take control/send spyware and viruses to your computer and spread it everywhere.

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: johnnqq

Originally posted by: Malak

Originally posted by: goku
Except the fact that browsing with IE6 for 2 minutes is guaranteed to get you spyware on your system unlike firefox, haven't had to do a "spyware scan" for ages because I use firefox and I haven't been infected since I don't use IE.

You are an idiot. I browse on IE 5 days a week and never get spyware. You are believing in all the myths out there still. IE doesn't cause spyware, going to bad sites does.

fact:i visited a site through ie and got a virus (easily removed). the next day i installed firefox and went to the site for s hits and giggles (since i already knew how to remove it). VOILA ! NO VIRUS!

oh yea. ie doesn't ahve probably the best extension available. NOSCRIPT! (if you don't have it yet, go get it now)

Fact: You can turn scripts off in IE, and go back to that site. IE, out of the box, is configured for ease of browsing, not security. All you need to do is tweak it a bit and practice safe browsing and you are fine for the most part. Gaining security can mean losing functionality when you are using FF. Opera, on the other hand, balances this so that you are secure AND functional.

 

[meksta]

i loaded IE on a Pentium 100 laptop before. It ran....but took a minute to load up. This is on a cpu twice as fast as their minimum requirement.

Sure it runs but you just have to eat lunch first.

FACT: A browser shouldn't be so tied to the OS.

FACT: I will never go back to IE again.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: meksta
FACT: A browser shouldn't be so tied to the OS.

Why shouldn't Microsoft include a browser with Windows? When I install Linux (whichever distro I choose on that day) I always seem to have some browser or another installed by default...

 

[GeneralAres]

You could go to a popular website (starts with astalavista), click on one of the search results, and chances are you'll get spyware. It's happened to me a few times now (though it was always before i was going to reformat anyways).

Nope, you cannot get drive by spyware with SP2 unless you either reinstalled MSJVM or disable the Active X warning system. You name the site and I will go there and nothing will happen unless I want it to.

 

[xtknight]

Originally posted by: GeneralAres

You could go to a popular website (starts with astalavista), click on one of the search results, and chances are you'll get spyware. It's happened to me a few times now (though it was always before i was going to reformat anyways).

Nope, you cannot get drive by spyware with SP2 unless you either reinstalled MSJVM or disable the Active X warning system. You name the site and I will go there and nothing will happen unless I want it to.

Yes, because you somehow being psychic can detect possible future holes or buffer overflow (execute via shell code) exploits then use telekinesis to prevent it from happening? Since you mentioned MSJVM, what about all the exploits in a hidden Flash/HTML Help/Media Player object?

 

[Malak]

Originally posted by: Megatomic

Originally posted by: meksta
FACT: A browser shouldn't be so tied to the OS.

Why shouldn't Microsoft include a browser with Windows? When I install Linux (whichever distro I choose on that day) I always seem to have some browser or another installed by default...

Yep, the only OS I've installed that didn't have a browser was Novell. Linux comes with one, Mac OSX comes with one. It wouldn't be an operating system if you couldn't do basic functions like browse the web!

 

[Auryg]

Originally posted by: GeneralAres

You could go to a popular website (starts with astalavista), click on one of the search results, and chances are you'll get spyware. It's happened to me a few times now (though it was always before i was going to reformat anyways).

Nope, you cannot get drive by spyware with SP2 unless you either reinstalled MSJVM or disable the Active X warning system. You name the site and I will go there and nothing will happen unless I want it to.

I just had it happen to me about 3 weeks ago. Next time it happens I'll be sure to write down the URL for you

 

[redbeard1]

Originally posted by: johnnqq
Firefox is not 100% Internet Explorer and ActiveX compatible.

that is generally a GOOD thing!

This is the biggest reason I recommend end users use Firefox. Most adware/spyware exploits take advantage of ActiveX. I work with mostly uninformed end users and they are not up to messing with their IE settings to make it more secure if MS cannot do it out of the box.

I just had to use a customers XP SP2 computer to download drivers for another computer. By the time I was done, I had over a dozen pop unders appear with 4 of them saying you have virus/spyware installed and to click in their ad box to remove them. Just to demonstrate for the user, I went back to a couple of sites with Firefox installed and saw no such crap.

Which brings me to a tangent, but it is very frustrating that legitimate sites allow their advertisers to try and scare users with those type of ads, since they are actually helping to spread spyware.

 

[Nothinman]

Yep, the only OS I've installed that didn't have a browser was Novell. Linux comes with one, Mac OSX comes with one. It wouldn't be an operating system if you couldn't do basic functions like browse the web!

The difference is that the browsers installed with Linux are 100% optional. I can remove them all completely or install any combination of them, but with Windows there's no way to remove IE/MSHTML without severely breaking Explorer, Windows Help, etc. Actually I'm not sure if you can remove Safari from OS X, I don't have a Mac on which to try that. And did you ever notice that none of them include Opera? That's because it's non-free, you're not allowed to redistribute it without going through a registration process and getting Opera Software's permission.

 

[imported_Lucifer]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Yep, the only OS I've installed that didn't have a browser was Novell. Linux comes with one, Mac OSX comes with one. It wouldn't be an operating system if you couldn't do basic functions like browse the web!

The difference is that the browsers installed with Linux are 100% optional. I can remove them all completely or install any combination of them, but with Windows there's no way to remove IE/MSHTML without severely breaking Explorer, Windows Help, etc. Actually I'm not sure if you can remove Safari from OS X, I don't have a Mac on which to try that. And did you ever notice that none of them include Opera? That's because it's non-free, you're not allowed to redistribute it without going through a registration process and getting Opera Software's permission.

You can delete Safari without experiencing any issues. My friend deleted Safari on all his Macs, and just uses Firefox.

 

[GeneralAres]

Yes, because you somehow being psychic can detect possible future holes or buffer overflow (execute via shell code) exploits then use telekinesis to prevent it from happening? Since you mentioned MSJVM, what about all the exploits in a hidden Flash/HTML Help/Media Player object?

No one can, the point is it doesn't happen with SP2 unless you manually do it. As for Flash exploits, what makes FF any different to these?

 

[spherrod]

Originally posted by: naruto1988
i want my 2 minutes back.

 

[meksta]

Originally posted by: GeneralAres

Yes, because you somehow being psychic can detect possible future holes or buffer overflow (execute via shell code) exploits then use telekinesis to prevent it from happening? Since you mentioned MSJVM, what about all the exploits in a hidden Flash/HTML Help/Media Player object?

No one can, the point is it doesn't happen with SP2 unless you manually do it. As for Flash exploits, what makes FF any different to these?

Because on FF the code base is TOTALLY disconnected from Windows. IE is built on top of explorer...I am sure that one process can easily interact with the other.

Using FF puts peace of mind in me, knowing that atleast I don't have to worry about "something" trying to harm my computer via the OS. One less thing to worry about...

 

[GeneralAres]

Because on FF the code base is TOTALLY disconnected from Windows. IE is built on top of explorer...I am sure that one process can easily interact with the other.

Then please provide proof of this.

 

[meksta]

simple without looking up technical details....

goto My Computer and type in a URL address. Or goto IE and then type in C: blah blah....

Not the best proof but how can you NOT prove that they interact with each other?