News Firefox 2 users to be offered 3.0.1

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/08/21/firefox-2-users-to-be-offered-3-0-1/1

Users of the previous-generation Firefox 2.0.0.x series of web browser will begin to receive messages telling them to upgrade to Firefox 3 from next week.

 

wait a minute

does this mean mozilla can remotely issue commands to firefox 2.x?

am I the only one finding this a bit unsettling, sounds like an attack vector waiting to be exploited

 

yes, but still... couldn't that be spoofed?

im being paranoid of course. What worries me more is the possibility of being reminded every couple of weeks to upgrade - i can imagine some systems would not want that (for various reasons) and that could be annoying.

 

Very paranoid

I don't really see why anyone wouldn't upgrade to FF3, it doesn't take very long and the majority of plugins work with it. There are a few dead plugins that haven't been updated but that's about it.

 

...I'm getting nagged by my emailservices allready every time I login with my old firefox or IE...

On the topic of Firefox 3:
...the "Miracle Bar" is a real pain in the ****, especially as there's no official way to turn it off*..also note the absense of the old "Delete all" Button in Firefox. (well now there is one, except it doesn't delete miracle bar entries.)

For those of you that haven't seen it: It's the normal Adress-Bar, but it remembers everything you've ever typed in and auto-finishes the word you are just typing. Appearently also tying in a search for websites with this name.
Apart from hating datagathering in the first place, my computer is shared...so this is a nono.

*yes I know, you can turn it off by using about:config.
But that's not the point, it should be normally configurable in settings or preferences or so.

Still, even when turned off in about:config...it just doesn't show you the results, but still gathers (now useless) data.

 

But, but.. the miracle bar is awesome!

I like it, anyway. I've only recently shifted over to FF, with a later version of 2.something. Version 3 works just as well and still doesn't crash like ie7.

 

You can try this:
Tools > Options (Edit > Preferences if you're on Linux) > Privacy > Always clear my private data when I close Firefox. Turn on. If the pop-up annoys you, turn off "Ask me" BUT this disables asking when you do a Ctrl+Shift+Delete too, which *is* annoying.
Then, click settings. Turn on "Browsing History" and any other things you want gone.

Badabing! Ctrl+Shift+Del or just close firefox and your history is history. The bar still knows your bookmarks though, so don't be surprised if after clearing the history typing in "bit-tech" still shows a result - it's because you have it bookmarked. You err... you do have it bookmarked don't you?

As it's a shared computer why not give everyone their own user account? Or use firefox profiles?

Talking of firefox updates Ubuntu seem to have reinstalled their annoying update-disabler extension again somehow - irritating because I did my own independent install :|

 

had to do that recently after an all too long awkward silence when my sister saw YouPorn at the top of my list when typing in her college website.

naturally i explained how a mate "fooled" me into going to that website.

she believed me. it was the truth... honest

 

TBH, you're a human. You're on the internet. What else is there to do besides look at tittays?

 

Even if your system was unstable enough to get attacked in that way (by really stupid crackers) the only thing they could do is change the message to "Yu gt PwNeD INIT MEH!".

 

ROFL + O_0 + LULZ WTF! + RANDOMNESS! = ... you.

 

Not Merely Paranoia

The desire to move all users to the latest version (of any product) is understandable, but browsers are a "platform" now, with all the dependencies that term suggests:

Computer: Laptop w/ Vista 64-bit

Experience:
1) Load Firefox 3 (32 bit): Load failed and trashed configuration. Removal of broken v3 and Reload of v2 with plugins burned 6 hours.
2) I only use a few plugins, but they are essential to my day. I don't blame plugin authors for not rolling updates when Mozilla does, but until they do, I can't upgrade.
3) Proxy providers cannot use Firefox v3. Laptops use wireless connections. Proxy providers offer improved security (fulltime SSL), but some proxy providers can not yet work within Firefox v3 and even blame Mozilla for the incompatibility (e.g., Anonymizer.com).

So, Mozilla can remind me all it wants because I am not budging until I can keep what I have working.

(and I actually WANT to move forward . . . maybe even to a 64-bit version--hint, hint)

 

there are 64bit builds of firefox, the main problem with them is theres no 64bit flash plugin
works great if you dont mind being flashless

ps, not sure how it took you 6 hours to reinstall ff2 but you should probably backup your profile once in a while

 

Haha classic : ) I think we've all done that... (right?)
There's a lot to be said for a separate installation for 'that kind of thing' filled with addons like noscript, ABP, trackmenot, etc.... I mean errm.. Who? What? When? <_<

 

Yeah I used to do that... 2 Reasons I stopped it:
1. Many Programs are still not programmed to install for multiple users. So I install it, and it doesn't work for another user. *sigh*
2. Wiping your Disk now and again is a good thing in windows, but it's a pain to get everything instralled again, especially becuase many programs save stuff in their own folder, somewhere under Users-All users and somewhere in the Users-"insertusername". I'm busy for a day setting up for one login, let alone three!

That's also the reason I moved to 100% web based mail...