Posted by Stan McCann on 12/21/05 06:06

"Greg N." <yodel_dodel@yahoo.com> wrote in
news:doa2hp$9pv$1@online.de:

> Stan McCann wrote:
>
>
>> We already have stuff getting installed through web pages. Where
>> do you think spyware comes from? I rarely get any though as I do
>> not allow any client side scripting or cookies ...
>
> How can enabling cookies facilitate a web page "install stuff"
> without my explicit consent?
>
> Likewise, how can client side scripting do that?
>

A very few years ago, I would have been asking the same. Now, I
really don't care how they do it; they do it. Cookies? You're
probably right, but who knows? Client side? I'm pretty damn
uncomfortable allowing just anyone that wants to write a program to
run it on my computer before I even know what it does.

Bottom line for me though is watching the computer service guys (thank
goodness I don't do that anymore) running from office to office
cleaning up computers of people that "just browse the web" while I
never[1] get anything on any machines I use. Coincidence? I've done
some programming from the early days programming in Apple basic, then
Atari and Amiga and on to compatibles where I got away from basic to C
and Assembly.

I know what could be done with those languages but you had to get it
on the computer to do anything. Duh! Client side. On the computer.
I've not studied in depth client side, although I know some pretty
neat stuff can be done. Unfortunately, so can some pretty nasty
stuff. I consider opening windows when I don't want windows opened or
maximizing my window when I don't work that way etc., etc. nasty. I
don't *know* what else can be done.

[1] Never say never. I had some kind of spyware thing about a year
ago that was creating havoc on one of my systems.

--
Stan McCann "Uncle Pirate" http://stanmccann.us/pirate.html
Webmaster/Computer Center Manager, NMSU at Alamogordo
http://alamo.nmsu.edu/ There are 10 kinds of people.
Those that understand binary and those that don't.

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