Re: [www-vrml] SP2 vs. The Plugins

["George Birbilis" <birbilis@kagi.com>]

> > The aforementioned CNet piece on Service Pack 2. Just
> > when you thought it
> > was safe to get back into web banners!
> >
> >
>
http://news.com.com/SP2+vs.+the+plug-ins/2100-1032_3-5345881.html?tag=nefd.l
> > ede
>
> I really don't think microsoft have realized what the real
> problems are. (I haven't gotton SP2 yet so not sure what
> they have fixed)
> 1) Nowhere in the status bar does it state "downloading CAB
> install for 'product name' from website http://....";

that is a problem indeed, but it doesn't show either any info that it's
downloading images etc. (usually such things are shown at the status bar
with a progress, but MS tends to start having the status bar hidden by
default [at least in Windows explorer / WinXP that's what they do and use a
sidebar with info instead]). I don't remember if the status bar shows
anything apart from a progress bar for the whole page (which is OK with me,
user shouldn't care or be bothered with info about the page internals)

> 2) The install process for anything involving a CAB install
> it just bad, instead of a blank window it should be a
> graphic or something, say "embeded file 'filename' requires
> a plugin to download and install do you wish to do this ?"

it used to have a window that people would click YES all the time
it seems they now make a sound and show a bar on the top of the page saying
it blocked the plugin and that if you want to use it you have to click there
and respond to those prompts. Then it refreshes the page to get the plugin
etc. (the REFRESH is the worse of their design, since some pages are part of
a session and may go back to the start of the session if you refresh [need
change in the server logic that is] - have seen this problem happen with
Panda online antivirus for example and the popup blocker that's also
included in XP SP2)

> 3) The question of whether you should install this product
> or not should be asked by the OS itself rather than a
> potentially lying activeX control.

the OS asks you, not the control. Info is taken from the control (not
calling it, seeing its binary file) if it's signed etc.

> 4) There should be the option of "Never download OR install
> this plugin again". That is the only way to deal with rouge
> ActiveX modules which are attached to some sites. Well that
> and some applications which don't work properly on certain
> systems.

there is, go to IE's Tools menu, open Internet Options, then go to Security
tab and add that site to the last zone which is for sites you don't trust at
all. The default setting for that zone is to block ALL such content

> I just love the way they have bundled Flash 6 with SP2,
> NOT!
>
> Flash is plain Evil, simply because people are obsessed
> with using CAB install for Flash ads, banners, menues and
> other useless trash. Sure you can choose not to accept the
> installation but this option only appears AFTER the
> download has finished, thusly slowing down the loading of
> pages.

That was already a case and so is with signed applets etc. You can't split
that in two prompts, one before downloading the resource and one after (once
the OS checked the file downloaded OK, is signed with a valid certificate,
has not been tampered with etc.). You can't split that in two files either,
you have to prompt the user ONCE before installing. The activeX control is
thus considered an integral part of the page functionality and the whole
page isn't considered yet downloaded till that downloads (place the site in
non-trusted zone to avoid the download in the first place if you care about
speed, or change the settings for the "Internet zone" and make it NEVER
download ActiveX controls is you want speedup and are sure you won't need
and will not want to use ActiveX controls ever)

the bad design btw is with those guys placing flash banners inside web pages
instead of placing them in separate frames, but they do it on purpose, to
make you 1st see their banner, then the page (which usually would download
before the banner if the banner was at different frame)

I do agree though that while a page downloads one shouldn't see a blank
window but something better INSIDE the window (not at some status bar or at
some rotating browser icon)

cheers,
George

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
George Birbilis <birbilis@kagi.com> [Microsoft MVP J#]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ QuickTime VCL and ActiveX controls (for PowerPoint/VB/Delphi etc.)
+ Plugs VCL and ActiveX controls (InterProcess/Internet communication)
+ TransFormations, VB6 forms to ASP.net WebForms convertion
http://www.kagi.com/birbilis
+ Robotics
http://www.mech.upatras.gr/~robgroup
........................................................................

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