Stuart Ballard wrote:
> Peter Lairo wrote:
>
>> It seems that Mozilla now contains code that copies each url you visit
>> into a OS readable textfile that can then be read by anyone on the
>> internet (particulary Media Matrix).
>
>
> This is crap. It means it can be read by any software ON YOUR MACHINE.
> The textfield isn't exposed to anyone on the internet, unless you
> install their software.
>
>> This seems to mean that anyone
>> could know exactly which sites you are visiting. If this doesn't scare
>> you, i don't know what will. It scares the crap out of me.
>
>
> The software (Media metrix) is made available so people who *want* to
> help track website marketshare can do so. You aren't forced to install
> it, and it doesn't come with either Netscape or Mozilla. If you choose
> to install Media Metrix, you will be tracked in every known browser (at
> LEAST including 4.x and IE).
>
>> Allthough many OS's are easy to spy on, that is no excuse for making it
>> even easier by putting spyware into Mozilla.
>
>
> No. The spyware is an application that you download separately. It can
> track ANY application. If we removed this textfield, all they'd do is
> change it to read history.dat instead or something. It can be argued
> that we shouldn't be making it artificially easy, but anyone who argues
> for native widgets in Mozilla (JTK?) is automatically asking for this
> bug NOT to be fixed ever.
>
>> If you agree, please visit the bug that is trying to get the spy code
>> out of Mozilla and into the Nestscape tree (aparently Netscape/AO-HELL
>> doesn't care about people spying on us, but i intend to always use
>> Mozilla anyways).
>>
>> VOTE HERE:
>>
>> Bug 71270 - <shaver> "Netscape spyware should be in commercial tree"
>> http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=71270
>
>
> Just note that voting for this bug means voting against Mozilla *ever*
> using native widgets or chrome.
>
> This is not a "special native textfield that's set to be readable by
> other apps". ANY app that uses native textfields can be "spied" on by
> this method - that includes IE, opera, mosaic, every previous netscape,
> and K-meleon.
>
> I found all of this information out by doing a radical thing called
> "reading the bug". Sheesh.
>
> Stuart.
That's what I meant - but this time it has some rational arguments on
it. Thank you Stuart.
