OT - Internet and on-line booking questions for the group

Jose wrote:

Java is executable code. Executable code can be harmful so many
people turn it off.

Java is not executable code. Java is interpreted code. It can be irritating
(like popups that won't go away), but it cannot be harmful. Unsigned Java
applets are not allowed to access most of the memory of your computer (the
phrase is that they "run in the sandbox"), they aren't allowed to access the
file system, and they can't establish a network connection with any server
except the one you got it from.

Signed applets can do some of these things, but you have to explicitly give the
server permission to download them every time you download one. Signing for one
of these can allow damaging software on your machine.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.

Java is not executable code. Java is interpreted code. It can be irritating
(like popups that won't go away), but it cannot be harmful.

This is a fine point that is important in some contexts. However, it
is code. It causes your machine to do something interactive (granted,
at the behest of the interpreter). It can certainly be harmful - a
trivial example is a popup loop that crashes the machine. Similarly,
Microsoft Word documents with scripts built in are also interpreted,
but can carry viruses and trojans.

I turn the stuff off.

Jose
--
Freedom. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote in message
m...
This is a fine point that is important in some contexts. However, it is
code. It causes your machine to do something interactive (granted, at the
behest of the interpreter). It can certainly be harmful - a trivial
example is a popup loop that crashes the machine.

I have seen loops that clutter up my desktop, but never had one crash my
computer. I just bring up task manager (which is always a top-level
window), and kill the iexplore.exe process). All the popped up windows go
away, no fuss no muss.

Of course, now I use a browser that blocks pop-ups altogether, so that's
just not an issue. In any case, I believe that George's point was simply
that Java in and of itself doesn't allow an unsigned applet to do anything
that could be permanently harmful to your computer.

Similarly, Microsoft Word documents with scripts built in are also
interpreted, but can carry viruses and trojans.

Terrible comparison. Word's macro language is basically Visual Basic, and
includes all sorts of "dangerous" stuff, including file i/o. Even so, all
of the Word macro viruses I've heard of infect only other Word documents,
and are trivial to block (just turn off macros for Word). They are only
dangerous as long as you aren't aware you're infected.

Word macros and unsigned Java applets have very little in common with each
other.

Pete

Terrible comparison. Word's macro language is basically Visual Basic

Visual Basic is interpreted, which was the point being made about Java
scripts.

I have seen loops that clutter up my desktop, but never had one crash my
computer. I just bring up task manager (which is always a top-level
window), and kill the iexplore.exe process). All the popped up windows go
away, no fuss no muss.

Some loops cause a new instance of Explorer each time, and they pile
up faster than you can click them away, let alone give the three
finger salute.

Jose
--
Freedom. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote in message
...
Some loops cause a new instance of Explorer each time

I doubt Java has the capability of starting a new process. It would be
antithetical to the whole "sandbox" concept.

In article ,
"G.R. Patterson III" wrote:

Jose wrote:

Java is executable code. Executable code can be harmful so many
people turn it off.

Java is not executable code. Java is interpreted code. It can be irritating
(like popups that won't go away), but it cannot be harmful. Unsigned Java
applets are not allowed to access most of the memory of your computer (the
phrase is that they "run in the sandbox"), they aren't allowed to access the
file system, and they can't establish a network connection with any server
except the one you got it from.

Signed applets can do some of these things, but you have to explicitly give
the
server permission to download them every time you download one. Signing for
one
of these can allow damaging software on your machine.

you have way more faith in the correct operation of software than I.

--
Bob Noel

Bob Noel wrote:

you have way more faith in the correct operation of software than I.

The software in question (the interpreter) is provided by the internet browser.
I suppose it's always possible for sloppy coding in the Java interpreter to
screw up memory management, but the instruction set doesn't exist in Java to
allow a Java coder to do it. The same is true of file access - Java is incapable
of accessing your computer files or creating files on your machine because the
commands to do this don't exist in the language. This makes it impossible for a
hacker to modify your OS or install things like trojan horses by using Java.
About the worst they can do is cause other applets to start up when you try to
close a window. I've always found that killing the browser from the task window
takes care of that. I've also found that this never happens anyway if I stay
away from pornographic web sites.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.

I've always found that killing the browser from the task window
takes care of that. I've also found that this never happens anyway if I stay
away from pornographic web sites.

It happened to me from acronymfinder.com.

Jose
--
Freedom. It seemed like a good idea at the time.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.