Will 1.10.1 filesize grow?

In a few hours 1.10.1 will be released and include the very first integration of Mozilla/Gecko into the SL client. It will be used to display HTML Help screens.

I was thinking, how much of a file size increase do you think this going to have on the downloaded client? Firefox by itself is around 16MB in size.

eh...

no idea, try asking on SL Answers

Good question actually.

Will this 'integrated browser' have some sort of anti-virus protection? Because if there is no way for content coming through the browser to be filtered for viruses, spyware and other crap - this could be an absolute nightmare for everyone.

Lewis

that depends (1) on how much support the browser has for active scripting objects, and (2) If that browser can be told to pull pages that aren't on LL's servers.

...

Dude. Lewis.

You are so right. I can't believe they're allowing such a threat into Second Life.

This reminds me of a movie I saw about the dangers of the internet. It was called The Net and it starred Sandra Bullock. In the movie, individuals using the internet were able to destroy someone's entire life and even their gym membership! It was a very chilling tale of warning, indeed.

Now, by unleashing this awesome and dangerous force upon Second Life through this browser back door, we're up against some nasty possibilities.

Viruses

Imagine, if you will, a piece of software code that can infect other software in much the same way as virsues infect cells of the body. This computer virus, to coin a phrase, could use the new SL browser back door to infect everything. Why, someone browsing the LSL wiki from within SL could be happily clicking away, learning all he wanted to learn about scripting while, unbeknownst to him, a virus has been loaded into Second Life with his last query on llGetInventoryName.

This innocent act would unleash a storm of destruction that, if left unchecked, could destroy our entire way of second life. Imagine this virus, spreading from prim to prim, infecting everything on the grid. Even your avatars! Even more chilling, this virus could become... sentient... and begin interacting with other users using your avatar.

Welcome to the horrors of computer viruses, my friends. Strap yourselves in.

Spyware

Imagine if you will a cabal of powerful men whose signals intelligence gathering capabilities make the NSA, UK/USA Allies, even Echelon look like amateurish children playing with toys. Who are these men? Mossad? NRO? Not... surely not the Pasdaran?

No, none of these. Indeed, these men are advertisers. With a network of millions of computers, they know everything. And with SL's integrated browser, they'll soon know everything that ever happens in Second Life. That escort you bought in a moment of weakness?

Logged.

That furry primwang you bought to fit in better with your new friends?

Logged.

Your penchant for age play?

Logged.

They're going to know all about you. Are you horrified yet? I certainly am.

Hackers

Another informative movie I saw on information technology was entitled Wargames. In this realistic tour-de-force, hackers are, through cunning and persistence, able to initiate world war three. Imagine this startling, mystical hacking power being brought to bear upon Second Life.

Yes, through the integrated browser, hackers will certainly find a playground here. You'll have your L$ balance emptied. You'll have your credit card number stolen. You'll receive visits from the FBI, who will charge you with ten counts of possession of child pornography.

How? Hackers. The hackers will destroy your lives because it's fun for them. These men get a special thrill from using their near-omnipotence to twist your digital life into a profane origami of sin, criminality and perversion.

Don't think it'll happen to you? Think again.


Now, I'm sure the simple minded will think I'm insane here. They'll remark that, why, Enabran, this is no different from using any other browser on your machine. In fact, it's even safer than using IE.

Well, I say those people don't have the brains to make policy decsions and need to shut their mouths. Obviously this is a hideously dangerous union between two technologies that need have nothing in common. No, my friends. The end is very much near. This perverse integration of Mozilla into SL is nothing less than an unzipped fly in the bulging pants of a very vulnerable platform.

Hold onto your hats. God save us.

If we even deserve his protection anymore.

A few minutes ago I did an attempted login and DID get an update (1.10.1) the file was not noticably larger than the previous updates. It would be at most 5 MB more (from 20 to 25), I didn't catch the final number, it it took about the same amount of time as ussual.

It's safe to assume it will include the same inherent security integrated into every installation of Mozilla. For what it's worth, it in no way supports Active X which is the primary source of trouble on Windows computers. As an avid Firefox user, I can assure you, the risk is minimal.

And I would guess that LL took out Firefox's support for plugins, browser extensions, maybe even JavaScript. There go a lot of potential problem vectors.

Besides, I would think that, even if a piece of malware did get into an SL browser instance, it would only affect that particular instance, and couldn't leak out into the larger SL world (it wouldn't know how). To get rid of it, you'd just toss out that instance and create a fresh one. In the case of the future in-world browser panels, you'd delete the object it was connected to and rez a new one...or there may be another solution, I don't know yet and we won't know until LL actually implements it.

i can't decide if I want to nominate you for a peabody or a polk.

On the other hand, I'm gonna encourage Lewis to go for a Darwin award.

P2

I nominate him for American Idol. I did a write in text message vote.

I tend to ignore the trolls.

Lewis

The forum software will let you ignore yourself?

While there are some exploits for firefox, most of them are java related. I'd be more worried if they tried to integrate IE in there, which is as secure as a screen door.

Bahahaha, Thank you Enabran, first time I've laughed reading these forums in months. With The Net 2.0 actually having been made. Time is ripe for The Net 3.D SL Machinima.

Diet Sprite, meet monitor. By far the funniest post I've ever read on these forums.

I thank you for the laugh, but my laptop does not.