Firefox Ping is Stupid
Personally I think that the Firefox link ping concept is one of the stupidest things I have seen in browser development lately. Who is going to use it? Let’s face it - it is very unlikely that equivalent feature will end up in IE and Opera. Most dev’s can’t be even bothered to make sure that their page even renders correctly in FF. Why would they bother adding ping links when they will already have tracking implemented using redirects?
Here are my concerns:
Privacy: this will make tracking easier than before - I don’t like people collecting data about me. At least when I get redirected, I know something funky is going on.
Will the ping use my proxy? If I’m using tor, are my pingbacks going through tor network?
Security: From what I understand, the spec allows multiple space separated URI’s to be used with the ping attribute. This can get really nasty, really fast. What happens if I specify “example.com” 500 or more times in my ping attribute and post it at a high traffic site? Can you say DDOS?
I would just love to see my server go up in flames just because some idiot posted a pingerized™ link on slashdot and I’m getting barraged by FF pings. All of them would come from individual IP’s too. How fun!
Also, what happens on the client side if hitting a single link will cue up few thousand pings? Wouldn’t that crash FF or make it unresponsive?
Compliance: This is not a w3c spec. This extension was drafted by whatwg.org. Most browsers don’t even bother to comply with half of the w3c stuff - is anyone else going to implement this?
What if Microsoft decides to implement proprietary “ping” extension in IE7 that will work completely differently than whatwg specs?
Even if the privacy and security issues are addressed, this will still be useless unless MS jumps at the bandwagon…
Related Posts:
August 30th, 2006 at 12:54 pm (908) [Quote]
Well, that’s been my experience with Firefox in general. They ripped out the good features of Mozilla/SeaMonkey and then added a bunch of UI crap that I didn’t care for. But it’s been limited to the UI up until now, oy ve!
I guess you really need to comment on his blog so that people (maybe even the devs themselves) will know of the potential problems.
Posted usingApril 21st, 2008 at 7:00 pm (8826) [Quote]
In past I really loved the Mozilla-suite. At the first time I saw
Firebird/ Firefox, I really hate it. Later I accepted Firefox and changed
to it (because the future of Mozilla was unknown and there were no
privacy menue), but since Opera is free and without AD, I only use Opera.
Opera why? :
Opera is a compleete SUITE like Mozilla-Suite/Seamonkey:
Withe the Browser, E-Mail client, IRC-Chat, it is only 4MB small
(US-English Classic Installer and 6.4MB for internationanl), Bittorrent,
Widgets, the best Downloadmanager that is included in a Browser,
Mousegetures, Fastforward, Notes, a list with actual links of the actual
page (including optical invisible or hidden), , high speed, low resource
consumption (eaven good useable on Windows 95 PC) , Best
Tab-Handling, BEST Session restore (invented by Opera in 2000, it
can restore pages, wheb the PC crashes or you want to continue from
last time automaticly or when you want continue ANY of your saved
SESSIONS -> as manny you want) , HIGHLY and VERY easy
Customizeable User-Interface + manny toolbars & buttons & Skins
available, Opera:Config (adressfield) givs YOU extreme Mannny Options
to configure if you want, the panel on the left site (that can put on any
side is very useful, Cloake as an other browser (as Firefox or
Internet Explorer), watch WAP-Pages (designed for cellphones),
ZOOMS the ENTIRE page (including images and plugins like Flash),
AD-Blocker, Site specific settings, quick options (F12) and manny more!!
Speed-Dail
(9 Fields, where you can enter 9 webpages as startpages with ever
actualisated page-preview, looks like a phone keys [taken from
operamini -> for any java cellphone] , it is into every new empty tab
and can hidden/shown with only ONE click)
Opera link
( NEW ->Opera 9.50 beta that can syncronisate Bookmarks +
notes + … at ANY time by usinga free my.opera.com accaount with
other opera browsers on any computer/laptop [Windows 95 to ME +
NT to XP & VISTA + Mac OS X + Linux + Solaris] + Cell-Phones
[java + Symbian OS + Linux + Windows Mobile] + Nintendo Wii +
Nintendo DS + Play Station 2 & 3 [with linux] + Xbox 360 [with linux] +
some setup-boxes). And manny more features + advantages.
FOR RATHER INFORMATION, LOOK HERE: http://www.opera.com/
http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/operaStuff/aboutOpera.html
The only you can miss when using Opera is an Html-editor.
I have never looked back to: M$IE, Mozilla-Suite/seamonkey and Firefox.
—————————————————–
Firefox & Seamonkey has many long unpatched Vulnerabilities:
OLD test: PASSWORD-STEELING, Tested with FireFox 2.0.1.4 , seamonkey 1.1.9 and Opera 9.27 & 9.50 beta b9903.
Seamonkey is STILL Vulnerable , FireFox NOW fixed it after an half
ETERNETY (over a Jear Vulnerable), Opera is imune since over 1 Jear,
Opera has patched all known Vulnerabilities. secunia.com
FireFox fanboys Propaganda corrected: http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/operaStuff/fanboyRants.html
Posted usingSEAMONKEY is FASTER THAN FIREFOX, OPERA IS FASTER THAN BOTH !!!