freebsddom and java's flaming hoops

[Tim Middleton]

On October 22, 2003 11:04 am, Lucas Holt wrote:
> Why don't you change proxy servers if simple javascript doesn't work?

Didn't realise it was the proxy that was the problem or I could have disabled 
it. Though that would have been yet another annoyance to have to do that just 
to download JDK patches for FreeBSD... just another flaming hoop... a small 
one, but still... why? Necessary? Maybe... but a potentially additional 
annoyance.

> JavaScript can be a security problem in windows, but i don't see why it
> would be disabled in other platforms.  Otherwise your proxy just sucks.

Well, this is of course simply flamebait: but, because 90% of the time 
javascript is just incredibly annoying (or worse) on the web, and serves no 
significantly useful function. My proxy certainly does not suck, it serves 
it's purpose extremely well... modifying javascript and blocking "ads" and 
certain javascript calls is one of them. It frees and makes my internet 
experence greatly improved... I've used it for years and years and years... 
it builds quickly and cleanly from the ports tree to. (-:

Usually it doesn't get in the way of most legit uses of javascript; i'm not 
sure why it didn't like whatever paranoid technique is being used on the 
FreeBSD Java 2 site... I haven't looked that far into it. 

In konqueror i have javascript simply turned off by default; and enable it 
just on select sites where I know it is needed, and I want to be bothered. 
It's not security that is the main problem with javascript, it's the 
widespread annoyance factor.

>   Even webtv's support javascript (generation 2 or higher).  My sega
> dreamcast can view sites with javascript.

Congratulations, webtv is certainly a standard to look down to. (-:

> What version of FreeBSD are you using?  It will certainly build on 4.8

5.1-CURRENT-20030821 ... and I do finally have JDK 1.5 building cleanly, with 
the recently updated patchset. Thanks. 

I also have the JDK 1.3 binary packge installed on a 4.8 box. It is amazingly 
annoying to install as well, of course, due to having to grab it from a 
special location, and click through the agreements and so forth... but at 
least it installed... and there's a few less flaming hoops... clearly I'm 
whining. But someone has to. (-: 

-- 
Tim Middleton | Cain Gang Ltd | There is a wisdom that is woe; but there 
x at veX.net     | www.Vex.Net   | is a woe that is madness. --Melville (MD)