[1803] in java-interest
RE: Netscape/Java -- press inquiry
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Nelson Yu)
Sun Sep 17 08:02:54 1995
From: Nelson Yu <nyu@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca>
To: "'java-interest@java.Eng.Sun.COM'" <java-interest@java.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: Sun, 17 Sep 1995 01:46:11 -0600
Chuck,
> > Egads!!... more multi-platform virii....
> Because you can write a virus in the macro language of Word has little
> to no bearing on doing the same with Java.=20
Please don't take that comment too seriously. I thought everybody would
take it as a sarcasm. I guess some don't ever consider security an issue =
to be taken lightly. Mea culpa.
I consider *unwanted*(hopefully, I have the option of not executing =
them) applets attached to a message equivalent to a virus. I don't think =
PC style viruses like the infamous "Monkey" virus (developed here?) =
would be possible with Java.
>> Java 'applets' IMHO are nice toys, but they just might be as hated as =
=3D
>> Netscape's <BACKGROUND> or <BLINK>
>Virii are non-issues. Any virus requires that it be able to propagate,
>the only class that can write files is FileOutputStream and it won't
>let you propagate a virus.=20
The Word Macro virus was merely a prank. It was after all a 'macro' and =
had some access to the file's contents, unlike Netscape's Java-in-mail =
applets which in all likelihood will be separate from the document.
Virii *are* non-issues, but the fact that most applets I've seen over a =
14.4k are IMHO worse than prank virii. For example the Hangman applet =
ran locally executes at an acceptable speed. On a X terminal with any =
high-speed connection, even better. But try downloading the 170k audio =
file over 14.4k SLIP/PPP connection. Hey, all of the sudden Netscape's =
extensions don't seem too bad... (and this time I'm serious). This is =
really a waste of bandwidth. Not to mention HotJava only runs acceptably =
on a 486/66 or greater and a Pentium w/ 28.8k connection is a the =
_absolute_ lowest I would go, making it even less accessible than =
Netscape or Mosaic. If Netscape can make it run on Win3.1 w/ 4mb RAM at =
an acceptable speed, they DESERVE to dominate the WWW browser market.
Java is a great language, but applets can be abused to no ends. Sun =
really needs to define the 'Do's and Don'ts over applets" or write a =
Java Applet "Design Guide".
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