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Firefox's downloads spiked after CERT's warning

configure   on 04 July 2004 - 03:19 · 130 comments & 18783 views

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Thanks xStainDx for the heads up. Mozilla Firefox’s downloads has spiked after the feds issued a warning against Internet Explorer.

Wired News has reported that downloads for Mozilla Firefox has been constantly increasing after the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) issued a warning against Internet Explorer. The warning, issued on Wednesday, was also strangely backed up by an article on MSN later.

When asked for comments, Microsoft’s director of Windows client division responded:

“Microsoft certainly respects the work CERT does to help protect the Internet and users. Regarding the consideration that users switch browsers, it is unfortunate that the published articles have misrepresented CERT's suggestions, and we are working with CERT to clarify their advice”

View: For more information, see the article at Wired News
View: Mozilla Firefox Web site


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Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 130 additional comments
(5 replies) #1 HoochieMamma on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:26
USE IE!!11!!11

*start the flame war*
#1.1 configure on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:29
All I wanted was a peaceful Sunday morning..

#1.2 McG on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:57
i hate you.
#1.3 Mister Lamar on 04 Jul 2004 - 05:09
continue 2 use IE 6, and sure use firefox also. I just started using it a few days ago and its nice!!!
#1.4 JLP on 04 Jul 2004 - 14:08
Firefox is not just nice. It is awsome. A lot better and a lot more secure then IE. As are other browsers like Opere and Mozilla. And with all the advanced features like tabs it they should all be downloaded and used a loooot more.
#1.5 bozthepcnerd on 05 Jul 2004 - 03:52
oh, yeah!!!

Viva la FireFox!!!

(5 replies) #2 musicmaster on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:33
wouldnt it be funny if SP2 included firefox... or even SP3?
#2.1 OptiPlex on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:35
HARHARHAR J00 RE TEH FUNARR!#!#!!#!3131311
#2.2 LordJTC on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:36
.......................................................
#2.3 Ivand on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:46
LoL!!!! you made my day man
#2.4 Jelly2003 on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:18
QUOTE (#1.0)
wouldnt it be funny if SP2 included firefox... or even SP3?

Pigs would also be flying anf it'd be snowing in hell
#2.5 bozthepcnerd on 05 Jul 2004 - 03:55
Maby Microsoft might just buy the company outright and include it into SP3....

But, they'll just make it buggy like IE6
#3 Starcom826 on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:37
QUOTE
Regarding the consideration that users switch browsers, it is unfortunate that the published articles have misrepresented CERT's suggestions, and we are working with CERT to clarify their advice


Yeah, maybe they can make it clearer that firefox is just plain better.
(2 replies) #4 naap51stang on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:44
Heck, they are just now coming to the realization that IE has to many holes?
I quit using IE over 2 years ago. I've used Mozilla & Firefox just because they
are faster, and have tabbed browing along with pop up killers. Now that "the rest
of the world" starts using mozilla/firefox, wonder how long it will be til the "kiddies"
who write the garbage that exploits the holes in IE, start trying to find holes in
mozilla/firefox? Even if they find one, at least the open source group will close it
a lot quicker than MS closes holes on the IE side. The open source community
responds a lot quicker than MS. Why? not as many layers of BS you have to go
through to get something approved.......
The only thing I use IE for, is the MS update site.....

#4.1 Varsity on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:01
Red tape is the bane of society.
#4.2 dotRoot on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:51
Yeah MS actually has a patch council that find holes and such pretty quick and then they go over a long process of deciding whether or not these are worth patching. Taking into consideration: is it worth the time, what's the likelihood of exploiting it, if this is an old version then put on backburner until we maybe have time, can we put a "get around" in the knowlege base? (yeah don't bother to patch it and then tell everyone about it), etc.

At least that's as far as I knew about 4 years ago, I guess maybe things could have changed and they religiously look for exploits and try fixing them then and there
(8 replies) #5 nekrosoft13 on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:49
i won't switch to this crap
#5.1 surfichris on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:54
Crap?!?!?

How can you call a web browser with far less security holes, a web browser that follows the standards layed down by the W3C, a web browser which contains an extension manager in case it isnt functional enough for you, a web browser that works on most platforms and renders pages exactly the same on each platform, a web browser that isnt bloated and required by windows to run, (hopefully you're still with me), a worse browser than Internet Explorer?

Have you even taken a look at Firefox?
#5.2 HellBender on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:54
Edit: LOL ---^ beat me to it

Before anyone else does it...

OMG HOW CUD U SAY DAT FIREFOX IS TEH LEET ALL THE HAXORS USE IT ONLY NON KEWL PPL DONT USE IT
#5.3 aristotle-dude on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:06
Crap? Do you ever get tired of giving Steve Balmer a handjob? Come on. How is Firefox crap when it renders everything on the web fast, has better CSS1/CSS2 support and supports flash and other plugins?

If you are going to call something crap, at least back it up with some facts.
#5.4 obake on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:42
QUOTE
Crap? Do you ever get tired of giving Steve Balmer a handjob?


Hahaha! Yes!

Really, though, I can understand someone not liking Firefox, but calling it "crap" is just, well, ignorant.
#5.5 Mattimeo on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:43
Heh...I used Firefox for about 2 weeks...and I switched back to IE. I think the only reason people find these security holes is because it's on so many desktops. I really have no problems with IE. *shrugs*
#5.6 stezo2k on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:02
QUOTE
nekrosoft13


kind of explains the immaturity.....
#5.7 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:05
^Quite possibly the lamest rationale.
#5.8 JaggedFlame on 04 Jul 2004 - 15:24
That's right, guys, force your opinion on everyone else. All the cool kids are doing it.
(2 replies) #6 pdog on 04 Jul 2004 - 03:56
silly nekrosoft, IE is for NEWBS!
#6.1 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:05
Yeah, that's it.
#6.2 Octol on 04 Jul 2004 - 16:11
I use IE (well, NetCaptor, actually—same thing, but with more features) and I never have any problems. Just lucky I guess, eh?
(9 replies) #7 todd` on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:08
I tried out Firefox today, but I don't think I'll switch to it. I don't like the way the highlighting in the address bar works
#7.1 yert* on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:14
I don't like mozilla/firefox either IE OWNS ALL!! !@121783627864783265923659234
#7.2 ibetheone on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:51
Funny how say you dont like how the highlighting in the address bar, its almost the same as IE, you just have to click 3x faster in one spot to highlight it all where as in ie you just have to click it once, not a big difference at all..Im sure someone could modify the source to change this easily
#7.3 NCalliari on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:32
"I tried out Firefox today, but I don't think I'll switch to it. I don't like the way the highlighting in the address bar works"

I AGREE!!!
It's the ONLY reason I won't switch.
When the whole URL is highlighted, you can't then highlight just a piece of it.
You have to click off and it's really fiddly.
You'd be surprised how much you actually do this, enough for me to find it extremely irritating.
#7.4 Angry_Badger on 04 Jul 2004 - 09:04
OK some one explain the url problem clearly for me. Are we talking in the address bar? One click selects it, another deselects it and then a double click selects an individual part. You can go from fully selected to selecting a section directly simply with a double click. Wheres the problem? Or am i missing something?

I think this is user incompetence rather than a Firefore bug
#7.5 SIG on 04 Jul 2004 - 09:50
I have no idea about what they are talking about either
#7.6 todd` on 04 Jul 2004 - 10:51
@Angry_Badger

Bug? No one said it was a bug. I simply stated my opinion as it being an annoyance (which is an opinion, and therefore cannot be wrong).

After 5 years of using Internet Explorer, I simply cannot adjust to the way Firefox handles it. I'm so used to the way IE does it that I always get impatient when it doesn't work the same in Firefox. THIS is why I don't use Firefox. I'm not as productive.

For anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about, look at the difference:

IE
Firefox

If you can't tell, you need an extra click in Firefox to be able to edit. Otherwise, you're just moving parts of the URL around.
#7.7 nigelhooper on 04 Jul 2004 - 10:57
This has annoyed me on occasions as well. Its a bit confusing to explain, but here goes. If you do a single click in the address bar it highlights the whole address, you then cant copy part of the address without single clicking again to unhighlight the address. Try it, you'll see what I mean. For some one coming from IE it is small things like this that can make the change over process a bit frustrating.
#7.8 DecoyDuck on 04 Jul 2004 - 11:43
Try highlighting without clicking in the address bar first. Here at least Firefox doesn't care that the address bar doesn't have focus when I go to select some text in it (but then neither does IE *shrug*) so you can skip straight to selecting the text with the mouse.

Like this:

Firefox
#7.9 Angry_Badger on 04 Jul 2004 - 12:36
Great videos guys, i see what you mean now. But Like DecoyDuck says why not just go straight to editing the text? You dont need to click it to focus it.

Last edited by 48352 on 04 Jul 2004 - 13:13
(4 replies) #8 computerchan on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:08
Well I used Firefox for porn sites before
Today I completely switched to Firefox (porns go Mozilla)
#8.1 anakinsolois on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:11
lol, i use opera for that
#8.2 Varsity on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:01
Same.
#8.3 cork1958 on 04 Jul 2004 - 11:34
I use Opera period. Definitely better than FF. Just because everyone is to cheap to pay for a browser is the ONLY reason there aren't more fanboys of it. Do think it's pretty dumb to have to pay for it though, but, hey, everyone has to make a living. I know, don't HAVE to, but can't stand the ad banner.
#8.4 demorgoron on 06 Jul 2004 - 04:30
lol.pornzilla rocks
(2 replies) #9 ^_^ Silly Willy on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:09
what warning
#9.1 supernova_00 on 04 Jul 2004 - 05:54
#9.2 configure on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:49
the blue text that said "the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) issued a warning" will be the link that you are looking for.
(1 reply) #10 dysan on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:13
Choosing an outdated browser like IE over Firefox, Mozillla, or Opera is just beyond me. Hell microsoft even stop developing IE. They just plug holes that pop up every now and then, and after like a million patches they call it SP1.
#10.1 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:23
They brought back the IE team, I'm guessing they will have a new version. It was a pretty big story here a few weeks ago.
(4 replies) #11 neonix on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:38
*snipped* - OT

Last edited by 52 on 04 Jul 2004 - 05:26
#11.1 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 04:43
What's that supposed to mean?
#11.2 joker999 on 04 Jul 2004 - 05:25
#11.3 yert* on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:15
#11.4 ibetheone on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:38
I think that means there happy that theres been a spike in firefox downloads
Firefox is great, I love the nautipolis theme it rox, I was using the noia theme but got tired of that after awhile...still good tho
#12 JohnSK on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:02
Good news
(1 reply) #13 markus on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:22
I don't understand what the fuss is all about. I still use IE and have never had any problems what-so-ever. And yes i did try other browsers. I even forced myself to just use Firefox for 2 weeks. Like a new toy at first it was awesome, however after a while it got boring and I had to switch back to IE.

I don't know maybe I am crazy
#13.1 SIG on 04 Jul 2004 - 09:53
The opposite thing happened to me.

I tried Firefox when 0.8 was lauched and didn't switch since. I still use IE though to access WindowsUpdate and sometimes to view sites that are not compatible with Firefox (not sites that Firefox is not compatible with )

I'm not switching ever!
(6 replies) #14 Yvo on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:25
Great news, finally a competitor.

The fuss is about IE finallly getting a competitor again, that is slowly outperforming the current product. There are some small things that bother me in Firefox such as how the highlighting works and sometimes i have these little quirks.

I still like Firefox though and I use it 80-90% of the time. However some websites just work better with IE due to lazy developers... one example... java.com... funny that Sun sued MS but their site works like crap under Firefox, especially when attempting to get the java plugin.
#14.1 ibetheone on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:42
Funny how you say java.com worx better with ie, cause it works just as fine with firefox, they both look exactly the same Also the highlighting is exactly the same in firefox as in ie for me
#14.2 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 06:51
Can you elaborate on the highlighting problem? I don't understand what you mean.
#14.3 Varsity on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:04
If you ever try writing in certain forum memoboxes, you get large chunks highlighted even while you type. It's a small aesthetic glitch.
#14.4 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:15
^Hmm never experienced that yet.
#14.5 NCalliari on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:36
I AGREE!!!
It's the ONLY reason I won't switch.
When the whole URL is highlighted, you can't then highlight just a piece of it.
You have to click off and it's really fiddly.
You'd be surprised how much you actually do this, enough for me to find it extremely irritating.
#14.6 ghos on 04 Jul 2004 - 22:19
I just don't get his highlighting problem people keep complaining about. If you click once in FF in the URL box it highlights it all. However if you click and drag you get what you wanted highlighted. I hardly every copy URL's, but I find it works just the same as in IE for me.
*Shrugs shoulders*
(10 replies) #15 ibetheone on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:04
I dunno bout you guys But I adore my firefox



Last edited by 15326 on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:28
#15.1 SimplyPotatoes on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:12
what a horrible skin
#15.2 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:13
If they like it it's all that matters.
#15.3 RazerBack on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:35
OMG, an ad.
#15.4 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:54
^Rofl.

Yeah Adblock needs to be installed.
#15.5 ibetheone on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:26
Thanx for the info, forgot to install that ext, I installed the latest version of adblock and when i right click and blocks the ads on neowin they disappear, but when i reload the page they reappear?
#15.6 aoeu on 04 Jul 2004 - 09:26
Then use Norton Personal Firewall, at least that does a bloody well job of terminating ads out of the gutter!!
#15.7 Varsity on 04 Jul 2004 - 10:27
QUOTE (#15.5)
Thanx for the info, forgot to install that ext, I installed the latest version of adblock and when i right click and blocks the ads on neowin they disappear, but when i reload the page they reappear?

Are you using nightly 39? http://adblock.mozdev.org/adblock-0.5-dev.xpi
#15.8 JaggedFlame on 04 Jul 2004 - 15:27
Great idea, guys, let's all post useless screenshots of our web browser.
#15.9 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 19:47
ROFL! It was one ss.
#15.10 JaggedFlame on 04 Jul 2004 - 22:33
Yeah, but still. Who cares?
#16 Lycan on 04 Jul 2004 - 07:14
Just changed to Firefox yesterday, though honestly never encountered any problem with IE, never got trojans/worms etc, but still dont want to risk that chance if you see how often new holes come out with IE.
(5 replies) #17 Zepolcire on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:12
Maybe it is just me, but I have never had Firefox correctly render websites that I go to. That is what keeps me from using it. And I keep trying with every new build. Text is always overlapping, wrong colors, things in the wrong places, frames. You name it. It wont work for me.
#17.1 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:13
Which sites in particular?
#17.2 bogd on 04 Jul 2004 - 16:33
well, that's probably because the websites you are going too are poorly coded.
#17.3 dotnetjunkie on 04 Jul 2004 - 22:53
NO NO NOOO!!!
That's NOT because they are poorly coded, but because Firefox misses many many features that IE has.
I know this by fact because we have a team of professional developers working on web apllications, and many things just can't be done with Firefox or other browsers because they lack essential features.
#17.4 GamblerFEXonlin on 05 Jul 2004 - 02:02
essential features you say? could that be proprietary standards like Active-X and WindowsMedia formats?

Are you aware you are bashing other software developers because they can't support an illegal monopoly?

At least the situation straight and us some insight.

If the market demands it enough, maybe M$ would be forced to open their standards. It sure as hell wouldn't hurt Microsoft, and good for the customers?
#17.5 Tedhi on 05 Jul 2004 - 23:23
ROL, what a misguided fool you are. Firefox is more standards compliant than IE, and that makes it better if anything.
Get a clue before you start typing.
(4 replies) #18 vetToxicfume on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:17
I see a noticable increase in Opera users as well
#18.1 Mav Phoenix on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:24
How can you tell?
#18.2 vetToxicfume on 04 Jul 2004 - 09:50
No statistics, just an observation.
#18.3 Varsity on 04 Jul 2004 - 14:13
#18.4 vetToxicfume on 04 Jul 2004 - 21:03
Still beats FF
And don't forget the fact that more than half of Opera clients are registered as IE(They have the browser identification selection within the browser so you could select Opera to identify itself to the server as IE, Mozilla, etc).

Heck! Some of the browsers registered as Mozilla could actually be Opera
#19 DJ Prem on 04 Jul 2004 - 08:53
I'm using Firefox nice
(2 replies) #20 Snipe