Old Browsers and security - Was Re: [thelist] Site review please

[Chris Marsh]

On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 14:40:37 +0000, Dave Holloway wrote
> Trent Whaley wrote:
> >There is an old saying something like:
> >Never stop your customer when he's trying to give you money.
> >
> I beleive it is actually:
> "Never stop kicking your customer if he won't upgrade from Netscape 4."
> 
> I agree with Chris on this one. If system administrators don't 
> consider it worthwhile to upgrade browsers on the networks they 
> control and consequently improve security.. then they don't deserve 
> to be system administrators.

Applying the morality implicit in whether or not someone *deserves* something 
is irrelevant. If someone *is* a system administrator, then they simply are. 
Also, sysadmins are not voted representatives of their users (usually), so 
persecuting the users because you disagree with the policy of a given 
sysadmin makes no moral or business sense. Even when a user is responsible 
for their own browser, who are you to tell them what browser they should or 
should not use? I don't mean this in a confrontational way, but seriously - 
you're going to refuse money from someone on the grounds that you disagree 
with their choice of browser? Obtain the relevant licenses to do so and 
distribute CDs for free containing your browser of choice (paying for the 
postage of course) and you have at least the beginnings of an argument that 
users should use a particular browser; but to solidify your argument you 
would then have to start offering free hardware upgrades. Don't forget, the 
client's requirements drive the developer, and the client's customer's 
requirements drive the client.

> Its like insisting on using a tape player to try and play CDs.

Not really, it's like using an old CD player to play CDs.


Regards

Chris Marsh