View Full Version : Firefox 2 immunization.
Hello,
Please add firefox cookies/bad web sites immunization in next version!
Firefox 2 cannot reject third party cookies!!!!!!!!
You can still set cookies for 'the originating website only' in Firefox,but it is just more difficult now.I will go find you the webpage on how to do so.
Okay,in case you want to set this up in Firefox,please see here:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Cookies#Cookie_permissions
And here:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Network.cookie.cookieBehavior
Interesting, thanks for the links Zenobia.
I've wondered for a while why cookies, especially third-party cookies, seemed to be such an issue with Firefox. The MozillaZine thread about Fx 2.0 / Cookies management (http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=456840) makes the issue clear, as mud, which is really the root of the problem.
It appears to me that the main problem is disagreement between the Firefox developers as to what this option really does (in Fx 1.5), can do due to issues with iframes/redirects, and should do in future versions. This is made clear in these last few entries of this bug report relating to cookies.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=349680#c13
To simplify this for those who aren't used to reading such things, it's really just stupid development bickering and mis-understanding. The ability to block third-party cookies is limited, so some feel it should be removed, while others think it should stay despite those limitations. By making it more difficult to find and use, they have simply made managing cookies even more difficult for their users.
The third-party cookie blocks in Internet Explorer and other browsers undoubtedly have some of these same limitations, but at least the most common ones can be blocked by the browser itself. This is the only really effective means to protect from such tracking cookies, since they are mostly used to track a users movement between sites during the current online session, so deleting them later has little value.
Completely blocking all cookies doesn't work well since this will often 'break' the access to some sites and not allow the experience that cookies offer for sites you might trust to use them. So the only truly effective system is to block all known third-party cookies and prompt the user for their decision on whether to allow or block all others, since this will catch all types of cookies no matter their origin. This can be a bit noisy, especially when browsing to new sites, but it does work.
Note that Internet Explorer 6 (and 7) allows you to block all third-party cookies and separately select to permanently allow/block each first-party cookie by site, so it won't prompt in the future but operates the way you have chosen. You can also browse the list of these decisions and remove/change them later if desired.
Removing the cookies later with Spybot S&D is obviously a possible solution, but to me it's just indicating that the cookies have already done their job, so the browser has failed to allow me to protect myself. This seems such a simple situation to fix that it makes me wonder what deeper issues exist within Firefox that haven't been resolved due to developer disagreement. This is also an obvious potential side effect of Open Source type devlopment, since there really isn't anyone 'at the top' to make such choices, good or bad, so they instead languish in a confused state of discord.
Bitman
noel-pr7
2007-01-20, 21:42
SAME HERE, Bitman! :D:
the makers of Firefox should change their attitude and make it easier for Firefox users to manage cookies in their browsers. Mozilla and Seamonkey browsers have much improved cookie controls than in Firefox browsers.
perhaps the ability to accept or reject 3rd party cookies might be included in firefox 3.
gypsyangel
2007-01-21, 09:05
I'm also having problems w/ Firefox and cookies. Now I can't access my hotmail acct in either FF or IE. I DON'T have IE7 and don't want to update since I use FF almost exclusively. Has anyone else had a problem like this?
Also, where do I go to resolve problems w/ having Spybot S&D installed and TT active and then not being able to access some sites?
Sorry, I'm acting like a noob but I'm not really. Just not up-to-date on a lot of stuff due to ongoing illness.
Any help would be greatly appreciated! :buried:
On which browser can you not access some sites,Internet Explorer,Firefox,or both?Do you get page cannot be displayed,or anything like that?
How do you have cookies set up in Firefox and IE?
Is there a checkmark beside Accept cookies from sites in Tools->Options->Privacy in Firefox?
gypsyangel
2007-01-30, 07:27
On which browser can you not access some sites,Internet Explorer,Firefox,or both?Do you get page cannot be displayed,or anything like that?
How do you have cookies set up in Firefox and IE?
Is there a checkmark beside Accept cookies from sites in Tools->Options->Privacy in Firefox?
I usually run FF as my default browser but in trying to access my hotmail I tried IE 6.0. I have tried changing my cookies to only from originating site, accept all cookies, unckg everything, in BOTH browsers and nothing ...
In IE6 I get "Windows Live ID is unavailable from this site for one of the following reasons:" and then says that one of those could be:
This site may be experiencing a problem.
The site may not be a member of Windows Live ID
In FF I get: "Cookies must be allowed
Your browser is currently set to block cookies. Your browser must allow cookies before you can use Windows Live ID."
And I've done the same as in IE6: changed the settings then tried to access hotmail after each change and I get the same page.
I've also recovered to a previous date and then run spybot S&D and got the same result ... no access.
I'm getting desperate. I NEED help!
Thanks SO much for even answering my post! :bighug:
You wouldn't happen to have Zone Alarm firewall,would you?And if you do,is it the pro version?
Someone elsewhere was having a problem with cookies,and I think I remember it being something to do with Zone Alarm,or another firewall,I think.
gypsyangel
2007-01-30, 07:54
You wouldn't happen to have Zone Alarm firewall,would you?And if you do,is it the pro version?
Someone elsewhere was having a problem with cookies,and I think I remember it being something to do with Zone Alarm,or another firewall,I think.
Nope, just Windows' own firewall. I have Avast AV and SS&D. I've disabled Teatimer (the resident program) but it's still installed.
Found it,here it is,if it applies:
http://kb.mozillazine.org/Websites_report_cookies_are_disabled_when_they're_not
Ok,I will have a look around and see if I can find anything similar.
Do you have Spybot's browser helper to block bad downloads enabled?
Actually,the sdhelper only works with Internet Explorer,come to think of it,so it shouldn't be that.(doh!)
I'm not finding much at the moment.I'll post back if I think of anything.
gypsyangel
2007-01-30, 08:21
Actually,the sdhelper only works with Internet Explorer,come to think of it,so it shouldn't be that.(doh!)
I'm not finding much at the moment.I'll post back if I think of anything.
It's truly appreciated! You're an :angel:
Thank you. :)
I found a couple suggestions on this page:
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/archive/answers.htm#cookies
gypsyangel
2007-02-01, 07:22
Thank you. :)
I found a couple suggestions on this page:
http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/archive/answers.htm#cookies
I now find that my iTunes software won't recognize the updated Quicktime and even when I update it manually, it still tells me that I don't have the latest version of Quicktime installed when I know I do.
I at least managed to get IE6 to go to hotmail.com but I still can't get FF 2.0 to do so. I have enabled cookies to be set but it hasn't fixed the problem.
I've disabled TT from running mem res and have restored AGAIN to another date when I KNOW everything was working fine and still no luck.
I've mostly decided I may have to uninstall Spybot S&D. I don't know what else I can do at this point. If there's anyone out there who can help me some more, I'd really appreciate it.
The site Zenobia sent me to ... what I quoted above, wasn't much help since I'd already tried that and I'm NOT running Zone Alarm firewall, only the one included w/ Windows.
I do not think not being able to log into hotmail with Firefox would be caused by Spybot or teatimer.
jonathanbean
2007-02-01, 19:17
"sdhelper only works with Internet Explorer"
Ouch! So immunizations AND SD-Helper don't work with other browsers (I use ff)?? Plus I can't use hosts because I have a DSL router, so that leaves me only with teatimer for prevention.
I REALLY hope 1.5 is Firefox compatible!
Why can't you use hosts because of the router?
Using the hosts file will only protect your machine, not others using the same router, but that's not a problem I think ;)
Immunization works with Opera as well, but it's not the same as Firefox, agreed.
Spybot-S&D itself is working on Firefox and Seamonkey in terms of scanning and cleaning cookies, cache & history... but not the same way as SDHelper, that's right. Lets see what 1.5 brings ;)
jonathanbean
2007-02-02, 00:06
Darn. I usually bookmark when I find sites but there was one that said someone using DSL router would have to go through a lengthy work around to use the 127.0.0.1 approach. Basically, the DSL would go to another IP and avoid 127.0.0.1 There was a lengthy way to work around this but it seemed like too much bother.
Darn, I wish I could find the site now!
I'm still not sure from previous description how 127.0.0.1 protects people. Could you try to explain (again)?
FYI: I use Verizon DSL for all three of my computers (two laptops and one desktop directly connected to the router).
jonathanbean
2007-02-02, 02:21
http://accs-net.com/hosts/faq.html#19
(6.) Why doesn't the Hosts file work with my proxy settings?
Some proxy servers can not be bypassed, unfortunately, and will not work with the Hosts file properly according to Microsoft. This is because of a bug in the programming of the way Hosts is handled by Windows. The work around for this is to add all the entries from your Hosts file into the exclusions section of your proxy settings in Internet Explorer. This would be very time consuming, and is not recommended. The other thing you can do is visit the GRC FAQ site and read the information about "nasties.reg." You can use this file to add many add servers to your Restricted Zone in IE, and if you do so you can then block cookies using the Restricted Zones settings and that will stop tracking from those servers. If you use Netscape, I don't currently have such a procedure available, because it does not use restricted zones."
I read elsewhere that WD "locks" the Hosts file. I guess I just don't understand how "hosts" works (and often doesn't, depending on configuration?). Forgive my ignorance.
jonathanbean
2007-02-02, 02:23
I'm just going to wait and see what 1.5 has in store for FF users. I haven't used IE in ages, unless a program "popped it up."
noel-pr7
2007-02-26, 23:46
Why can't you use hosts because of the router?
Using the hosts file will only protect your machine, not others using the same router, but that's not a problem I think ;)
Immunization works with Opera as well, but it's not the same as Firefox, agreed.
Spybot-S&D itself is working on Firefox and Seamonkey in terms of scanning and cleaning cookies, cache & history... but not the same way as SDHelper, that's right. Lets see what 1.5 brings ;)
it would be nice if there were immunization features for firefox and seamonkey browsers in the next version of spybot.
now if the makers of FF browsers improve their cookie management features (like the ones found in seamonkey browsers) I'd give firefox 5 stars. right now I give FF 4 stars.