Firefox 2 immunization.

[xpsunny]

Hello,

Please add firefox cookies/bad web sites immunization in next version!
Firefox 2 cannot reject third party cookies!!!!!!!!

[Zenobia]

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.

[Zenobia]

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

[bitman]

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 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

[Zenobia]

Very well said,imo.

[noel-pr7]

SAME HERE, Bitman!

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]

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!

[Zenobia]

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]

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!

[Zenobia]

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.