David

I think we're operating from diametrically opposed viewpoints as far as this is concerned. I remember ages ago looking at some software for the firm I was working for and rejecting it because you HAD to be connected to the internet to use it. Supposedly all it was doing was validating the licence but it eventually came out that it did a bit more.

If I start my browser (not IE) or mail client (not OE or Outlook) I know its accessing the web, and its allowed. If  sone other app does when I'm not expecting it I'll spot it but as more apps connect for you its going to get more and more difficult to know what is connecting.

Before I installed my wireless router with its built in firewall I was running ZoneAlarm it looks like it might be time to reinstall something like that. I'm also going to have a look at WinPatrol (hadn't heard of it before - thanks).

I'm also the type who wonders why they build programming capability into an email client and what the point of about 75% of Word actually is and why I have to buy it with all the rubbish when I want simple word processing?

Taking your view forward a bit an app I saw recently in the recruitment market where I work advertised a "major" enhancement which boiled down to they'd built in a web browser and opened up the website of any company being spoken to as you clicked on the company - no choice it just opened it. With the speed variation of companies web sites some opened fast, some opened slow but what it actually achieved was make the app horrible to use.

An ex-consultant of mine who's now a director of a new start up decided not to buy it on the basis of that one feature alone. More and more applications are following M$'s lead and trying to be helpful, feature full and dictate how you work and raising people blood pressure.



Roy Lambert

Hi guys,

> Yes--exactly!  That's what you want isn't it?  BDS simply has a web
browser
> built in.  No big deal--more and more programs do these days.  But that
> doesn't mean it has a security hole in it (unless IE itself is considered
a
> security hole).

Well - actually, IE is a security hole IMO That's why I use firefox. I
mean, years ago, to program a virus, you had to know how to program TSR's
amongst other things. Now... all you need is a html editor, or a MS Word
application, and most people without too much knowledge can program
something.

However, as with any application that views html, the security comes from
*where* it gets its data from. (ie, what you are viewing at the time).

With RSS feeds, you don't have control over what you're viewing, as it pulls
off the internet, but Roy, if you do as David suggests, and change your
html - it won't disable the webbrowser, but it will stop the webbrowser from
attempting to make a connection to the internet. (From my understanding, the
web browser will dinamically connect *if* it needs to grab something off the
net. With a blank html page, or some simple 'hello world' text on it, that
doesn't have embedded links to another site - I think you should be pretty
safe.

However, in the end, I do second the motion that it would be good for
borland to have an option to turn this off altogether anyway.

Cheers

Adam.