[plug] User control of Browsers [WAS Open source DVD playback]

[navarre at plug.linux.org.au]

Hello All

Just catching up on an old thread of discussion and what comes to mind is 
also the way we the users of graphical web browsers are at the mercy of 
the web content providers and at time totally loose control, sometimes to 
the point of runaway of memory and CPU time, by simply visiting a web 
site or clicking a button.

My discussion is from the point of re-gaining control of what our browser 
is allowed to do when a link is clicked on. Let me say this another way, 
I use Netscape 4.7 on Linux, I have some control of my browsing 
environment in fonts, colours and the automatic download and display of 
graphics.

But what we can not control is the ability of a chunk of javascript 
opening as many windows of any size on within our window manager. The 
loss of control of the right mouse button within the browser. And a 
number of other items I would like to control.

This is not a comment about the people who write this sort of web site 
because we could also whinge at the sites that do not support Netscape 
browsers or will not show you any content unless the %##& cookies are 
turned off. (No Bret this is not time to raise that subject again, it has 
been done to death).

Matt told me of a new browser recently, name escapes me, but what I did 
not ask was does it give some of this control back to the user. Do the 
writers of these web browsers consider that there could/ should be some 
controllable limit of the number of child windows sporned from one 
browser or the user should be able to stop the child window from opening. 
We should also be able to stop the browser from fetching images and other 
content from the internet if we say stop downloading a page generally we 
really me Do Not Get Any More Bytes from the server. And stop the timers.

I know I may have rambled a bit but my web browsing pleasure is being 
eroded by clever programmers and uncontrolable software.

Your comments please.

Regards Navarre at plug.linux.org.au


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

On 10/11/01, 8:04:39 PM, alan howard <alanh at wn.com.au> wrote regarding Re: 
[plug] Open source DVD playback:


>  with regard to christian and gregs response, i do happen to agree, but
> unfortunatly this erosion of consumers freedoms and rights is happenning
> everywhere. we do not live in a free world, nearly every thing is 
controlled
> , to some extent, and all to frequently for money. ( and its getting 
worse)

> rgds
> alan howard