[OT] Free software versus software idea patents

Thu Apr 14 22:21:34 EDT 2011

On Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:46:46 -0700, Westley Martínez wrote:

>> Now, if only we could convince web users that having your browser
>> execute untrusted code downloaded from the Internet is not such a good
>> idea, supposed sandbox or not. What the world needs is a virus that
>> silently removes Javascript and Flash from browsers...
> 
> Web developers will always use the tool they find to be the most
> reliable, efficient, and useful, as will consumers.

That doesn't explain Javascript or Flash. Both are popular *despite* 
being unreliable and inefficient. The Flash plugin is widely regarded as 
a steaming heap of unreliable crap even on Windows. Its reputation on 
Linux is even worse.

What they give is ubiquity, which is a point in their favour. But just 
because something is common doesn't make it useful: for the most part 
both are used for style over substance, of sizzle without sausage, rather 
than anything actually useful or desirable: think of a misfeature that 
*degrades* the user-experience, and chances are it's implemented in Flash 
or Javascript on tens of thousands of sites.

Yes-I-am-a-bitter-old-curmudgeon-ly y'rs,

-- 
Steven