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The LangaList
10-Feb-00
A Free Email Newsletter from Fred
Langa
That Helps You Get More From Your Hardware,
Software, and Time Online
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"Mozilla 5.0," the
long-awaited, much-delayed, open-source successor to Netscape Communicator and
Navigator, finally is in Alpha release. Mozilla 5 has been
architecturally complete since last November's "M11" pre-Alpha
release. The M12 release in December cleaned up the code and added various
debugging and reporting tools. The new M13 release is a stabilized, more
polished version of M12, and is the first official "Alpha" release of
Mozilla 5: It's intended for full-time use by developers so that they can sniff
out the problems that remain before the beta, and then final, releases. But anyone can download a copy of
the alpha from http://www.mozilla.org/binaries.html
and it's instructive to do so. For one thing, because the M13 build is
architecturally complete, it will give you a good idea of where the Moz5 project
is heading. I grabbed a copy and put it
through its paces using---what else?--- BrowserTune 2000. ( http://www.browsertune.com/bt2k
) I present all the results in my
informationWeek Online column this week: I'll list the highs and lows, the
plusses and minuses, and the whole nine yards. But so you won't think I'm just
teasing you, let me say that, for an Alpha, the M13 release of Moz5 is in
excellent shape. But I have to wonder if it will
matter. Up until a few weeks ago, I might have said yes: I thought AOL might
drop its agreement with Microsoft, for example, and supply all its 22+ million
users with a copy of Mozilla, making it an instant hit and a major force. But
now that AOL has become the media giant it is (with Time Warner and EMI records
now becoming part of AOL), any attempt to force-feed a particular browser to its
users could run afoul of antitrust laws. In effect, AOL would be doing exactly
the same thing it accused Microsoft of doing during the Microsoft-Department Of
Justice trial. Plus, Mozilla 5 is very, very
late; during the hiatus, Microsoft has cleaned up its browser act and turned the
free IE5 into a highly capable, standards-compliant browser; Opera is still
advancing, and getting better with each release; and, according to BrowserWatch,
there are more than two dozen other browser types and brands out on the web. It's not as though there's a
crying need for yet another browser out there. I last covered Mozilla almost a
year ago in this space, and my conclusions then may still apply: I said Mozilla
will "be a hit (almost no matter what) among the rabid anti-Microsoft
partisans, but it's hard to imagine what inducement the Mozillans or Netscape
could offer to average business users who already have an excellent browser…." But what's your take? Will
Mozilla be strong enough to succeed in its own right, or will it gain users only
among those who hate Microsoft? Will AOL force-feed the new browser to its
users, carpet-bombing the world with Mozilla CDs? Do you think Netscape and the
Mozillans can catch up, or has too much time elapsed? Is it "game
over" for Netscape--- or a whole new beginning? Join in the ongoing
discussion running now at http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter
. Click to
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Reader "Phil S" says: Josh Quittner's column
in Time (of the Time Warner/AOL merger) seems to imply that all those AOL
meltdowns can be fixed with a simple button click. Hmmmmm. http://www.pathfinder.com/time/digital/yourtech/0,2936,38849,00.html Thanks, Phil, and "Hmmmm"
indeed. As soon as I saw Quittner's article, my BS detector went off the scale.
Columns like his make me embarrassed to be a computer journalist. Not only was
Quittner's article incorrect on the face of it (you cannot correct the worst of
the AOL problems with a single click---sometimes even a complete uninstall won't
fix things!) it merely parrots AOL's official line, which is that users
are causing the problem by choosing the wrong settings at install time. And
that's total BS: Both in design and implementation, the AOL install software is
simply a sorry piece of code. (See http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/02.htm
and http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/03.htm
) But guess what? Quittner works
for Time, which (as Phil pointed out) is now going to be owned by AOL. I invite
you to draw your own conclusions. Ironically, CNN also is going to
be owned by AOL (when the merger goes through), but the folks there have been
thorough and fearless in covering the AOL5 debacle with a variety of broadcast
and online stories. Most recently, they ran a piece describing how the... ...Eco Electronic
Commerce Forum e.V., an association that mainly represents the interests of
German Internet service providers, Thursday advised German consumers to 'inform
themselves about the difficulties that can occur, and what they should do about
them" before they install what it called the 'crash-prone" program.' (
See http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/02/07/aol.warning.idg/index.html
) And, despite Quittner's glib
remarks about a one-click fix, I'm still getting a lot of mail like this: From: wundrSoul Hello, Can someone
,anyone tell me where to turn? After installing AOL 5.w0e, my Toshiba lap top is
useless.....I cannot access any portion of the web.. no outlook express, no Seti@home,
no net explorer, no Netscape, nothing...and after following AOL Tech directions
(numerous hours via phone) and uninstall/install , I now also have no AOL, no
instant msng nothing..Now they refuse to even let me speak to a supervisor to
register a formal complaint....was told no one would follow up on my complaint
.....I quote the AOL supervisor " you can email Steve case if you want to.
AOL will not acknowledge you" This is Horrific !!!!!!!
My computer is useless....I can dial into and establish a connection with my ISP
but nothing works...What can I do? Who do I call ? Do I need a lawyer? Disgusted AOL member
soon to be x-member Quittner and Time ought to either
do some research before offering tech solutions and commentary, or maybe (here's
a radical thought) actually talk to end users. Or they could just take a
look at what CNN is doing not only to get the full story on AOL software, but to
get a clue about what responsible journalism looks like. Sheesh! Want to add your voice to the
controversy? Click to the discussions via http://content.techweb.com/winmag//columns/explorer/2000/03.htm Click to
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Wow! I guess you liked the
ZoneLabs free firewall I told you about last issue! ( See http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2000/7-feb-00.htm#3
) Here's a note that suggests just
how much you liked it: Fred I very much appreciate
your article on ZoneAlarm (except that it nearly brought down our servers
<g>). We've had 100K plus downloads in less then a week and it is
accelerating. Thanks again and best
regards, Gregor Freund But ZoneAlarm isn't perfect, as I
alluded to last week. It can be unstable and may cause unusual interactions with
other software. In any case, you shouldn't "put all your eggs" in any
one security basket, and that's why my WinMag column next week will be about how
to close the worst security holes in Windows networking without any additional
software whatsoever, and for free. I'm still writing the article
now--- stay tuned! Click to
email this item to a friend Brian Douglas ran afoul of an
all-too-common problem with Scandisk and Defrag: Dear Fred, I read your column all
the time since I got my computer in October And before that in the magazine. You
are a valuable resource. the point of my writing may be a problem many windows
98 SE users may be having and might be helpful to them as well. The problem is
with my Defrag and Scandisk programs. Something, according to the message I am
getting, is writing to my hard drive. I have tried hitting ctrl-alt-escape and
quitting everything. I have disabled my USB monitoring. I have done this to
varying degrees from some off to all off. I have even tried it in safe mode.
Still something is writing to my drive about every minute. Is there a program
that can tell me what program is doing this? Help!!! Sincerely, Brian
Douglas I was about to write an answer
when I saw that fellow WinMag columnist Dave Methvin had just posted a complete
(and clever) workaround here: http://content.techweb.com/winmag//fixes/defrag.htm Check it out! Click to
email this item to a friend There's nothing I can add to this
note. It speaks for itself: Fred, I have to pass
along a real danger in using some software companies' phone support. I have been
using Peachtree Accounting software for my small business and recently had to
use their phone support to solve a software problem. I called them, waited 20
minutes on hold, and finally got help for my problem, which took 8 minutes. I recently received my
phone bill with a charge of over $100 for the phone support. It seems that their
advertised $4/minute charge includes time on HOLD! It seems that there are other
piranhas out there besides Microsoft and AOL. This may help some of
your readers evaluate the wisdom of phone support. J. Roche Click to
email this item to a friend The Recommend-it
site used to give away Palm III organizers as an incentive to use their service;
now they've upped the ante--- way, way up, to $10,000! If you think the
LangaList is a worthwhile read, just use the following link to recommend the
LangaList to a friend. Your friend just may find a new source of useful
information; I just may gain a new subscriber; and you just may win $10,000 or
other prizes from the folks at "Recommend-It." (The new giveaway
starts Feb 7th; full details will also be available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#1 Or, win a copy of
"Poor Richard's E-Mail Publishing: Creating Newsletters, Bulletins,
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details also available via this link): http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 Either way, thank
you, and good luck! Click to
email this item to a friend Reader Robert Mundy needed a
powerful yet simple HTML editor, and didn't like the commercial offerings that
were available. So, he wrote one himself! Fred, I've just written
a tag based HTML editor called WebZard HTML. Its for advanced users who want to
save a bit of time with their HTML writing. It's available completely free (not
a beta version) at http://www.webzard.co.uk/html
. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks, Robert Mundy (author, WebZard HTML) Thank *you*, Robert! Click to
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Reader Tony Kaye sends these
along. Some are groaners and some are too cruel to ever consider really using,
but I'll bet you find one or two that make you say "I can't wait to use
this one!" <g> Things you wish
you could say at work (Part One): 1. Ah, I see the
screw-up fairy has visited us again… Click to
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See you next issue! Best, (Please recommend
the LangaList to a friend! (And maybe win a Palm III) An easier-to read formatted HTML version is
available in the "what's new" section of http://www.langa.com.
(The HTML version of each issue normally is available by 9AM EST [GMT-5] of the
issue date.) All past LangaList issues are also available via the same link. Why are you getting this newsletter? There are
only two ways to get on the list (direct email request or via the WinMag mail
list signup page) so if you're getting this newsletter; your name came to me
through one of those channels. SUBSCRIBE (it's free!): Send email to subscribe-langalist@lyris.dundee.net About
the advertisers: Langa Consulting LLC will never knowingly accept
advertising for a fraudulent product, company or service. However, Langa Consulting LLC makes no implied or explicit warranty, recommendation or endorsement
of or for the products, companies or services mentioned in the ads. Disclaimer:
The tips and other information given in the newsletter are researched and are
believed to be accurate, but we cannot and do not guarantee that all the
information here will work on all systems, for all users, all the time. All
information herein is offered as-is and without warranty of any kind. Neither
Langa Consulting LLC, nor its employees nor contributors are responsible for any
loss, injury, or damage, direct or consequential, resulting from application of
any information presented here. This newsletter is a free service of Langa Consulting LLC and is Copyright © 2000 Langa Consulting LLC. All rights reserved.1)
At Long Last: Mozilla 5
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Pull On Your Waders: Major BS Ahead!
Sent Tuesday, February 08, 2000 1126 PM
Subject AOL 5.woe
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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ZoneAlarm (FREE Personal Firewall) Blowout!
President, Zone Labs Inc.
http://www.zonelabs.com
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Defrag/Scandisk Woes
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Wow! Talk About A Rip-Off!
http://www.langa.com/sendit.htm
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So You Want To Be A $10,000-aire?
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Free Software From Another LangaList Reader
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Just For Grins
2. I don't know what your problem is, but I bet it's hard to pronounce.
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to worship me.
6. I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter.
7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.
8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
10. I can see your point, but I STILL think you're full of crap.
11. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a darn.
14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. It'll be ready Thursday – now, which Thursday is another question.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
19. What am I? Fly paper for freaks?
20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. No, my powers can only be used for good.
24. You sound reasonable. Time to up the medication.
25. And your crybaby whiny-butt opinion would be…?
http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm
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Fred
(fred@langa.com)
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