Why us T-bird instead of OE? Serious question.

Okay -- for two months I have been using Firefox and Thunderbird.
Firefox is fine -- I do not miss the popups that FF blocks and I no
longer have to run AdAware and SpyBot to clean up the mess, although I
still run both applications once a week just to check (when using IE, I
ran both apps daily to clean out the trash).

My question is about security issues with Outlook Express. I prefer OE
to Thunderbird mainly because I find the OE message rules easier to
build and modify than Thunderbird's filters. It may just be a learning
curve thing but I still prefer OE.

If I use FF as my browser and OE as my mail and newsreader, am I
defeating the security advantages of FF?

Why do I want to use T-bird instead of OE?

Thanks.

 

I use Firefox and OE.

I tried Tbird for awhile, and there's really nothing wrong with it, but it
isn't as useful for viewing Newsgroups...especially binaries (can't view
multi-part binaries or yenc posts without a fairly lengthy workaround, for
instance). It also seems to have some issues with the way it displays
Newsgroups (forgets views, sorted-by, that sort of thing). And, since I'm
on Newsgroups so often, Tbird was just becoming a nuisance.

For simply sending and receiving emails, though, it was fine. I actually
prefer a couple of things about Tbird, but they weren't enough to make me
permanently switch.

I don't think you're defeating the securities advantages of FF by using OE.
If you know how to receive email without infecting your system -- THAT'S the
main security problem with OE or any other email program. Don't forget that
a lot of the security issues we read about are the result of an
overly-paranoid public being scared into thinking that at every turn there's
some horrible virus attempting to destroy their computer, when the reality
is, with the exception of the occasional ad or bit of spyware (which are
relatively harmless - they're not going to format your hard drive or
anything), most people never or rarely get infected. Unless they are doing
things that common sense tells them they shouldn't do. For instance, I
hadn't had a single pop-up on IE in nearly three years, because I installed
the right stuff and ensured that my settings were a certain way to avoid
them in the first place. I also have NEVER had a virus, and have had only
minor encounters with spyware / adware.

I still think that the 'security flaws' in IE are mostly the fault of the
users, not the program itself...although it is true that even an
inexperienced user would have a harder time infecting themselves with FF.
That being said, though, FF is still new (for the majority of users, anyway)
and a) someone who doesn't know what they're doing could still download
viruses and spyware into their computer by being foolish, and b) because
it's so new, I am positive that given time, we will start to see some of the
same security flaws that we complain about with IE, and those who want to
cause trouble will figure out how to utilize FF to cause that trouble.

Anyway, sorry I got off on a rant there.... No, I don't think you have to
worry about using OE with FF. Although I'm sure someone else will pipe-up
and tell you all about the evils of OE any minute now!!!

Drude

 

One feature I like is that TB allows for HTML viewing of e-mail w/o
loading remote images. All the benefits of HTML w/ none of the risks.

And, if the sender is trusted, a single click will load the images.

 

OE has that too, since SP2.

Drude

 

I'd been using FF for a while, I have never liked the way that IE used
HTML, it's also far too big, FF is smoother and more secure.

I moved over to TB when Windows Update fried my PC, with all the bloaty
security updates for OE and IE. That's when I figured stuff Microsoft
if their browser and mail client need this much constant updating they
can't be much kop in the first place. So I ditched the lot OE,
Messenger and Media Player completely uninstalled, I kept IE for Windows
Update and because I had no choice. I replaced IE with FF, OE with TB,
Media Player with WinAmp and messenger with Qnext, which is great you
can access MSN, AIM, Yahoo and ICQ chat networks simultaneously. It can
be used as a peer to peer file transfer client too.

Now I have ditched all the MS stuff, my PC runs faster, boots faster and
my whole internet experience is much smoother and safer. Basically
Microsoft make half decent operating systems and office software, but
their web suite sucks.

Cheers.

 

At a price ...

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+to+secure+IE+for+XP+only/2100-1032_3-
5378366.html

 

So I ditched the lot OE,

I did the same except I use trillian instead of Qnext and have never
looked back since. It is so much faster, compact and lighter.

 

At a price ...

Oh, I agree...it'd MS doing the money grab again....

But still, most people by now have downloaded SP2. And the feature I spoke
of is available if you have SP2.

Whether MS wants to shoot themselves in the foot and force people to switch
to other browsers is their problem and has little to do with what I was
talking about.

-Drude

 

But that still leaves out the tens of millions of non-XP Windows users who
don't feel they should have to shell out a hundred bucks and suffer
through the pain of updating and patching their OS just so they don't have
to worry about issues they shouldn't have had to worry about in the first
place. For many people, the value simply isn't there to justify going to
XP.

 

No, but you're missing the security advantages of Thunderbird.

OE is little more than a mail interface extension to IE; it is still
vulnerable to the same exploits IE suffers, particularly if you use html
mail and allow scripting, ActiveX and such like.

 

"pain of updating"??? The only possible pain is suffered by slow dialup
connections and/or those who refuse to figure out how to secure their
systems. On Windows (98SE and XP) the update process for me, on several
systems, has been virtually painless. And one time when I did have an
ongoing problem with Windows Update I posted a query via the MS support
mechanism and got a phone call within a day from a tech who worked with
me to resolve the problem. It pays to be nice.

Sorry, the overwhelming evidence is that XP is a far superior OS for
most people. Yes, there are installation caveats as there are with any
program. Research and take care and it is well worth it, MS paranoia
and irrational hatred aside.

It sure would be nice if the world's biggest corporations were as
responsive as our nice next-door neighbor. Ain't ever gonna happen. But
I'd rather have MS and it's resources there if I need them. And, yes, I
CAN figure out how to get to them. And, yes, they DO respond.

Enough with the paranoia and bashing. Computers aren't toasters. Yeah,
you can buy one at Walmart but that doesn't change the paradigm that
puts a huge onus of responsibility on the user. As soon as users get
over that mis-conception the better off we'll be because it'll be
another 10 or 20 years before PCs approach the simplicity of an
appliance. Users have to accept much more responsibility for their
systems and their selves if they hope to survive. Either that or just
sell the darned things and wait for the postman to arrive.

Sorry for the rant. I'm just weary of all the paranoia and reactionary
condemnation of a successful company and its very viable products. Life
ain't perfect. Right. Get over it and learn to live.

On the other hand, I know I'm spitting into the wind. The average
person wants it all without expenditure of any effort. Good luck in
life is all I can say.

 

kill *all* script,etc settings in internet zone of internet options, espec since there's no need in oe. be sure oe's set for internet
zone. (= most strict avail to oe. ie also has restricted zone, but i don't think you can choose that for oe)

but allow minimum workable winupdate settings in trusted zone, and add winupdate sites to that zone.