A Truce in the Browser Wars

A Truce in the Browser Wars

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News » A Truce in the Browser Wars

By brianj. Wednesday, 23. November 2005, 15:16:30

Opera developers recently met with groups from other major browser. The meeting was based on creating a unified certificate system that would be familiar to users regardless of browser preference. This standard would aid users in easily identifying insecure sites.
We've put together a short summary with our take on the meeting. Do you think this is enough? How much participation would you like to see between browser makers?

This definitely is a step in the right direction. The question remains though about how (and how much) the browser-makers can influence the entities issuing certificates to comply with such a standard; and how much slack certain browsers will cut so that they do not "stop working" for sites that refuse to comply with the better security measures proposed.

That said, I wish this endeavor all the very best.

By neeraj_deshmukh, # 23. November 2005, 16:09:51

To improve on Opera's current implementation, I think the browser, alongside the informtaion about the level of security, should give some advise to the user.

When Opera's padlock is at 3, all seems fine. But as soon as it is lower, it might be difficult to interpret the result: should I trust the site? What can I do to verify that this is really the site I want...

Excellent meeting and excellent initiative from the browser vendors. What are the next steps and when will they occur?

By lsaplai, # 23. November 2005, 17:10:55

My guess there're going to be some security changes in Opera 9. It seems the ideal time for it...

By YtseJam, # 23. November 2005, 18:37:25

I think such standards are indispensable, espacially for users who aren`t experts and uses differents browsers in work/home etc..

By qlweb, # 23. November 2005, 20:33:48

While I welcome the initiative, might I remember you that color codes are not enough? I'm personally not color-blind, however, many are affected, and when I look at http://colorfilter.wickline.org/?a=1;r=;l=0;j=1;u=blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/11/21/495507.aspx;t=p I think the suggested colors are, well, sub-optimal.

By dors, # 23. November 2005, 21:47:31

very good to make a standard easy to recognize for all kinds of users. thumbs up!

By MyFriendJack, # 23. November 2005, 21:49:37

I wasn't completely certain whether the KHTML people were also representing Safari (which is based on Konqueror) or whether Apple was not represented ... I think something needs to be said whether we can expect Safari to follow suit. I believe they will - one way or the other - but something does need to be said as to whether the KHTML team was also representing Safari or not.

I know the main user skin designers for Opera had decided among themselves not to modify colors on the "lock box", and any artistic considerations were secondary to the usability issue. Glad to see the main browser makers can reach a similar conclusion.

By sgunhouse, # 23. November 2005, 23:00:18

My hat is off to you folks. We need some commonality (like a standard gauge railroad track) to facilitate the transfer of ideas and commerce. The wonderful intelligence that created and developed the web should not allow the malcontents and baddies to ruin what is a great medium for the decent folks. No one likes to be told what to do and more new rules are not welcome, but as long as there are malicious individuals who choose to be underhanded, then a clear and comprehensible framework must be implemented. Hammer it out gentlemen and gentle women because if farsighted, enlightened people do not handle it, then sooner or later, the authorities will be forced to deal with it in their usual ham-handed way.

By bigraggoo, # 24. November 2005, 00:59:15

Good stuff from the Toronto meeting. Thanks to the Opera team for leading the way on providing a CA-identification feature in Opera8 address bar. I was very impressed when I first saw it.

With respect to browser collaboration, I noticed a comment in the IEblog about enabling the MS Download Center via a FF plug-in. Please reach Microsoft to allow Opera to be fully-functional also, for Windows/Office updates, etc...
<http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2005/11/16/493689.aspx>

Keep up the great innovations.

(I like Opera v9.0p1...the web forms support is better for Gmail.)

/kt

By kamalesh, # 24. November 2005, 01:11:50

I would have thought the IE guys would have lured other browser teams to a small hut meeting in the scottish countryside under the pretense of a "truce" . Once there, they would seal the doors to the meeting place along with the fate of our beloved heros.

Or maybe that was Braveheart.... anyway: "FREEDOM!!!!!!!!!!"

Sorry- I've had a few beers in early anticipation of Thanksgiving.

By elcid73, # 24. November 2005, 02:59:56

Will be nice to see more things like this to come in near future

By SerbianFighter, # 24. November 2005, 04:53:32

This should be heartily-welcomed. Yeah! Most of the users don't recognize how many browsers out there. (from text-only to graphic-hungry IE and others.) But all they know is browsers should fulfill their information-needy. Yes. Browsers must be easy-to-use and, what is more, they must look alike. (abeit I don't like Internet Explorer for my personal reasons.

By neolaw, # 24. November 2005, 10:50:18

common validation guidelines for rigorous website identification is the need of the hour, the need shoulbe addressed early and effectivlly. As internationallisation proceeds fsat in all directions i.e economy(finance, trading)

By pinfinit, # 24. November 2005, 13:16:43

First off, my kudos too to all, any step forward in consensus of functionality and especially security will improve net life for everyone.

To improve on Opera's current implementation, I think the browser, alongside the informtaion about the level of security, should give some advise to the user. --lsaplai

I concur with lsaplai, and would refine this a bit: optionally provide a pop-up box with the details on why O decided that the site is yellow or red.

This could help users and net managers protect themselves against malign sites from the firewall, for instance, and assist site managers who have unwitingly allowed malicious docs or files, to remove them quickly.

Also, while we're at it, O could save the non-green sites' URLs externally, some ini file or something.

By D_n, # 24. November 2005, 14:15:19

I said before... "do it, do it again, then do it again and then do it a few more times just for fun and then keep doing it and don't ever stop doing it". Opera has to make a stand moreso on security than *trivial add-ons* and not just to be *the best* internet experience but the safest.

The next step is to help Opera users who wish to set-up their own Certificate(s) to do so... as getting one and then using it is not as easy OR FREE as it should be... and the free way is a complicated, overlooked, lonely-road-kinda-pain in the azz folks. But, good move on the Certificates talks so far. Just don't let the Microsuck peeps enevitable stalling slow the process. Move forward and keep notes on your progress for when they begin to fall behind (because they will fall behind, they always have, and they still will ... as it still pays them well to do so, now that they've made a stand on having their own anti-whatever-software bet the horse that they don't want to make those purchases obsolete... fear has always been M$'s friend - #1 friend in fact). Now, just don't forget these things

By innbound, # 24. November 2005, 17:58:25

Umm ... don't know what to say. If IE is more secure, less people migrate to alternative browsers, expanding M$'s monopoly again, after it had been endangered in the last years by Opera and FireFox on the windows platform.

Though ... I know a few people using IE and am glad to regard them as more secure in future.

And of course, it was really really nice that there's something that unites such different (at least I think so) minds.

By _Grey_, # 24. November 2005, 20:18:08

This form of cross-browser cooperation is a great step to take. :-)

I can't see how it'll hurt the users of web browsers; rather the opposite. In this case, a unified stance with common standards about security sounds much better than a split between browsers.

As for the color codes and color blind people, it uses icons in additions to colors, from what I've seen.

By Northgrove, # 26. November 2005, 21:08:24

My hats off to all of you. You put aside your differences for the common good of the people. Its nice to know that you guys really care about our security.

By WMConnor, # 28. November 2005, 16:53:21

I agree that this is probably a good step. Standards for security are needed. However, I have a small caveat. I hope that this and similar steps will not dampen the spirit of competition. Healthy competition has produced the excellent alternative to IE that Opera has become and it can drive you and others to higher peaks of performance as well.

Blessings to you and yours this Christmas.

By pastordo, # 30. November 2005, 13:18:14

Great. Its good to see that major producers have their customer's welfare at heart. A bit of standardisation between browsers, particularly with regards to security can only enhance the reputation of the browser producers. Suggest some caution with regards to the certificates Microsoft suggest. Viewers with red/green colour blindness may have some problems. Suggest the use of icons, either in a tool bar or as pop-ups, with suitable graphics to ensure everybody gets the message.

By willebee, # 30. November 2005, 22:07:48

Great.

By qicai02, # 18. June 2006, 03:22:54

hi,

the first browser war ended with the dead of netscape.
now it is more like the work of the intelligent services in the "cold war" of the 50´s and 60´s

stay tuned

By bugscout, # 12. August 2006, 10:21:17

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