skymama 37 #1 January 11, 2013 I saw a bit on the news this morning that the government suggested that everyone should uninstall Java because of security concerns. Do you computer techies agree with this? Will some internet sites not work well without it? I'm not even sure what Java does!She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man, because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
unkulunkulu 0 #2 January 11, 2013 Haha, you have a remarkable government there (I mean they care about their citizens so much) :) Uninstalling seems too radical, security bugs come and go, the developers work on it and to my knowledge Java is not vulnerable by design and they release updates from time to time. Yes, some sites will not work, however they're pretty rare. Some local programs could stop working too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Coreece 190 #3 January 11, 2013 meh...java isn't much of a concern. hacking will soon be obsolete. there's a group of monkeys working on "counterhack" that bombards hackers with bogus info rendering them useless. Basically any info obtained will be unreliable...credit cards numbs, passwords...all fake. they can still mess your computer up, but it'll all be in vain, lol...ya, I'm a geniusYour secrets are the true reflection of who you really are... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest 1 #4 January 11, 2013 I haven't run across many web sites that actually use it in recent years. Java as a write-once-run-anywhere platform for enhanced web applications has largely been a failure. Rather than use the language that was custom-built for such applications, a remarkable amount of work has gone into getting the most out of the browser's javascript (which has nothing to do with Java, oddly) capabilities and Adobe's Flash. I'm not sure most people would have anything installed that actually uses java, unless you play Minecraft. If you don't know what minecraft is, go check out the videos. This one still cracks me up. For most people, I don't think they'd even notice if they uninstalled it. You could also just disable it in your browser and that would probably help. In firefox you can just click on the firefox button on the left side (Assuming Windows 7) and select "add-ons" from the drop down menu, then go to plugins, find the Java plug-in and click "disable." That'll at least keep web-based apps from running java apps on your browser. I run noscript in Firefox and something similar on Chrome, which prevents unknown web sites from running Java, Javascript or flash. I whitelist the web sites that are allowed to do anything in my browser. This isn't perfect security, but I feel safer doing that than not. It also makes the web significantly less obnoxious to wander around. Occasionally I have to use someone else's computer and am reminded just how "noisy" the unfiltered web actually is.I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DiverMike 5 #5 January 11, 2013 +1 What he said. If you can, use Chrome or Firefox and avoid Internet Explorer. For the same reason I jump off a perfectly good diving board. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 140 #6 January 11, 2013 the bravest people unistall all internet connections scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,590 #7 January 11, 2013 You can just disable it in the browser settings; No need to uninstall. Or, if like me, you are running Chrome on Mac OS X, it isn't even an issue. (Chrome is still 32-bit and can't use the 64-bit Java on the Mac)."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theonlyski 8 #8 January 11, 2013 Quote the bravest people unistall all internet connections There's a fool proof method for keeping people out of your computer. (provided you have it physically secured and no wireless)"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890 I'm an asshole, and I approve this message Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
unkulunkulu 0 #9 January 11, 2013 Outdated, doesn't solve my WiFi issue. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheBachelor 5 #10 January 11, 2013 I have 30 years in the computer industry, and yes, I disabled it. It may or may not cause you any issues -- it all depends on the web sites you use. Instructions to disable it are here: http://www.java.com/en/download/help/disable_browser.xmlThere are battered women? I've been eating 'em plain all of these years... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sfzombie 3 #11 January 12, 2013 personally, i would not allow java on my system at all, ever. my son plays minecraft, in a virtual machine, running on his linux system(he's 9). most people have old versions of java anyway, to check, hold the windows key down and hit the letter r, when the run box comes up, type appwiz.cpl and hit enter. scroll down to see how many javas you have and if you're using the latest one(7.9). the thing about java is that when you update it, it installs the new one without removing the others. I have seen as many as 12 installed versions. not sure if this slows things down, but they take up space. you really want to disable scripting in your web browser, search the internet to tell you how. there was a recent concern with php scripts and security last week i think. then think about getting rid of adobe reader, the 2d biggest security risk around. there are many free versions of pdf reader that work without the risks.http://kitswv.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest 1 #12 January 12, 2013 Personally I don't care for the language, although I've written plenty in it. Managers get all starry eyed when you talk about the java goals, but it really doesn't buy you that much. Most of the time your shop only has a single platform anyway, and java on its own does not insure any higher quality than any other language. People tend to assume that professional software engineers are better than average, but that's really not the case. In my experience only about 10% of programmers actually enjoy programming or go out of their way to better their skills at it. For the rest of them it's just a fat paycheck, and they're varying degrees of mediocre. So you can't really assume anything about the quality of any software you install. I feel like you probably get a higher concentration of the good programmers in open source simply because they're not paid for that stuff, and you kind of have to enjoy programming to write any. Even then, it's really easy to make the kind of mistake that leaves a computer vulnerable to attack. Java was supposed to eliminate many of the things that could cause security holes. Turns out, apparently, not so much. It does appear that they finally did achieve their goal of "write once, run anywhere." Just... for writers of malware.I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skyrad 0 #13 January 12, 2013 I uninstalled it about a year ago, i don't really have any real issues with websites.When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy. Lucius Annaeus Seneca Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #14 January 12, 2013 OK, on my stupid-ass Vista machine, a search for "java" found 3 in the c:/windows/system32 folder: java.exe javaw.exe javaws.exe You're saying it's OK to delete these because they have no added benefit??My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,590 #15 January 12, 2013 Quote Then go to Java and download whatever is there that fits your machine. Set your updates to 'notify me only but let me choose when to download and install updates,' instead of 'automatically download and install updates'. Huh? The *current* Java has the exploits. There is *no* fixed version."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sfzombie 3 #16 January 13, 2013 if i can chime in here, you should always uninstall first from the control panel(i used the example above appwiz.cpl, it's easier than navigating with the touchpad of a laptop, and when you're a tech and the end user sees you typing things in and running things, it inspires more confidence in your skills, in reality, it just saves me time) or i would definitely recommend using iobit uninstaller(free download last time i checked) and using the forced uninstall option to remove all the things the windows installer leaves behind(not all the time, but enough that it can make a difference over time). then go look for the remnants.http://kitswv.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,590 #17 January 14, 2013 Java 7 Update 11 now available: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingRhenquest 1 #18 January 14, 2013 If you didn't notice any difference when you uninstalled it, may as well not re-install it.I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
popsjumper 2 #19 January 14, 2013 Quote If you didn't notice any difference when you uninstalled it, may as well not re-install it. Haven't noticed anything yet but it's only been two days.My reality and yours are quite different. I think we're all Bozos on this bus. Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
1969912 0 #20 January 14, 2013 I uninstalled it yesterday. Nothing different so far. "Once we got to the point where twenty/something's needed a place on the corner that changed the oil in their cars we were doomed . . ." -NickDG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
