Java now needs to be enabled

[bonzoe]

Problem back again today...............but my gmail accounts working. Just what are Virgin playing at??

Javascript error, but it is enabled......

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by joglynne

@tiz, please forgive me asking what I suspect is a silly question but why don't you use Java, and what do you use instead?

I think it's perhaps pointing out that although they share a similar name and in some ways a similar code structure, Java and Javascript are quite different beasts.

Javascript is built in to all browsers and is often used for ads, and for other things like input validation, and navigation on websites. While it's got more powerful over time, it was originally intended as a language to enable websites to be a little more interactive. Javascript cannot (AFAIK) be used to develop applications that run outside a web browser.

Java is a more advanced language, and while it can be used to do things like provide web menus and ads, it isn't generally in my experience. Thus most people have no real need for Java, unless they are using a package that is partially (or wholly) written in Java. Java can be used to develop applications that run inside or outside a web browser. Java is not built in to any web browser, and needs a plug in installed on the computer to run it.

Java is, unfortunately, proving to be extremely good at distributing Malware. So much so that I personally think it's time Sun (the programmers) did what MS did a few years ago with Windows. After the security embarrassment that was XP, shortly before the release of Vista and Service Pack 2 for XP, Microsoft stopped all development on Windows. Then they did a complete security audit on all of their source code and ended up deleting and re-writing a lot of it. It meant that Windows saw no new features for several months, but security on both XP and Vista was improved massively over previous versions.

That's not to say that Javascript cannot be used to deliver Malware. It can. It just seems that Java is being hit hardest at the moment.

[joglynne]

Thank you Stuart for that very interesting post. I have to admit to being very ignorant about a fair bit of IT 'stuff' and members of this forum are truly a mine of information. I guess I am akin to an awful lot of computer users, happy to use the machinery but I haven't any real idea of what goes on under the hood.

I do try to read-around any problems I have, and do Google anything that that is mentioned that I don't understand, but you have to know what questions to ask in order to get any information. All too often the information I track down is written in such a way that I end up having to Google the explanation before I can get it into words I understand.

So just in case I have ever failed to thank you guys enough for all the helpful posts you make to us 'Joe Bloggs' of the world ...... Thank You one and all.

Most people do not need to know anything

Most computers I have built are still working some 10 years old or more. I always give the buyer a set of applications to keep the system clean and tidy and they always come to me if they have issues. A good 80% of the machines I have built have only ever had software issues the rest perhaps a dead hard drive failed memory mobo or PSU. I have only ever had 2 or 3 dead cpus.

(figures pulled out of nowhere so most likely bobbins lol)

[bonzoe]

The problem seems to be back, anyone else having javascript error trying to sign in?

Tried to get faults to look at this, told that I will be charged for the fault to be passed to the correct team!!

[bonzoe]

Working again, they must have fixed it