Growing up is optional

I just received a Google news alert as an HTML message. Up til now they have been ugly (but functional) plain text.

It’s good to see new things from the lab

It appears that the the best browser, Firefox is catching up. Latest stats show a significant increase over the last few months, and with the US government recommending the use of something other than IE downloads of Firefox have doubled.

I switched to firefox when version 0.8 came out a few months ago when it first came out. I have it as my default browser at home, although my wife still prefers IE.

I tried various incarnations of Mozilla/Netscape since Mozilla 0.9 and Netscape 6 just to ensure that I didn’t become too locked to Microsoft, but never saw any reason to switch. IE was the better browser. However, now the tables have truely turned. In my opinion Firefox is better than IE. We can debate and compare the features and benefits of Firefox and IE ad infinitum, but the fact remains that I just like it better.

Most users don’t see the benefit in changing browser. Their eyes glaze over as you tell them about it. Or they’ve tried Mozilla before and didn’t like it. Getting past these barriers is perhaps firefox’s biggest battle. For most it is more hassle than it is worth to change.

The security benefits of Firefox may not last for long as it gains market share. Initially it is the innovators and fast followers that are using it. I think that they generally have a higher general awareness of security issues. However, as its market share increases so does the value of the prizes for those that would exploit it. It will become a target too, but currently there is no reason for them to target anything else: why go after 5% of the market when you can hit 90% with relative ease?

When I get a flashdrive I’ll carry it with me (along with the coolest extensions). That way I can install and demo it to anyone anytime.

I haven’t played poker online in a while, but a site gave me $10 free on my birthday. The unusual thing is that Paradise Poker which is usually full of good players I am winning at (no limit too, which I usually suck at) , while I’m losing at Ultimate Bet in the tournaments (which I normally profit from). I earn less per hour than I do at work, but its fun too.

webfroot has been redesigned and is now one of the coolest looking WordPress sites I ever seen.