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What to do about Java in the browser?  XML
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Mark Phillips


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Joined: 1969.12.31 00:00:00
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Location: Watsonville, CA
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Once upon a time, long ago before I was born, Java was the most secure programing and runtime environment on the Internet. It was designed for security, and pretty difficult to mess up, unlike the great majority of programming languages including C, the most common thing on the Internet, which was and remains retardedly easy for bad guys - they're always guys, aren't they? - to mess with.

Nowadays with our friends at Oracle owning Java, the security story is majorly changed. You get security warnings in the browser when encountering Java applets, and there's an industry of Java-hating, or anyway Oracle-hating pundits swearing on stacks of bank accounts that Java should be disabled, deinstalled, deleted, and damned.

We detect a trend.

So, what to do?

Ideas:

- Re-write the browser applets in Flash.

- Surrender the PC, move all development to mobile devices and tablets.

- Encourage y'all to ignore the warnings and carry on.

- I dunno what else.

Well - we don't like giving up PCs/laptops, 'cause they're popular with disabled people, particularly our blind players who interact with text via readers.

Mobile clients are coming.

Anybody want to volunteer to write a flash client? Didn't think so.

What do y'all think?

--M

Bartle quotiet: E80, A67, S47, K7. TriadCity characters: Mark, Poobah, Occam, Abelard.
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Mark Phillips


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Joined: 1969.12.31 00:00:00
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Location: Watsonville, CA
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I think we have a solution.

The relatively recent WebSockets facility of HTML5 will let us concoct the kinds of communication protocols expected between TC clients and the server. This means we can write an HTML/Javascript client which'll look and behave more or less as the current Applet does, but run securely in any browser with no plugins required.

There are a lot of good things about this approach.

And some bad ones. Including giving up the Java-based work on client-side natural language processing begun by brilliant folks earlier this year. And, being a boatload of work.

Still. I think it's the right thing. There's a prototype in progress and it really is kinda nice. Watch this space.

Bartle quotiet: E80, A67, S47, K7. TriadCity characters: Mark, Poobah, Occam, Abelard.
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Lisa Chau



Joined: 2003.06.02 00:00:00
Messages: 591
Location: Kalaheo, Kauai, HI
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I had a peek at the new TriadCity this afternoon. Nice! Looks clean, sharp. Similar but more polished.

I had a lot of network problems, trying both Chrome and Firefox. Got bounced out. Let me know when you're ready to try again.

Chiensha, Moorea, Vicodin, Xanax, Zoloft.
Lisa Chau



Joined: 2003.06.02 00:00:00
Messages: 591
Location: Kalaheo, Kauai, HI
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Do you want comments here?

It looks great. No kidding, really great. Crisp and modern. Going back to the old feels fuzzy.
I had some network trouble at first, but not since yesterday. Did you fix something? Or is it luck?
Surveys don't work yet. You know this?

How do you want bugs and suggestions reported?

Chiensha, Moorea, Vicodin, Xanax, Zoloft.
Mark Phillips


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Joined: 1969.12.31 00:00:00
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Location: Watsonville, CA
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Appreciate you checking it out!

Just email me with comments for now. It's looking more baked all the time, but, not ready to declare victory yet! Will take it public soon I hope.

Thanks again!

--M

Bartle quotiet: E80, A67, S47, K7. TriadCity characters: Mark, Poobah, Occam, Abelard.
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Mark Phillips


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Joined: 1969.12.31 00:00:00
Messages: 2199
Location: Watsonville, CA
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Quick update:

We're pursuing a dual strategy for now.

- The applet is now signed, eliminating the most scary of the scary security warnings.

- The HTML5 client is online for testing.

Following industry trends, we see the HTML5 version as the future. But, we're finding it to be a little bit wonky with network problems. So for the time being we'll sign the applet while continuing to try to mature the HTML5 version.

More on this story as it develops.

Bartle quotiet: E80, A67, S47, K7. TriadCity characters: Mark, Poobah, Occam, Abelard.
[Email] [WWW]
Lisa Chau



Joined: 2003.06.02 00:00:00
Messages: 591
Location: Kalaheo, Kauai, HI
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I switched back to the applet today after playing the HTML5 one for weeks. I like the changes. It looks cleaner than before. The TC logo looks nice on the login box.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2014.01.02 17:38:28


Chiensha, Moorea, Vicodin, Xanax, Zoloft.
 
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