ISSUE-131

Code outside browser

Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary

State:

CLOSED

Product:

wsc-xit

Raised by:

Ian Fette

Opened on:

2007-11-06

Description:

8.3.2.3 says "Web user agents MUST inform the user and request consent when web content attempts to install or execute software outside of the browser environment."

This is a bit vague and probably not what we intend. For instance, when you navigate to a PDF on a browser using Acrobat Reader w/NPAPI plugin, what happens is that there is a plugin running in the browser, and then Acrobat Reader launches in the browser, and there's a ton of IPC between the plugin and Reader running in the background (which is doing the heavy lifting). This is executing software outside of the browser environment, yet I don't think this is really what we were intending to warn users about. At least, I will scream if I get a popup every time I navigate to a PDF. Seriously.

Related Actions Items:

• ACTION-359 on Ian Fette to Follow up on ISSUE-131 thread to propose removing 8.3.2.3 in email - due 2007-12-19, closed

Related emails:

1. Meeting record: WSC WG weekly 2008-01-30 (from tlr@w3.org on 2008-02-13)
2. RE: Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2008-02-13 (from weburn@hisoftware.com on 2008-02-13)
3. Re: Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2008-02-13 (from Anil.Saldhana@redhat.com on 2008-02-13)
4. Re: Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2008-02-13 (from hahnt@us.ibm.com on 2008-02-13)
5. Re: Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2008-02-13 (from maritzaj@cs.columbia.edu on 2008-02-13)
6. Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2008-02-13 (from Mary_Ellen_Zurko@notesdev.ibm.com on 2008-02-12)
7. Re: ACTION-380: Text for ISSUE-131 (from tlr@w3.org on 2008-01-31)
8. ACTION-380: Text for ISSUE-131 (from tlr@w3.org on 2008-01-31)
9. Re: ACTION-380: Text for ISSUE-131 (from ifette@google.com on 2008-01-30)
10. Re: Agenda: WSC WG weekly 2008-01-30 (from egelman@cs.cmu.edu on 2008-01-30)
11. RE: Agenda: WSC WG weekly 2008-01-30 (from dan.schutzer@fstc.org on 2008-01-29)
12. Re: Agenda: WSC WG weekly 2008-01-30 (from johnath@mozilla.com on 2008-01-29)
13. Agenda: WSC WG weekly 2008-01-30 (from tlr@w3.org on 2008-01-29)
14. Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2008-01-09 (from Mary_Ellen_Zurko@notesdev.ibm.com on 2008-01-08)
15. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from beltzner@mozilla.com on 2008-01-02)
16. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from ifette@google.com on 2008-01-02)
17. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from Anil.Saldhana@redhat.com on 2008-01-02)
18. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from ifette@google.com on 2008-01-02)
19. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from Anil.Saldhana@redhat.com on 2008-01-02)
20. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from ifette@google.com on 2007-12-20)
21. RE: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from michael.mccormick@wellsfargo.com on 2007-12-20)
22. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from ifette@google.com on 2007-12-20)
23. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from Mary_Ellen_Zurko@notesdev.ibm.com on 2007-12-20)
24. Re: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from ifette@google.com on 2007-12-19)
25. Meeting record: 2007-12-12 (from tlr@w3.org on 2007-12-19)
26. WSC Open Action Items (from Mary_Ellen_Zurko@notesdev.ibm.com on 2007-12-14)
27. Draft Minutes 12/12 (from maritzaj@cs.columbia.edu on 2007-12-12)
28. RE: Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2007-12-12 (from dan.schutzer@fstc.org on 2007-12-12)
29. Re: Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2007-12-12 (from egelman@cs.cmu.edu on 2007-12-11)
30. Agenda: WSC WG distributed meeting, Wednesday, 2007-12-12 (from Mary_Ellen_Zurko@notesdev.ibm.com on 2007-12-11)
31. Meeting record: WSC WG f2f 2007-11-06 (from tlr@w3.org on 2007-11-21)
32. Draft minutes: WSC WG 2007-11-06 (from tlr@w3.org on 2007-11-17)
33. RE: ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from michael.mccormick@wellsfargo.com on 2007-11-06)
34. ISSUE-131 (Code outside browser): Executing code outside of browser in 8.3.2.3 is vague / scary [All] (from sysbot+tracker@w3.org on 2007-11-06)

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