What is the point of . Java

Get rid of it, toast it. Average Joe does not need it

[Frank_Rizzo]

Nearly every infected PC I have looked at in the past few years contained a java virus / trojan. Laptops, desktops. New, old all had the same common vulnerability: Java.

Some of the users of those PCs did not auto update. Some did and still wonder why they were infected.

Some didn't even know what Java was ...

So here's the solution: Uninstall Java.

What is the point of it?

There is only one site I (used) to visit in which I needed Java to run properly. That site is antiquated and past its best. A bit like Java.

When I installed Open Office there was a nag screen, which asked if I wanted Java. Uh no. And OO still works fine.

When I used Jedit it wanted Java. Uh no. I quickly located an alternative editor.

Java is installed by default on most box PCs. Uninstall it and your average Joe user will rarely get infected. They won't miss Java. They don't even know what it is.

[lucy24]

I'll be ###.

I took a quick detour to my prefs to do a spot of experimenting and discovered that I already have Java (not javascript) disabled, possibly by default. This has no effect whatsoever on the one site I regularly visit that's constructed out of jsp and beans. Server-side, right? It's all done before it ever gets to my computer.

I must have met the occasional applet, but it can't have been very important. In Opera's prefs I can't even find Java apart from applet-related stuff. It was on in Safari-- possibly by default-- but again no loss.

:: now wondering if I'd be able to get up to any supplementary mischief if I did enable java for that one site... ::

[phranque]

if you uninstall the java runtime environment from your computer, you will be safe from java applet-based exploits regardless of your browser settings.

a relevant post on WebmasterWorld today...
Java vulnerability, update soonest:
http://www.webmasterworld.com/webmaster/4393662.htm [webmasterworld.com]

[ken_b]

uninstall the java runtime environment

How do you uninstall it? Where to start uninstall process?

[aspdaddy]

Dont most mobile devices and thier PC software require it ? Nokia, Apple etc

JVM or JRE ? I think you need the JVM or the M$ version, I much prefer the Java version!

[eelixduppy]

>> And OO still works fine.
OpenOffice still requires a JRE for a bunch of tasks...

To be honest, there is no real reason to uninstall the JRE from your desktop. If you are worried about a malicious attack through a website then disable the use of java through your browser settings.

A much more important point is that users should not have administrative privileges when they are browsing the internet (most likely irresponsibly) or ever for that matter. This is security 101 and yet very few people actually set themselves up with a restricted account.

[aspdaddy]

This is security 101 and yet very few people actually set themselves up with a restricted account.

Its generally because it doesnt work properly in Windows, even in Win7 Pro, unless you have the textbook Windows network with GP used for everything.