[tex-live] movie15 and media9

Philip TAYLOR P.Taylor at rhul.ac.uk
Sun Mar 18 15:31:17 CET 2012


Dear Norbet --

Norbert Preining wrote:

> * horrible security history
> * "phoning home" javascript
> * what else do you want ???
>
> Using acro* is simply wrong, and energy should be invested in improving
> open source viewers, not preaching for a horrible dangerous and privacy
> ignoring product.
>
> If you are not aware of that, please read http://lwn.net/Articles/129729/
> or any of the hundreds of other resources clearly explaining how evil
> acrobat really is.

In your own words, "please remain reasonable, thanks".  Neither Adobe
Acrobat nor Adobe Reader can in any reasonable way be described as
"evil", a word far better reserved for viruses, Trojan horses and the
like.  Both /may/ have security weaknesses, but with the possible
exception of undocumented software developed and used by the 
Intelligence services, so does every other piece of software in everyday
use.  Seamonkey, for example, is now on a six-week release schedule, and
each new release warns users that it is imperative to upgrade NOW,
because the immediately preceding version was riddled with security
holes.  And six weeks later, that wonderful new version is also deemed
to be hole-riddled, and a new version must be installed.

I have been using Adobe Acrobat and Acrobat Reader every since version
one; and not once has my computer been compromised as a result.

Please, "be reasonable", and accept that for the vast majority of
the IT-using world, the risks posed by Adobe Acrobat and Adobe
Reader are /far/ outweighed by the benefits that their use brings.
By all means, believe in free-and-open-source software; by all means,
try to persuade others that it is the "right" thing to use; but please
do /not/ resort to spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt about
commercial software that is an industry standard and, without which,
such wonderful open-source developments such as PdfTeX would not,
and could not, have ever taken place.

** Phil.


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