[pchelpers] Thunderbird and Firefox extensions and safe computing

Hi Susan and everybody else

> Try this.
> http://extensions.geckozone.org/Outbox-en
> 
> It adds a "Send Later" button to your compose email, which places all
> email in your Unsent folder. Then, when you are ready to send all your
> email, you open the Unsent folder and and press "Send" at the top of
> the screen and it sends all your messages.
> 
> I've used it for years with no problems.  It comes as both English and
> French and it determines your language automatically upon
> installation. I highly recommend it.

It's good to know that you haven't had problems with this extension, 
Susan, but this is no guarantee for the future since that same page 
clearly states, albeit in Frenchy English, that this extension has been 
"forsaken" by the developer, is being "maintained" by a translator, not 
a competent developer, and that he himself recommends using a different 
extension instead:

"Compatibility
There could have some compatibilities problems with this extension. 
Because of the fact that it will certainly not be often updated, i 
recommand to use MagicSLR extension with almost same possibilities."

"NB: The original version is not up to date since Thunderbird 0.8 
version. The translator (myself) modified this version in order that 
it'll be compatible with new Thunderbird versions."

This has a link to a page only in French 
http://extensions.geckozone.org/MagicSLR but if you have trouble 
understanding that, at the top are links to the author's site and to the 
official Mozilla.org extensions site. 
https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=thunderbird&numpg=10&id=902

I would strongly advise against installing extensions that are not 
maintained by a developer (there is the very real possibility that the 
translator just added an irresponsible line saying "accept up to 
Thunderbird version X" without checking whether it causes problems, 
especially together with other extensions) and as strongly against 
installing from unknown sites. Your site, Susan, looks like an/the 
official French extension site, so the only "danger" there seems to be 
that of installing incompatible and/or malfunctioning extensions.

This danger is very real in the case of this extension that you 
recommended. The link you recommended also says "Author original :  Bart 
Decrem (forsaken original website)" and has a link to 
http://outbox.mozdev.org/ This states very specific warnings, albeit in 
geeky English, that this is beta stuff that can trash Thunderbird and 
all your email:

"Outbox is 0.1 software. It works on my OS X Panther computer, running 
Thunderbird 0.4, and has been tested by a small group of people. I 
highly recommend that you backup your Thunderbird profile before 
installing this extension. If you don't know how to do that, you 
probably shouldn't install this extension."

However, at the bottom of the comments are claims (by the same French 
translator!) that the version at geckozone.org works. Since this has not 
created critical comments since December 2005, there are maybe no known 
issues with this extension so far.

There is also another extension from a reputable site that seems to 
offer the same features: 
http://www.extensionsmirror.nl/index.php?showtopic=2284&pid=8774&st=0&#entry8774
This might also interest some:
https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=1814&application=thunderbird

So far, there don't seem to have been many crooks or sick people making 
spyware or worse malware disguised as legitimate extensions, but it's 
best to not get into bad habits. Whenever you install a new extension, 
there is a big warning that should not be taken lightly: Malicious 
software can damage your computer or violate your privacy. You should 
only install software from sources that you trust.

Thunderbird and Firefox and other well-written programs don't allow 
malicious software to be installed *automatically* as has often happened 
with Microsoft programs including OE and IE and is still/will be 
happening again. Well-written programs can only prevent *automatic* 
malware installation, however (like drive-by downloads). If you actively 
and purposely install malware, Thunderbird and Firefox cannot and should 
not prevent that (after all, you are the computer owner and have every 
right to install malware and trash if you want to). Your only hope of 
protection in such a case is that you have an antispyware and antivirus 
and antitrojan program running with autoprotect functions (usual only in 
AV) and with an update that already knows about the malware you are 
trying to install.

To make a long story short, i would recommend installing only from the 
official Mozilla extension sites http://www.mozilla.com/extensions/ and 
from known, reputable sites (with instructions in comprehensible 
English) unless you want to spend time researching the dependability of 
extensions found elsewhere.

Here's more information with the apt title "The danger of extensions":
http://dbaron.org/log/2006-01#e20060122a



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