Firefox to phase out NPAPI plugin in 2016 except for Flash (death of Java on the web)

[GoodBytes]

Netscape Plugin API or NPAPI was created in the 90's as a way to have what we know today as web browser plugins.

 

This allowed to augment the web browsers with the ability to play more content. It allowed QuickTime, RealPlayer. Java and Flash amongst others to be part of the internet.

While they have all largely died except for Java applets and Flash, on it's own. Java is dying out of the web by itself due to its heavy weight, slow load time, and security issues. Google's Chrome started phasing out NPAPI support in April this year.

 

Mozilla Firefox web browser and Chrome amongst other web browsers uses that system to load plugins.

 

But, today, Mozilla has announced that it will join Chrome and Edge web browser in discontinuing supporting it starting in 2016, with no replacement plan.

They will keep Flash plug-in support, however, much like Edge web browser.

 

While HTML5 is growing, Flash remains with a string foot on the web. Some also prefers Flash for videos allowing them to use less bandwidth over HTML5, and use a more robust player for videos playback due to more time by sites to work on them while HTML5 player catches up.

 

 

Source: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/10/firefox-dropping-npapi-plugins-by-the-end-of-2016except-for-flash/

 

The only issue, is that many banks sites still uses Java for some web applications it offers to users. Banks are usually extremely slow to adapt to new technologies, mostly due that it requires an investment which banks aren't willing to take as it would cut considerably on their profit margins, despite weaker security for themselves and bank users. Many banks still run on Windows XP for example. So you might need to fire up the old Internet Explorer for Java support for a few years if your bank didn't adapt by 2016-2017. Especially that Chrome follows in the same footsteps.

[Pugs501]

RIP CoolMathGames

[KemoKa]

RIP CoolMathGames

RIP Tanks game. That game is the shit.

[AresKrieger]

Java really does need to die on the web due to it's inherent slowness and security issues, along with most plugins, HTML5 is the future and google knows it.

[EChondo]

Give me some scissors, I'll cut that string right now.

 

Wish it was that easy...

[Prysin]

finally.

Now we will get rid of A LOT of shitty ads...

 

best - adblock - ever

[Master Disaster]

Is the title incorrect?

Anyway fucking great news and about time TBH.

[GoodBytes]

Is the title incorrect?

Oops.. I meant Firefox. Thanks

[Toddwjp]

banks perfectly happy to invest money that isnt theres, loan money that isnt theres but spending there own money on infrastructure/system upgrades, fuck off

[Nic]

What does this mean for battlelog? 

[ThreePinkApples]

I guess banks in other countries could learn from Norway here. Two years ago I think, when there were several cases with severe security issues in Java, Norwegian banks, together with the government (which also uses the same auth method) decided to create a new version of "BankID" based on HTML5, completely Java free. About a year ago banks started to use it, and for several months now the Java version has been completely gone, at least from the big banks and governmental pages. (I only have one bank, so I really can't speak for all of them, but I remember most of the big banks announcing last year that they were working on implementing/had implemented the new version)

[ThreePinkApples]

What does this mean for battlelog? 

 

Battlelog was updated not so long ago with a plugin-free alternative, still in beta though I think, but it should work fine (just try to use Battlelog in Chrome now, which already have blocked NPAPI)

[GoodBytes]

What does this mean for battlelog?

If they don't change to a plug-in less solution (which they can), then you'll need to use IE in Windows. It is a good think it is still there in Windows 10.

[Beskamir]

I'm all in favor of Java's death but I see so many people crying that their Java based sites don't work anymore. Also if any of you want to see how many things will break when Java dies, get something like NoScript... Possibly I might have confused Javascript with actual Java but they are both pretty terrible from what I heard.

[Kamil]

inb4 Oracle sues them over this.

[qwertywarrior]

this sucks

 

ill just switch to a fork that has NPAPI

[lightningterror]

Killing Java master race.

 

One step forward to html5

[iamdarkyoshi]

Chrome and now firefox? IE lives on, unfortunately.

[Fetzie]

I'm all in favor of Java's death but I see so many people crying that their Java based sites don't work anymore. Also if any of you want to see how many things will break when Java dies, get something like NoScript... Possibly I might have confused Javascript with actual Java but they are both pretty terrible from what I heard.

 

Java is not the same as Javascript

 

Javascript still works in Chrome.