Active X Necessary?

I almost know the answer to this question, but I just want to be sure about this. We all have heard about financial (and sometimes sports) sites that just work/look better in IE (than in my preferred browser, Firefox). Our bank is one of them. Its not a major issue, tho--its just that the account info is pushed down to the bottom of the page, instead of being seen up at the top with the rest of the webpage info--no biggie, just a matter of scrolling down a bit.

It makes me wonder, tho. Is there a tech reason for creating web pages that use Active X or whatever MS technology is creating this effect? Or is it simply a matter of webpage designers using MS tools, whereas they could use other tools to do the same thing, if they cared to? I know I have accessed plenty of graphics as well as financial data on a variety of sites that read quite well in FF, so I'm inclined to think that there is nothing inherently better in Active X (again, or whatever it is that keeps the page looking better in IE).

There have to be webpage designers and programmers who can give me some info on this, here at WindowsBBS. So what's up? Is it a matter of Active X being superior technology that is simply too dangerous from a security standpoint? Or is it nothing more than a means of excluding non-IE browsers from certain functions?

I realize that posting MS-type questions can be somewhat inflammatory--please keep flames to a minimum. I'd just like to get the lay of the tech/web landscape from folks who know a lot more about such programs than I do.

 

ActiveX control

Having access / control to the core operating system has obvious risks. In a perfect world / judicious use it is a powerful tool. Unfortunately their are individuals who exploit this tool for their egotistically pleasure and/or profit. As computers become more powerful, multi-layered levels of security are hardware based (more difficult to compromise) running very secure OS's, tools such as ActiveX may have a viable future. For now, be an informed and cautious user of the tool.

 

Dennis, what is your estimate for the "need" for ActiveX controls in websites (financial, in particular)? As I said, all the functions that I need or even are aware of, at all my financial sites can be accomplished in Firefox. The only thing that is different is that one of them has a much smoother appearance/presentation of the data, when used in IE. Is there any real need for ActiveX at all?

 

That depends. On some sites, you can't see what you are there for without Active X, and on others, it probably has more value for the website owner, extracting data about my visit. I have mine set to prompt. On an unfamiliar site, I click "No ", and see what does, or doesn't, happen. But you are using Firefox, and I know next to nothing about it. I use IE. I have Active X set to "enable" on my kids' computer, because I am trying to see what it takes to bring that old relic to its knees (so far, nothing!) and despite all the kid sites and poor judgment they use, no issues on that system, either.

Johanna

 

Let me clarify my question. Is there any need for website designers to use ActiveX, to do anything? I'm not worried about whether I might have a need to use it (read: IE) or not--as I said above, I have noticed no loss of functionality in any financial site I use. I'm just wondering about the other end--that of the website creators. Is there any functionality in the web that can only take place with ActiveX? Having purchased so many things and gotten so much online content via Firefox, I'm tempted to believe that the answer to that is "No. "

 

.. "need" for ActiveX controls in websites (financial, in particular)? ...

Many dynamic's involved in providing a secure web portal.
Financial commitment to create, mantain, and monitor the site.
Skill set of web-site administrator along with host bank IT department.
Total tool set may require the presence of other tools (example, ActiveX).
Types of transaction(s) host offers, versus security host and user demands in using them.


Is there any real need for ActiveX at all?
To my understanding, ActiveX is one of convenience. It allows programs to be downloaded, installed, and run with no input / action by the user. As stated earlier, it is a tool. The user must decide when any program is allowed / run on his computer ... whether it be ActiveX or programs you manually download and install.

 

psaulm119--Looking at it the other way around. There may not have been a need for ActiveX originally, but now certain sites and programs will not function without it. The best example is WindowsUpdate, but there are others. (Reading Adobe Reader .pdf files and viewing Macromedia Flash presentations directly from web, rather than saving them to hard drive, also requires ActiveX.)
Recognizing the danger that ActiveX presents, but also wanting to access Windows Update, for example, I set my ActiveX settings to Disable for the Internet in general, but put sites like Windows Update into Trusted Sites (unchecking the box "Require Server Verification... ").

 

Jim, thanks.

psaulm119--Looking at it the other way around. There may not have been a need for ActiveX originally, but now certain sites and programs will not function without it. The best example is WindowsUpdate, but there are others. (Reading Adobe Reader .pdf files and viewing Macromedia Flash presentations directly from web, rather than saving them to hard drive, also requires ActiveX.)

That was exactly the type of information I was looking for, although I find it hard to believe that reading adobe files in a browser requires active x. Not sure if I understand you correctly--how then can I see it in Firefox?

I will google this to get some clarity here.