Ask Leo!: Javascript en-us 2008 Leo A. Notenboom and Puget Sound Software, LLC Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:42:55 -08:00 Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:42:55 -08:00 720 http://ask-leo.com/images/altile144.jpg Ask Leo! http://ask-leo.com 140 140 Tech Questions? Get Answers! Ask Leo! Why won't Flash work, even though it's installed? http://ask-leo.com/why_wont_flash_work_even_though_its_installed.html How to I turn on Flash Player? When I go to the download site for Adobe the banner says that I have flash installed. Then I go to a website that I know has flash and it says "This site requires that you have flash player." I have already tried re-formatting to no help.

]]> Wow. Reformatting sure seems like overkill for a problem like this. Reformatting's a pretty major step, and not something I'd recommend without investigating things deeply.

I'm not sure what might be the problem in your specific case, but I can tell you this: there's at least one excruciatingly simple reason that Flash might not show up on many web sites, even though you've installed it.

In a word: JavaScript.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:42:55 -08:00 Technology Is Javascript dangerous? http://ask-leo.com/is_javascript_dangerous.html

I've been using NoScript recently. It's a add on for Firefox that only allows JavaScript to run on sites after I've specifically agreed to allow that to happen. I've started doing this because I've read that running untrusted JavaScript from every site you visit online increases your security risk online. Do you think I'm overdoing it? What are your thoughts on the topic of allowing any site I visit to run JavaScript on my machine.

Well, I actually believe that JavaScript is relatively safe. Not perfectly safe - nothing is - but safe enough.

Having said that, I should tell you that I also run NoScript.

Let's look at what that all means.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:23:51 -08:00 Technology What is Javascript and why do i need it? http://ask-leo.com/what_is_javascript_and_why_do_i_need_it.html I can't access my HotMail account and it says on my log on page that i need javascript to go any further. Just what is javascript and why do i need it?

Well, the short answer is that Javascript is a programming language, and you need it because HotMail says you do.

I know, that's not very helpful. Let's see if I can explain in a little more detail.

]]> leo@pugetsoundsoftware (Leo A. Notenboom) Sat, 23 Jul 2005 21:35:56 -08:00 Technology