On 1/27/2018 1:04 AM, Daniel wrote: > WaltS48 wrote: >> On 1/25/18 11:18 PM, Daniel wrote: >>> David E. Ross wrote: >>>> On 1/25/2018 8:32 AM, WaltS48 wrote: >>>>> On 1/25/18 10:56 AM, David E. Ross wrote: >>>>>> On 1/25/2018 3:44 AM, Daniel wrote: >>>>>>> David E. Ross wrote: >>>>>>>> On 1/24/2018 7:51 PM, Daniel wrote: >>>>>>>>> Frank-Rainer Grahl wrote: >>>>>>>>>> 2.49.1 is based on ESR 52.4 >>>>>>>>>> 2.49.2 should (hopefully) arrive in the next 2-3 weeks and will >>>>>>>>>> be based >>>>>>>>>> on 52.6 >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> Firefox does not show minor version numbers in its UA string. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> 52.5.3 ESR: >>>>>>>>>> Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:52.0) Gecko/20100101 >>>>>>>>>> Firefox/52.0 >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> 2.49.2 x 64 local build: >>>>>>>>>> Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; Win64; x64; rv:52.0) Gecko/20100101 >>>>>>>>>> Firefox/52.0 SeaMonkey/2.49.2 >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> As you can see almost identical but as usual google and others >>>>>>>>>> will do >>>>>>>>>> incorrect user agent sniffing. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> FRG >>>>>>>>> That's interesting!! Being a long term SM user, it has always >>>>>>>>> intrigued >>>>>>>>> me why the Gecko number has not been updated in yonks >>>>>>>>> (20100101)... but >>>>>>>>> now I see that probably stems from FF, which also doesn't seem >>>>>>>>> to update >>>>>>>>> its Gecko release date!! >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Presumably the Gecko engine *HAS* actually been updated!! ;-P >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Not updating the version date for Gecko in the user agent string >>>>>>>> is part >>>>>>>> of Mozilla's plan to obscure user characteristics. Web servers >>>>>>>> sniffing >>>>>>>> user data supposedly find it harder to track individual users. >>>>>>>> See bug >>>>>>>> #1329996 at <https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1329996>. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> I prefer relying on the Secret Agent extension from >>>>>>>> <https://www.dephormation.org.uk/index.php?page=81>. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> Then one would have to wonder what use it is to have the Gecko >>>>>>> version >>>>>>> with-in the User-Agent string at all!! ;-( >>>>>>> >>>>>> Some Web servers insist on sniffing the user agent string and expect >>>>>> some kind of date for Gecko. Mozilla-based browsers fail to work on >>>>>> such Web sites unless there is a date field. >>>>>> >>>>> An example please. >>>> >>>> I do not have an example. I recall reading in a bug report (now >>>> apparently closed) that omitting the Gecko date was causing problems >>>> with Web servers that sniff the UA. >>>> >>> I seem to recall that some/many sites fail to function for SeaMonkey >>> unless the SeaMonkey UA had FF in it ... in some cases *Only FF* in >>> the SM UA >>> >>> So why the mention, now, of some sniffing for Gecko?? Is that Gecko >>> *only* or Gecko *as well* now?? >>> >> >> Some light reading for you Daniel, and anyone else that might be >> interested. >> >> https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/User-Agent >> >> Enjoy! >> > Interesting!! The example Chrome/Chromium and Opera and Safari UA > strings mention "like Gecko" but do not give a version date!! > > And, Walt, the link you provided had a further link to ... > > https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Browser_detection_using_the_user_agent > > which mentions .... > > "It's worth re-iterating: it's very rarely a good idea to use user agent > sniffing. You can almost always find a better, more broadly compatible > way to solve your problem!" > > Which has long been re-iterated in these groups!! And, again, in the > para "Are you trying to check for the existence of a specific feature?", > it states "You should never do user agent sniffing" with the word > "never" in Bold!! >
Sniffing began when Web developers got the not-so-smart idea they could take advantage of non-standard features of different browsers to provide "enhanced" Web pages. Unfortunately, most of those non-standard features were actually bugs. Even more unfortunately, the developers had to fix their Web pages as thos bugs were fixed. Many of those developers are still making new Web pages and still trying to use non-standard features. -- David E. Ross <http://www.rossde.com/> President Trump: Please stop using Twitter. We need to hear your voice and see you talking. We need to know when your message is really your own and not your attorney's. _______________________________________________ support-seamonkey mailing list [email protected] https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/support-seamonkey
