Don't Tell Me What To Do!

I’m a pretty independent, sometimes stubborn kind of gal, and I don’t like to be ‘forced’ to do anything.

So when Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) was going to be released later this year as an “Automatic Update”, I was slightly miffed. Listen, if I don’t want IE7, then I shouldn’t have to download it onto my personal computer.

But by releasing it as an Automatic Update, I won’t have a choice. Unless I decide to turn off my Windows Automatic Updates (which I don’t recommend), and then I won’t be able to download important security updates that protect my computer from harm.

Well, thank goodness Microsoft learned a lesson from the Service Pack 2 fiasco.

IE7 will still be pushed out over the Automatic Updates, but we will be able to individually decide if we want to install it or not. Automatic Updates will first notify people when IE7 is ready to install and then show a welcome screen that presents key features and the choices to install, not install or postpone installation.

In fact, Microsoft has already released a Toolkit to block the automatic download of IE7. At this point, I’m not recommending the installation of IE7 – nor am I recommending blocking IE7. The jury is still out.

That being said, this is the first major update to Microsoft’s Web Brower in five years, and it contains many security enhancements. Critics liken IE6 to “swiss cheese” because of all its security vulnerabilities. So I'm thinking IE7 can't be all bad.

. . . Stephanie

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