I saw an article on the BBC News technology web site that said PayPal would start warning users who have older, less secure browsers and eventually would block them from accessing their site. My first reaction when I read that there are users using IE 3 and 4 to access PayPal was "you gotta be kidding me". I knew that there are people using older browsers out there but I always assumed that they were like my parents who are on dial-up, visit the 2 or 3 web sites they know, and don't do anything else. They don't feel the need to upgrade their computer because it is faster than they can type and I also figured they weren't using the latest browser because downloading IE 7 would take too long. I was surprised that these people would be using PayPal. The more I thought about it I decided I know people like that. One of their favorite web sites is EBay and they love to buy and sell items, always looking for a good bargain. I can then see how PayPal would be getting involved with people using older browsers. I applaud them in their role to help protect the Internet because it will help all of us to be safer.

I am looking forward to the time when the use of Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates becomes widespread and we will see users looking for the green address bar just like they look for the lock icon for SSL now. I am also holding out hope that at some point in the future we will see Microsoft putting out patches on a DVD and making them available at Wal-Mart or other large retailers where people like my parents can get them and update their computers. As time goes by I see fewer and fewer reasons for Microsoft to go through the cost but it would definitely make it so I wouldn't have to spend most of a night updating computers when I go to visit family. Until Microsoft starts dropping DVDs with the latest patches I (and a lot of other people in IT) will just plan on giving up some sleep each year to update older computers.