lynx-dev anonymous usage of Lynx (was Arizona)

[Philip Webb]

[ can we please try to keep Subjects straight? ]

981009 Rick Lewis wrote: 
> lynx is used by the Phoenix library to access magazine & newspaper
> indices & articles using a site called proquest. Anyone accessing these
> on the Phoenix dial-up is using Lynx, whether they know it or not. 
> Also, the AzTeC independent Free-Net maintained, partially funded
> & run by ASU uses Lynx as its only browser,
> & 16,000 people throughout the state are active users. Both use 2.7b. 
> As a member of AzTeC's Board of Directors, I can assure you
> our users seem quite happy with the flexibility & functionality of lynx.
> So the great work of lynx developers is appreciated! 
 
this is certainly very encouraging for all involved with Lynx development,
but the problem remains: there is a serious cost in volunteer labor
in protecting sites like yours from malicious users taking advantage
of occasional security cracks which may sneak into Lynx
& attempted security fixes can sometimes harm other types of user.
moreover, site managers can easily limit damage to a minimum
by running anonymous Lynx on a dedicated machine.

Lynx started out on a campus freenet, but has long outgrown those origins
& today tends to be installed -- a/a used -- mainly by individuals
running Linux, Windows or DOS or shell-account users on UNIX (like me).
there appears to be no-one currently developing Lynx
who also runs an anonymous site & so is motivated to be security guru,
so i'ld say we have to ask managers of sites with anonymous users
to contribute their own time & skills to the effort insofar as they can:
otherwise, they should not expect security vs anonymous miscreants
to have any kind of priority in future Lynx development efforts.

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