LYNX-DEV Re: browser information (fwd)

[Matt Ackeret]

Here's what I just sent to Wells Fargo.

I completely realize that I may be "tying my own noose" if they end up
*strengthening* the security and PURPOSELY disallowing Lynx, even if it is
a Mozilla User-Agent.. (This is possible, right?).

But I still wanted to point out to them that their silly "use only IE and
Netscape" statement isn't actually true.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 12 Mar 1998 18:00:03 -0800 (PST)
From: Matt Ackeret <address@hidden>
To: Wells Fargo <address@hidden>
Subject: Re: browser information

On Wed, 11 Mar 1998, Wells Fargo wrote:
>I have forwarded your email to our management to look into adding Lynx as an
>accepted browser.  If you would still like to send a letter, please mail it
>to:

By the way, I'm *almost* done complaining about this.  I really didn't
intend to be rude about this.

I just wanted to point out one last thing.  If I tell the Lynx browser
(with the 128 bit security stuff installed) to *say* that it is
"Mozilla/4.04", I can, with a few minor quirks, log in and use Wells Fargo
online just fine... and it is just as secure as if I were actually using 
Netscape.

So in fact, the site *isn't* really requiring Netscape from a technical level.
I did not do anything bad, I simply used functionality *built into* the Lynx
browser.  (Note that Internet Explorer _also_ says that it is "Mozilla").

I just wanted to point this out.

Since, with a tiny bit of knowledge, we _can_ use Lynx, it would be 
better to simply *allow* it without any special knowledge required from
the user.

Thanks.