Internet Explorer 6 !

[Sphinx]

With the recent release of Internet Explorer 6, there are a couple of issues which seem to be causing a stir for webmasters.

The first is called "SmartTags". Hyperlinks that Microsoft have licensed as SmartTags that link to a predefined set of sites.

i.e If MGM licensed the word "Stargate" as a SmartTag every time this word is on a webpage a link would be displayed going off to the official site. Advertising in a webpage and therefore changing the content without the authors permission. There are alot of discussion groups talking about nothing else at the moment and it doesn't take long to work out the possible problems this sort of advertising can lead to.

The second is Image Protection. Currently there are ways of protecting images on a web site. Disabling right-clicks, hiding the image links using anti-leech.com and other similar methods (server side includes / javascript / php etc).

In Internet Explorer 6.0 you only have to hover the mouse over an image and you get a mini toolbar giving the option to save / print and email any image on any site.

So, how are webmasters going to get around this little problem dear Microsoft have provided ?

 

[satirae]

The image protection thing had been bugging me for awhile, but I was unaware about the "SmartTags". Is there a website which explains further about this?

Thanks for the info

 

[PTeppic]

a) I thought that MS had either dropped or "toned down" the crimes commited by SmartTags, because of widespread public and industry complaint (for once)

b) it has never been perfect to protect images: right-click protections can always be disabled, not sure about anti-leech.com, but anything server side won't be perfect. Unless it is in an ActiveX/Flash type format for each image(!) then the picture still always has to be loaded to the user, and hence can be copied by a determined grabber. They can always do screen dumps!