Thunderbird for Win98 (Security Error Crap)

[anon...@internet.none]

My only (affordable) means to connect to the internet is to use Dialup,
(because of my location). And I have never been able to establish a
usable connection using Win XP, or even Win 2000.

Lately, since almost all websites are using httpS, I cant get Firefox or
any browser (which works with Win98), to connect properly. I get
repeated security errors all the time, as well as many script errors
with Java Script turned OFF.

I've pretty much stopped using the web because of this, and only use the
internet to email and run the newsgroups.

Now, even my email is giving me security errors. I am using Thunderbird
2.0.0.24. I am not sure if this is the final version of TB to work in
Win98, but I have used it for decades and have never seen a reason to
upgrade it. It has always worked fine. Personally, I could care less
about security with my email. I talk to friends about cars, pets, and
general chit-chat. Nothing that needs to be secure and nothing worth
securing.

Bur lately, I get this f**king error every time I try to get my email:

"Thunderbird cant connect securely to website-archive.mozilla.org
because it uses a security protocol which isnt enabled."

First off, why is TB trying to connect to Mozilla? Yea, I know TB is one
of their products, but it appears they are trying to archive all my
emails, and there is absolutely no reason for that.

Usually, I have to click OK when I get that error message, then close
TB, and reopen it, to get my email. Sometimes I have to do this 5 or 10
times, before I actually get my email. Talk about annoying....

Is there any way to stop this? If not, this may be the final straw that
broke the camel's back, and I am going to stop using the internet
entirely. I already think I am wasting my money for ISP service, when I
cant use the web anymore. The newsgroups are nearly dead, and once I
cant use email anymore, I'm done using the internet.

I still dont understand why there needs to be all this f**king security
just to read a webpage on Wikipedia or any other read-only website.
And now this.....

I predicted the demise of the internet several years ago, it's now
happening. Pretty soon it will be so secure that no one will be able to
use it, at least not unless they have the latest Operating System, with
all the bloated crap software they are making these days. And I have to
also mention that my already slow dialup is twice as slow now, on these
secured websites.

I'm old enough to be retired. I lived more than half my life without the
internet, so I guess I can go back to living without it. There are still
telephones and I can still send photos to friends via snail mail, but
the internet was usable and even enjoyable at one time. I guess those
days are gone.

[Computer Nerd Kev]

anon...@internet.none wrote:
> My only (affordable) means to connect to the internet is to use Dialup,
> (because of my location). And I have never been able to establish a
> usable connection using Win XP, or even Win 2000.
>
> Lately, since almost all websites are using httpS, I cant get Firefox or
> any browser (which works with Win98), to connect properly. I get
> repeated security errors all the time, as well as many script errors
> with Java Script turned OFF.

I've explained a workaround for HTTPS websites before, and there are
lots that do work (more or less) with scripts disabled.

> I've pretty much stopped using the web because of this, and only use the
> internet to email and run the newsgroups.
>
> Now, even my email is giving me security errors. I am using Thunderbird
> 2.0.0.24. I am not sure if this is the final version of TB to work in
> Win98, but I have used it for decades and have never seen a reason to
> upgrade it. It has always worked fine. Personally, I could care less
> about security with my email. I talk to friends about cars, pets, and
> general chit-chat. Nothing that needs to be secure and nothing worth
> securing.
>
> Bur lately, I get this f**king error every time I try to get my email:
>
> "Thunderbird cant connect securely to website-archive.mozilla.org
> because it uses a security protocol which isnt enabled."
>
> First off, why is TB trying to connect to Mozilla? Yea, I know TB is one
> of their products, but it appears they are trying to archive all my
> emails, and there is absolutely no reason for that.

No idea, maybe for updates or add-ons. But the error is due to Mozilla
having changed the settings of that server to require a newer encryption
protocol as a minimum. Your Email server is still compatible, so if you
installed another mail client it should work as a replacement.

> Usually, I have to click OK when I get that error message, then close
> TB, and reopen it, to get my email. Sometimes I have to do this 5 or 10
> times, before I actually get my email. Talk about annoying....
>
> Is there any way to stop this?

I've never really used Thunderbird, but I believe it uses a similar
configuration system to about:config in firefox. You may be able to
search for the setting where the URL for website-archive.mozilla.org
is specified, then delete it, or replace it with something like:
http://127.0.0.1/

Hopefully failure to connect to the server won't prompt an error
message, whereas failure to establish a secure connection might
(it sounds stupid, but it might be the case).

> If not, this may be the final straw that
> broke the camel's back, and I am going to stop using the internet
> entirely. I already think I am wasting my money for ISP service, when I
> cant use the web anymore. The newsgroups are nearly dead, and once I
> cant use email anymore, I'm done using the internet.
>
> I still dont understand why there needs to be all this f**king security
> just to read a webpage on Wikipedia or any other read-only website.
> And now this.....

True, this insistence on forcing people to connect securely when there
isn't anything to be hidden is stupid. The still-visible fact that
a person connects to a certain website on a regular basis would often
prove almost equally useful to someone inclined to spy on them.

--
__ __
#_ < |\| |< _#

[anon...@internet.none]

On Mon, 18 Sep 2017 23:12:16 +0000 (UTC), n...@telling.you.invalid
(Computer Nerd Kev) wrote:

>I've never really used Thunderbird, but I believe it uses a similar
>configuration system to about:config in firefox. You may be able to
>search for the setting where the URL for website-archive.mozilla.org
>is specified, then delete it, or replace it with something like:
>http://127.0.0.1/

Where in TB would someone enter "about:config". there is no URL bar like
in a browser????

[Paul]

You want Tools:Options and Thunderbird Start Page which is under
the General tab.

That URL is causing Thunderbird to go looking for something
inappropriate for its digestive system. Sometimes Mozilla links
the page on their server, to a new page which doesn't actually
work in that version of Tbird.

https://s26.postimg.org/qpcdcksop/tools_options_thunderbird_start_page.gif

You can experiment with putting other things in there.

I didn't fully test that, and decide on a final value, as that
would require me to shut down Tbird and test it :-)

Just try not to put something in that URL hole, which demands
a lot of downloads. "about:blank" works sometimes, and is
likely to be an appropriate syntax for a Firefox based product,
but YMMV. Once you click a message, the lower right pane should
be replaced with message text, and whatever was in that pane
from initialization is then "lost from view".

Since there is a button to "restore default", you can't lose
the initial value.

Thunderbird has an option in the Config Editor (also in that panel),
which disables HTML rendering for email/news. But (unfortunately),
it doesn't disable the rendering of the crap in that
initialization window. Boo and hiss.

Have fun,
Paul

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <nsc0scdvh6vb9peq7...@4ax.com>,

anon...@internet.none writes:
>My only (affordable) means to connect to the internet is to use Dialup,
>(because of my location). And I have never been able to establish a
>usable connection using Win XP, or even Win 2000.

You've mentioned this before; perhaps it's time to try again to sort out
why. (Possibly in the XP 'group.)
[]

>internet to email and run the newsgroups.

(You _run_ some newsgroups? Which ones?)

>
>Now, even my email is giving me security errors. I am using Thunderbird
>2.0.0.24. I am not sure if this is the final version of TB to work in
>Win98, but I have used it for decades and have never seen a reason to
>upgrade it. It has always worked fine. Personally, I could care less

(Actually, I think you mean you _couldn't_ care less. But I know the
form you used is the norm in US English.)

>about security with my email. I talk to friends about cars, pets, and

[]

>Bur lately, I get this f**king error every time I try to get my email:
>
>"Thunderbird cant connect securely to website-archive.mozilla.org
>because it uses a security protocol which isnt enabled."
>
>First off, why is TB trying to connect to Mozilla? Yea, I know TB is one
>of their products, but it appears they are trying to archive all my
>emails, and there is absolutely no reason for that.

My first guess is that your ISP (which you're hiding from us of course),
or at least email provider if not the same as your ISP, has changed how
their email server interacts with users. I presume from your indignation
that your ISP isn't Mozilla. (Is it yahoo?) There may be a setting in
Thunderbird which you can turn on that will keep the server happy; I've
certainly seen such settings, though I don't know if they've always been
in TB so the version you're using may not have them. But I suspect it
does.

(Why it's trying to contact Mozilla, I have no idea.)

Failing success with that route, other email clients may work; I know
Eudora (6 on at least) has _some_ sort of secure communication facility
- don't know about Outlook Express, or any of the others that do '9x.
[]

>I still dont understand why there needs to be all this f**king security
>just to read a webpage on Wikipedia or any other read-only website.

YANA!

>And now this.....
>
>I predicted the demise of the internet several years ago, it's now
>happening. Pretty soon it will be so secure that no one will be able to

Well, it's _changing_ (has changed).

>use it, at least not unless they have the latest Operating System, with
>all the bloated crap software they are making these days. And I have to

Or use a 'phone. (Of course, those probably go out of date too, but
since most smartphone users seem to change them about every three calls
[assuming they ever make or receive calls on them] ...)
[]

>the internet was usable and even enjoyable at one time. I guess those
>days are gone.
>

Certainly a lot of it is more hard work than it used to be. There is of
course a lot more available than used to be (my hobby, genealogy, is
_much_ easier than it once was), but you _do_ have to work harder, I
agree. (FWIW, I'm using XP, and _I_ feel like a dinosaur sometimes. [I
_do_ have a '98SElite machine, and I do use it online, but mainly only
for one site.])
>
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

# 10^-12 boos = 1 picoboo # 2*10^3 mockingbirds = 2 kilo mockingbird
# 10^21 piccolos = 1 gigolo # 10^12 microphones = 1 megaphone
# 10**9 questions = 1 gigawhat

[Jacques HADDI]

> Now, even my email is giving me security errors. I am using Thunderbird
> 2.0.0.24. I am not sure if this is the final version of TB to work in
> Win98, but I have used it for decades and have never seen a reason to
> upgrade it. It has always worked fine. Personally, I could care less
> about security with my email. I talk to friends about cars, pets, and
> general chit-chat. Nothing that needs to be secure and nothing worth
> securing.

i can tell you that i still use Thunderbird 1.5.0.13 with win98 everyday
for emails and newsgroup and it works fine.

jh

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <oprmjv$8ai$1...@dont-email.me>, Jacques HADDI

It's possible that <person: you've snipped the attribution headers!>'s
ISP has recently changed how its mail server interacts with customers,
and yours hasn't.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

... "from a person I admire, respect, and deeply love." "Who was that then?"
"Me." (Zaphod Beeblebrox in the Link episode.)

[Paul]

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
> In message <oprmjv$8ai$1...@dont-email.me>, Jacques HADDI
> <jhaddi....@free.fr> writes:
>>> Now, even my email is giving me security errors. I am using Thunderbird
>>> 2.0.0.24. I am not sure if this is the final version of TB to work in
>>> Win98, but I have used it for decades and have never seen a reason to
>>> upgrade it. It has always worked fine. Personally, I could care less
>>> about security with my email. I talk to friends about cars, pets, and
>>> general chit-chat. Nothing that needs to be secure and nothing worth
>>> securing.
>>
>> i can tell you that i still use Thunderbird 1.5.0.13 with win98
>> everyday for emails and newsgroup and it works fine.
>>
>> jh
>
> It's possible that <person: you've snipped the attribution headers!>'s
> ISP has recently changed how its mail server interacts with customers,
> and yours hasn't.

This message:

"Thunderbird cant connect securely to website-archive.mozilla.org
because it uses a security protocol which isnt enabled."

comes from the graphical initialization page that Thunderbird
downloads from Mozilla at startup. The graphic is placed in the lower
right pane. The first message you review, fills the screen with text and
removed the graphic.

This scheme allows Mozilla to use the lower right pane
as a "billboard" at program startup.

When your version of Thunderbird is current, the billboard will
say "Welcome to Thunderbird" and present P.R. material in support
of whatever their favorite feature is. If your copy of
Thunderbird is older, Mozilla will redirect the attempt to fetch
that page, to a page that says "You should upgrade now, this version
is obsolete".

In the case of the OP, not only did they redirect the http://
the browser used, they replaced it with https:// and used
a security standard the Firefox engine inside Thunderbird
on that edition, does not support.

When your version of Thunderbird is old enough, they don't
even bother to wire up that stupid scheme, and the lower right
pane simply contains an error message about the link being missing.
There is no page on the Mozilla server by that name, and
there is also no redirect to some other page (http or https).

In Thunderbird prefs, you can change the "initial startup screen"
URL, to something less obnoxious, to stop this.

Paul