All I know is that my computer at work was fine until I installed a  java "update". I usually disregard those requests and continue to run the application. There had been no prior problem with the application until I updated java. It seems to me to be unecessary to always update java especially if you have tons of great firewalls and filters where you work. 
 
 I am starting to question the frequency of the updates. I know you can turn them off and maybe I should. Are they simply trying to get you to install the ask toolbar or whatever it is or are there really that many security breaches?  I have known that java was a window of opportunity for hackers but you would think they would have had it under control by now. If you have that many holes in the bucket something is surely wrong. I have even started to think that maybe java itself is being exploited by big brother. What better way to make installing spyware look totally innocent.

I did the Java update and had no problem. Before on my old XP computer i had downloaded the program to even try to program again, but like always it is changing just like Microsoft and Visual Studio whatever.
 
Here I think is a Java program (and before they may have a message come up first to see if you want to install it, maybe it is more automatic now, but then again perhaps in IE that can be set, but other browsers like Firefox and such may have limited settings and only checkboxes).
 
Comet ISON from NASA.
Unless they are using some other programming language you really could not do that on a webpage (and if it is not moving and working then you have Java not enabled in the web browser otherwise) and Comet ISON will be near the Earth on the way out on Dec. 30, 2013, and probably too cold here to go chill outside to view it (if it is in one piece after passing by the Sun on November 28th.
 
http://stereo-ssc.nascom.nasa.gov/comet_ison/
 
As you can see they even mention Java underneath the working programs for the other program.
 
Now places like NASA or maybe even Healthcare.gov (funny - joke to me) and science programs may use java to run.
 
And really they use to ask first, but anymore it has been a few years.
The update was programmed in Java also, so it does take a little bit longer to install. Just wait, as I had no problem with it.
 
http://www.java.com/en/
 
But Sun Microsystems and Oracle have been around for a long time, nothing wrong with them. Sun is actually or can be used for another OS on other types of computers and Oracle has always been a data-base program (which is something else I learned taking programming) as you can program things for the database and call up different information.
 
Well, Ask Toolbar may be paying somewhat for anything but no you do not have to install any of that stuff and I do not.
And the updates are like a Windows Critical Update in the fact that it is just making it more secure for your computer. Since it is done through the browser, it is different than some other Windows OS Updates. But Microsoft is not going to update Java since Sun Microsystems own it (or Oracle nowadays) and like I said if you check completely there you will see that there are other OS systems like Sun - Solaris, and other computers that use Java and not Windows OS. In fact Windows OS is not made for those other computers.
 
And what they say about Java and really what is going on could be two different things.
The other website did not work unless asking first stating that Java is un-secure, but the update should fix some of that, and I allowed it on the link at the Nasa website and had no problem with it, but then the Nasa website is better for moving picture of where Comet ISON will be.
 
http://www.java.com/en/about/
 
This link here is the actual Java website program, but Nasa works better anyway.
And the message is probably another security update they are working on, but I had no problem with it, and it is a *.mil website, so if you want to run it, you decide.
http://secchi.nrl.navy.mil/STEREOorbit/C2012_S1_ISON.html
but then that is an actual Java Program Applet there for sure.
Java has had several updates, and the error message may still be the browser you are using and that has not been updated to reflect that java has been updated to address the security problem.
??
 
Not up to the minute changes for both I supppose.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 That's pretty cool spacealf. It loaded up fine on Google Chrome. I have not updated the computer I am on though. We had an issue several years back with a software vendor who stipulated that we only use one version of java. Any other version would simply not work. Thankfully we have moved on to another software that accomidates newer versions much better.
 
 In the last episode I mentioned it was the server that needed updating. Once they updated it things seemed to work ok. I also think that maybe if you have several  browsers on your computer things can get muddled. The browser seems to loose the download for some unknown reason. When I re launched IE in one case it acted as if there was never a download. I knew the new java was there but the browser missed it.
 
 What was happening before they updated the server was my software application would load up in IE and the application loads an applet for a visual graph, but the applet wouldn't load and instead I would get a request to download the "latest" version of java, and not to beat a dead horse but I get a request to update java at least once a month and sometimes more than that. The only thing more frequent than that is my windows security updates ;) Great jumping Jehosophat how many **** updates do we need? Have they started to update the updates? Sorry I'm not always real patient with this stuff ;)

I know what a drink is but what's a lay? I think I used to know this... but have forgotten.
 
What did he say???