[OT] Mobile Phone Lifespans (was Re: Leaving out scripts )

[Harald Alvestrand]

Kenneth Whistler wrote:
> Harald pointed out:
>
>   
>> --On 21. desember 2006 06:51 -0800 Mark Davis <mark.davis at icu-project.org> 
>> wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> That's a good point. I would point out however, that if my browser isn't
>>> updated at least every few months for security problems, I have a *whole*
>>> lot more to worry about than whether I can see mixed scripts or not, so
>>> the lag is in practice not that bad. And I see baking it into the
>>> protocol (IDNA) as the least flexible of these in terms of delay, since
>>> that takes years to change.
>>>       
>> Mobile phones come with browsers these days. And the Norwegian courts have 
>> just decided that mobile phones should last for 5 years.
>>
>> Just a counterpoint.
>>     
>
> And if that is taken as consumer protection to specify that
> their rechargeable batteries shouldn't wear out and have
> to be replaced in 6 months, or that their screens shouldn't
> give out in a year, then fine -- that is firmly in the
> tradition of consumer protection against shoddy product
> marketing.
>
> But if it is taken as the Norwegian court taking a stand that
> software on a mobile phone has to be guaranteed safe and
> bugfree and secure against all attacks for 5 years, they are
> in for a serious surprise.
My point is that in 5 years, there will still be active browsers around 
that were released yesterday, and haven't been upgraded since.

I'm not commenting on the wisdom (or not) of not upgrading the phone 
firmware. But experience says that people Just Don't Do It.

Harald