Updated - Create your own TPL for IE9

Tracking Protection List, that is.  For the IE9 users out there who want a little more fine grained control over what gets delivered to your browser and who have access to web server, you can create your own handy-dandy TPL.

IE9 Final Release Review

Between the sorrows of my family and the sorrows of the world, I don't feel like writing very much, but I know that it is a habit like any other and to fail to do some encourages me to refrain from any. Technology blogging is simple-minded enough and gets people all worked up, so is a reasonable facsimile of thought for now.

The final version of IE9 came out on Monday and I've been putting it through its paces the last few days. I've watched the browser develop since the first platform preview last year and have liked what I've seen. I didn't expect the final version to be perceptibly better than the RC (Release Candidate), and have been nicely surprised that it is better - more stable, faster. Overall, if you run Windows 7 as your OS, aren't afflicted with Microsoft hatred, and aren't obsessed with having a bazillion widgets, plug-ins and add-ons, you should use this as your primary browser.  The reasons I like it aren't really the BS that the chattering heads in TechnoNewz land like to yammer about.

Safe Browsing

I wrote an article back in June for the readers of the fanfiction site I maintain, Henneth Annun Story Archive. The topic of the article is how to quickly and effectively configure your PC and browser to give you a fighting chance against the malware and nosy advertising firms. I wrote it to combat the rampant fear mongering in the computer world where it is more important to seem hip and cool by bashing Windows than it is to present practical information about how to avoid 99.9% of the trouble.

Safe Browsing

It is fairly comprehensive, with an explanation of how exploits happen and then a walk through of securing your computer, complete with screen grabs and helpful links. It is for Windows users running at least XP SP3, and discusses the two most popular browsers, IE and Firefox.

While you can jump right to the browser settings, I encourage you to go through the whole thing and build your security from the ground up. I spend time debunking Conventional Wisdom (just as moronic in the computer world as amongst the denizens of Versailles) and do my best to explain both how to get something done and why its a good idea to do so.

Anglachel