OSS Silverlight implementation Moonlight shines bright

Hmmm. That certainly sounds like a good thing.

Maybe it would just take a few name changes:

mono -> stereo .NET -> .LURE

Or some such thing

dog doo -> chocolate pudding

I don't understand Mono all that well, so I stay out of the 'Mono sux' discussions, even though they look fun. But this Silverlight/Moonlight goo seems pretty straightforward- Silverlight is just a new name for ActiveX, correct? Aside from the Microsoft proprietary crap that is required, this bit sounds scary:

Quoting: The Moonlight developers have created the mopen command, which allows them to run individual XAML files as standalone applications. The mopen command is also capable of launching self-contained XAML application bundles, which are compressed archives that contain XAML content, compiled .NET code, and various graphical resources. These features, de Icaza told us, were inspired by the Mac OS X open command and application bundles. The mopen command also supports a special -d parameter that allows the user to launch the XAML content as a desklet, a frameless desktop widget.

In other words, just like ActiveX, this enables the execution of remote code on your system, and even includes some built-in sneaky options. Oh goody, just what we need, a whole new malware vector for Linux. de Icaza says this is a superior alternative to Flash, but Flash player exploits are rare and difficult. This sounds like newer, better, cross-platform ActiveX cooties for everyone! No one is left out!

Or am I not understanding this?

TC -

I don't know the technology either, but I don't especially trust flash.

I veer between Flash and Java ... which do I hate more at any given time?

Steve --

I see that moonlight/silverlight has a clear place in the landscape, then -- What could be easier to hate than something with roots in Redmond?

Flash is horrible because it is proprietary. Java is slow, at least my dad told me so. I should just switch to Scala/Lisp/another esoteric language, or better yet, move to .Net. I heard they have a new Open Source Labs guru. Seriously, why use moonlight when you can just use Silverlight. Oh and my company couldn't care less if something is properietery. Why use a wannabe implementation when you can just use the original?

It's no better or worse than running Flash or Java from the security aspect. .Net, like Java is sandboxed, and is just as dangerous, or safe. With Moonlight think Java Applets.

dino: .NOT? .NYET?

jezuch -

Hmmm....

.NIT .NOT YET .GNAT .NUMBNUTS

Oh, I give up. They're all good.

Quoting:Aside from the Microsoft proprietary crap that is required, this bit sounds scary

If I read that correctly, the mopen command is a cli command that lets you execute an application. It's not a command in the language that someone could use from inside an embedded moonlight applet on a website.

Soft of like the command you use to start a stand-alone flash application on your computer.