Don't panic just yet. Oracle, the publisher of Java, has proposed a solution for sites that still depend on Java, mentioned in Mozilla's announcement: https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleas.../npapi-plugins-in-firefox/. Hopefully games important to you will be transitioned in time -- let them know they should be working on it if you think they are oblivious.

Now, if Firefox is currently indicating a security concern with your installed version, you may want to update to Java 8 U73. You can get more information about updating from these pages:

• Java auto-update settings: https://www.java.com/en/download/help/java_update.xml
• Download page: https://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp (Firefox uses the standard 32-bit version, not the 64-bit version)

Yeah, right. The site I play at refuses to convert any more games from Java to Flash. No, there's no security concern (at least, I don't think so. I am not sure what you mean by a "security concern," or what that has to do with Java. Java is a program that lets me play games).

The fact remains that Mozilla needs to keep Java, not dump it! Again, people shouldn't be punished like this!

OK, I read that thing you posted and I don't understand what they're talking about. The fact remains that the site I play at doesn't care and isn't going to do anything about their java games. Either people are going to be able to play them or they aren't. And if that means Mozilla is going to abandon Java, I'm going to have to abandon Mozilla and be reduced back to IE11 so I can keep playing java games. I am not someone who is willing to switch between browsers. So I will just use the browser which supports both Flash AND Java.

You can give feedback about changes you want or don't want using the following page:

https://input.mozilla.org/feedback/firefox

Delenn said

No, there's no security concern (at least, I don't think so. I am not sure what you mean by a "security concern," or what that has to do with Java. Java is a program that lets me play games).

To explain that part further: The Java plugin has the run of your computer. If you let a site use Java, and there is something bad in one of its applets (whether it's a game or anything else), that could be a problem for your system security and privacy.

Oracle regularly updates Java to close loopholes that allow unexpected access. From time to time, Firefox may block old versions of Java that are unreasonably dangerous and in that case, you can't wait to update any longer if you want to continue using Java.

Mozilla is among the last holdouts for users being able to use Java. You don't believe that Java is a security issue? See these: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_security

http://www.javaworld.com/article/2104862/java-security/report-half-of-all-exploits-target-java.html "The simpler solution is to target exploits at software with more obvious weaknesses and fewer security controls.

Oracle’s Java fits the profile. Found on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and mobile platforms, Java is virtually ubiquitous. And while Microsoft and Adobe have constructed defenses to deter malware developers, it seems Oracle hasn’t yet seen the light. " Mar 5, 2014

https://www.cvedetails.com/vulnerability-list/vendor_id-93/product_id-19117/Oracle-JRE.html

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2016/02/good-riddance-to-oracles-java-plugin/#more-33706 And from the mouth of a Java spokesperson ... "By late 2015, many browser vendors have either removed or announced timelines for the removal of standards based plugin support, eliminating the ability to embed Flash, Silverlight, Java and other plugin based technologies,” wrote Dalibor Topic, principle product manager for Open Java Development Kit (OpenJDK).

“With modern browser vendors working to restrict and reduce plugin support in their products, developers of applications that rely on the Java browser plugin need to consider alternative options such as migrating from Java Applets (which rely on a browser plugin) to the plugin-free Java Web Start technology,” Topic continued. “Oracle plans to deprecate the Java browser plugin in JDK 9. This technology will be removed from the Oracle JDK and JRE in a future Java SE release.”

And a recently settled Deception Charges FTC suit against Oracle ... https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/151221oraclecmpt.pdf

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/12/oracle-lifelock-settle-ftc-deception-charges/#more-33346 "According to the FTC’s complaint, since acquiring Java in 2010, Oracle was aware of significant security issues affecting older versions of Java SE. The FTC charges that Oracle was aware of the insufficiency of its update process."

" “Internal documents stated that the ‘Java update mechanism is not aggressive enough or simply not working,’ and that a large number of hacking incidents were targeting prior versions of Java SE’s software still installed on consumers’ computers,” the FTC said “The security issues allowed hackers’ to craft malware that could allow access to consumers’ usernames and passwords for financial accounts, and allow hackers to acquire other sensitive personal information through phishing attacks.” "

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2014/07/java-update-patch-it-or-pitch-it/ "If you have an affirmative use or need for Java, unplug it from the browser unless and until you’re at a site that requires it (or at least take advantage of click-to-play). The latest versions of Java let users disable Java content in web browsers through the Java Control Panel. Alternatively, consider a dual-browser approach, unplugging Java from the browser you use for everyday surfing, and leaving it plugged in to a second browser that you only use for sites that require Java."

Bottom line is that website is well along the path to extinction. The modern web is passing them by; if in fact they aren't planing to update or replace their games that rely upon Java or Flash. And the 'answer' isn't Flash as you seem to believe. All Plugins as we have known them since 1995 are going to be gone in the near future. IE has been replaced by Edge in Windows10 with no ActiveX / Plugin support, and IE will be gone in the near future. And Chrome is ahead of Firefox as far as eliminating Plugins from running in Chrome; the latest version of Chrome may already have blocked Java - I don't follow the Chrome timetable for deprecation of features.

the-edmeister said

And the 'answer' isn't Flash as you seem to believe.

Um, at what point did I say the "answer" is Flash? Nowhere.

It's not my fault that the website I play at is a greedy corporate site that promotes Flash over Java and doesn't give two $#!T$ about updating their games, and continues to bring crappy Facebook type games to its site where you are baited to buy "in-game features" in order to keep playing (which I refuse to do since I already pay a membership fee to play games there).

I just don't want to lose quality Java games simply because they're now considered obsolete BECAUSE they are scripted or whatever in Java.

So again, it looks like when Mozilla abandons Java, I'll be abandoning Mozilla to go back to IE11 so I can continue to play my favorite games.

@jscher2000: Thank you for your explanation. Obviously I'm not very tech savvy. I turn my computer on, I click on the icon for my browser, and I click my bookmarked links to get to the sites I want. I'm not old, but I certainly feel like it since you seem to have to be a computer genius to be able to do anything anymore. *sigh* I really wish people and companies would just keep in mind that some of us don't write computer codes and just want things to work properly and SIMPLY.

Even Oracle is abandoning their Java Plugin in case you missed that as "Oracle plans to deprecate the Java browser plugin in JDK 9. This technology will be removed from the Oracle JDK and JRE in a future Java SE release".

https://blogs.oracle.com/java-platform-group/entry/moving_to_a_plugin_free