WunderMu** Security When you click the 'start the client' link on the main WunderMu** page, you will be presented by an Internet Explorer security dialog. This dialog is just to notify you that the Java applet (in this case, the WunderMu** Client) is requesting special permissions from you. Why does it need special permission? Java applets normally operate in what is typically called a 'sandbox'. This is for your protection. For example, this 'sandbox' keeps Java applets from reading files off your hard drive. Another restriction of this sandbox is that the Java applet cannot open connections to other servers. Your favorite Mu** game for instance. To connect you to your favorite game, the client must ask you for permission to do so. So, the WunderMu** Client Connector requests special permission to be allowed to connect to a remote server. It's just a way of alerting you that the Applet is going to be connecting to a remote machine during the session. There's a Warning. That's bad right? Well, yes and no. The reason the warning exists is that we're using a homemade security certificate to allow the applet to ask you for permission to connect to a remote server. Typically you would purchase such a certificate from a Certification Authority like Thawte or Verisign and that warning would not be there. We have not done that, so the warning exists. There is absolutely no danger associated with allowing the client to run. It's just as safe as downloading a windows program and installing it. That program can do a lot more damage to you than this applet could. So why not just get a real certificate from Thawte or Verisign? This is easy. Price. The WunderMu** client is free and we want it to stay that way. To purchase a certificate from Thawte just to make that warning disappear would cost $200 and to buy it from Verisign would be $400. This works out to ten (10) months of hosting fees or forty (40) months of hosting fees. Unfortunately, these two entities are the only ones I'm aware of that offer digital certificates. I could launch into a manifesto on how Verisign and Network Solutions are running up prices just because they can. But I won't. If the $$ can be raised through donations to purchase said certificate - great. Otherwise, let the spirit of GNU guide you and just trust us. :) Home