Author: Peter Kappler
Date: 23:50:46 05/24/01
Go up one level in this thread
On May 24, 2001 at 22:17:28, Dann Corbit wrote: >On May 24, 2001 at 21:48:21, Peter McKenzie wrote: > >>On May 24, 2001 at 20:07:26, Dann Corbit wrote: >> >>>On May 24, 2001 at 19:53:53, Steven Schwartz wrote: >>> >>>>On May 24, 2001 at 18:31:43, José Carlos wrote: >>>> >>>>>On May 24, 2001 at 15:17:17, Steven Schwartz wrote: >>>>> >>>>>>We have just completed adding some new features to the CCC, >>>>>>and I have emailed each of you with a description. If you have >>>>>>not received the email, you may wish to use one of the new >>>>>>features listed below to change your email address in the system. >>>>>> >>>>>>One of the new features, my favorite, is the member profile >>>>>>feature. If you look to the right of my name at the top of >>>>>>this post, you will see the word "Profile". Click on that to >>>>>>see mine. >>>>>> >>>>>>If you wish to write your own profile, you may do so now (and >>>>>>you can change it as many times as you wish) at: >>>>>>http://www.icdchess.com/forums/profile.shtml >>>>> >>>>> Just one thing and the profile would be perfect IMO: would it be possible to >>>>>upload a small picture? That way we could see each other's face. I'd find it >>>>>fantastic. >>>>> Anyway, thanks for the changes. They're cool. >>>>> José C. >>>> >>>> >>>>We agree. That is a project which we are working on, but >>>>it will take some time. In the meantime, if you have a >>>>web site or a place to park your picture, you can do what >>>>I did and just put the URL in one of the available lines. >>>>Steve (ICD/Your Move Chess & Games) >>> >>>I would like to point out that such a feature (insertion of a photograph) has a >>>large possibility for serious misuse. >>> >>>You should (especially) disallow gif images, because the gif format can have >>>included program code and would thus be a virus danger. >> >>are you being serious Dann??? > >A gif image is basically a self-contained program that operates on its own data >stream. That's how things like 'gif animation' are accomplished. For instance, >here is the grammar: > ><GIF Data Stream> ::= Header <Logical Screen> <Data>* Trailer > ><Logical Screen> ::= Logical Screen Descriptor [Global Color Table] > ><Data> ::= <Graphic Block> | > <Special-Purpose Block> > ><Graphic Block> ::= [Graphic Control Extension] <Graphic-Rendering Block> > ><Graphic-Rendering Block> ::= <Table-Based Image> | > Plain Text Extension > ><Table-Based Image> ::= Image Descriptor [Local Color Table] Image Data > ><Special-Purpose Block> ::= Application Extension | > Comment Extension > >I believe that I could write a gif that will suddenly change the "screen" to be >your bios, and the data that gets decoded could be assembly instructions to >format your hard drive. Won't damage newer systems, but it could wreak havoc on >programs that don't have memory hardware protection. > >Besides images gone awry, there are other problems that could surface which seem >fairly obvious to me. I think a pointer to a URL would be better. That way, we >avoid some potential problems. I thought you were worried about was distasteful pictures, but maybe not, since you're suggesting a URL. Regardless, I think the benefit of being able to attach a name to a face around here would be worth the risk. Alternatively, somebody could screen all incoming images, but that seems like a lot of work. -Peter P.S. If a gif could deliver a virus, don't you think somebody would have done it by now?
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