Productivity Portfolio

In previous issues, we've recommended people install a firewall for their systems. We still maintain that position. But, sometimes the protection offered by some programs comes at a cost.

We've noticed many web sites that haven't displayed properly because of the firewall settings we use in ZoneAlarm Pro. Ironically, we discovered this with our own site. We were redoing some JavaScript forms and noticed in testing the only item that displayed was our logo. There was no message except "Done" on the status bar. When we went to View Source with our browser, we discovered the HTML was a subset of what was coded. Again, content was blocked.

We finally found a solution for our problem, but this issue made us realize the firewall was changing our experience in ways we hadn't figured. A clearer idea of this situation is seen in the screen snap of a Reuters's story or lack there of.

Once we reconfigured ZoneAlarm Pro setting to allow Banner and Skyscraper ads from Reuters, the story displayed the way we wanted. Evidently, our firewall interpreted the story as some ad form.

Such problems aren't limited to ZoneAlarm Pro. Similar problems can occur with other software firewalls and pop up blockers. On many occasions, the pop up blocker on our Google toolbar has suppressed content we needed such as a Live Chat session. Fortunately, Google provides visual and audible feedback when it blocks pop ups.

This behavior doesn't change our opinion of software firewalls when it comes to your safety. Instead, we want to people to expand their horizons when thinking about problem sources. It could be the source of your problem resides on your machine.