If you do see that, please file a bug with details on the steps to trigger this: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=Core&comp...

It will show a different placeholder with the latest Java (no update link & text): http://imgur.com/k94vEvB

Given Javas security history, this seems correct.

The applet loading without user action after the Java update sounds like you had already allowed it for that site before (or maybe you haven't got the blocklist update yet for some reason?).

What you are seeing on Firefox 26+ is all plugins except Flash becoming click-to-play by default: https://blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2013/09/24/plugin-ac...

There are options which have been discussed on the enterprise mailing list, e.g. one most recently here: https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/enterprise/2013-October/0...

See e.g. the Double Irish Arrangement: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement

The address bar is apparently caused by the delicious addon: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=799903

wow, thanks for that. I do have delicious installed. The fact that it could have been a plugin is why I didn't do a bug report. I just did a fresh install, still had the problem, and was going to go into safe mode after that. I wanted to see if I could isolate the problem first. Glad someone else already did.