Note: Quoting various different people below
Before everyone gets too warm and fluffy about FF try Google for 'problems' with it (use whichever browser you like ) and you will see claims that it has serious security loopholes.
1.- By the same token try Googling for "advantages" with it and you will see how good it is
2.- while you're at it, might also Google "aircraft crashes". Put you in the mood next time you go flying
3.- Seriously now, with computer security it's a bit like with aircraft safety, both aicraft and computers are things to which people are exposed almost every day but they do not have the faintest idea about, which gives some writers lots of opportunity for sensationalism.
In My Computer open folder C: \WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc (or wherever you have Windows installed) - look for file "hosts"
P1ssing about with the "hosts" file is a Bad Idea, especially when you do not know exactly what you are doing. The answer to it is do as Danny says and do not use broken software or if you do, live with the consequences (and if you are reading this from a corporate PC which you are not at liberty to change, well, shouldn't you be working instead anyway?)
The problem is caused by an outside vendor to which you have given access to your site, it's up to you to fix it!
Nope. It is caused by an outside vendor whose software is installed in some of your computers, and it's up to said vendor to fix it and/or those responsible for those computers to take technically sound measures to overcome the problem (as might be installing a different browser or downgrading to an older version of your software).
As for the complaints about the Google ads, etc., etc., one feels there should be no need to point out that this site is offered and run on a completely voluntary basis by a private group of individuals, and as such:
1.- they have complete freedom to decide how to run it and what is shown, and
2.- none of us have any obligation whatsoever to come here and if we do, one assumes it's purely because we get something out of it.
Out of interest, you might want to categorise the users in this thread according to whether they are complaining or offering a solution, and count the number in each category who have paid for a "personal title" (i.e., contributed financially to the running of this site [and yes, I know I haven't, never got around to it yet]) Not calling anyone a leech, but...
btw, not a trace of the alleged "problem" on my laptop or any of my terminals at work. Not with Firefox, or Konqueror, or Galleon, or even Lynx. Cannot try IE7 as they do not offer a Linux version