There are a number of reasons why you might experience difficulty in loading the 7am News Java applets. Most of these revolve around the stringent security mechanisms built into the Java system.

In order to protect your computer and data from unwanted viewing or damage, Java is extremely paranoid about what it will do when used as part of a Web page.

The reason you saw the message that lead you here is because the applet involved was unable to commicate back to the 7am News Web site in order to get some extra information it required.

This is usually caused by the existance of a firewall or proxy server between your browser and the Internet. Firewalls and proxy servers act as a kind of buffer between your computer and the outside world.

Most sites install firewalls as a method of increasing security - they can greatly reduce the chance of hackers breaking into your system through the Net. Proxy servers are designed to reduce speed up your Internet activities by caching local copies of frequently accessed files such as Web pages and graphics.

In order to work, these mechanisms change the way the browser talks to the Internet and it is this deviation from "the norm" which tends to confuse Java at times.

What can be done?
There's not a lot we can do at the moment but the next generation of Java will support the concept of "trusted" applets that are allowed to communicate through these firewalls and proxies if you want them to.

We'll be producing applets that support this extra security control as soon as support becomes commonplace.