Microsoft Active Scripting

Internet Explorer prompted a message telling me to turn on ActiveScripting that it defines as:

Active scripting is a Microsoft technology that allows different software components to interact with one another in a networked environment (in this case, the Internet), regardless of the language in which the components were created. Active scripting is what allows Web pages to use animation and to change their content dynamically.

But really, I think the explanation should be this:

Active scripting is a Microsoft technology that allows different vulnerable components to interact with hackers in a networked environment (in this case, the Internet), regardless of safety precautions you take to stop the components from being installed.  Active scripting allows Web pages to install malicious software and infect your system dynamically.

After 15 years of trojans, viruses, and other malware infecting Windows systems through this feature in Internet Explorer, the same type of tricks used to hack peoples' systems as they browse the Internet still work.