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Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

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Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#121
post #26

This kind of chicanery is the reason I won't use Chrome for anything but browsing Facebook.

I never use chrome except with gmail and other google services where I have an account. I think there's a market for this kind of systema. I'm surprised anyone privacy minded still gets concerned about Google as they've been pretty open about everything since the launch of gmail. They give you free stuff in exchange for ads. Chrome must send data, even if you aren't signed in. Google has a shadow profile for you anyw…

They didn't tell people that they were buying their banking data. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-30/google-an...

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#122
post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firefox has gained a feature called multi-account containers several releases back solving exactly this kind of problem in a slick way: Your tabs can be assigned to different accounts (represented by different colors/names/icons (which are configurable). Each account has its own cookies etc, allowing you to be signed in to any number of services while keeping them separated. I use this feature heavily to separate dif…

But... Chrome has had this feature for MUCH longer than Firefox.

Chrome lets you have different accounts per window, which is nice. Firefox supports different accounts per tab, or the optional Facebook Container extension blocks communication to Facebook domains in all tabs outside of the Facebook container.

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#123
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firefox has had profiles since at least 0.8, released in 2004, when it was renamed from Firebird, more than four and a half years prior to Google Chrome's release. This code, however, was inherited from Netscape Communicator 4, released more than a decade before Google Chrome. Hell, Netscape 4 predates Google ! However, since the profile code is so old, it is not accessible from the main interface; it must be accesse…

Firefox also has Multi-Account Containers add-on which is much more lightweight than profiles: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/containers

Ah, yes, I forgot to mention that. This is basically Firefox learning from Chrome's mistakes after 10 years, just as Chrome learned from Netscape's mistakes. Chrome added in-browser support to profiles, then Firefox added preference and add-on sharing.

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#124
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find Mail.app to have a terrible UX, but I did try it, thanks. My standing solution is to use one browser to log into big-G services, another to log into FB, and a third for everything else.

Have you tried Firefox's multi-account containers? They might be more convenient than using multiple browsers.

I have. Unfortunately, I run my screen at a scaled resolution, so Firefox routinely pegs a full core redrawing itself, and burns my battery like it was punctured.

Until that's fixed, I can't use it as my primary browser. This saddens me, because I otherwise love it.

EDIT: This is actually more reason for me to switch back to Linux; FF doesn't have this bug there.

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#125
post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find Mail.app to have a terrible UX, but I did try it, thanks. My standing solution is to use one browser to log into big-G services, another to log into FB, and a third for everything else.

Have you tried mailplaneapp.com?

That looks really nice. If I end up staying with OSX, I'll give it a try. Thanks!

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#126
post #54

"Google calls the feature "Identity consistency between browser and cookie jar" and a Chrome representative on the official Google Chrome Help Forum confirmed that this is the intended behavior. >This is an intended behaviour if you are using the same Google Account for your Gmail and Chrome. If yes, you'll be signed out of Chrome when you signed out of Gmail account. ... Good news is that it is possible currently to…

It appears this only breaks part of the connection. I removed all Chrome data, created a new profile, activated that flag, signed into YouTube.

While I'm not signed into the browser, it has lifted my Google Account profile image into the browser, so it's still doing some sort of "consistency". It's clear the browser still knows my Google Account.

Image: https://imgur.com/hrEwPqX.png (Note, I confirmed that the about:flag "Identity consistency..." is set to Disabled before/after this screenshot again.)

I continue to be thrilled that I moved back to Firefox around Quantum.

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#127
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most straightforward solution is to create a separate Chrome user/profile for your work account. It's a great way to keep your private and organizational accounts completely separate. You can even sync all Chrome settings, extensions, and bookmars though the company account if they allow you to use your own devices. Unlike Firefox (major pain point btw), you can run Chrome with multiple profiles at once, each in…

But my workflow! https://xkcd.com/1172/ That's a good suggestion, but I just don't need or want to maintain two sets of bookmarks, install each plugin twice, configure each setting in two places, etc. But I guess I'll have to... sigh.

You could use the work profile you create exclusively for gmail and analytics, etc. That is, you could leave that profile pretty plain, not mainting bookmarks and plugins for it.

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#128
post #54

"Google calls the feature "Identity consistency between browser and cookie jar" and a Chrome representative on the official Google Chrome Help Forum confirmed that this is the intended behavior. >This is an intended behaviour if you are using the same Google Account for your Gmail and Chrome. If yes, you'll be signed out of Chrome when you signed out of Gmail account. ... Good news is that it is possible currently to…

Alternatively just get Firefox, use https://ffprofile.com/ once, and stop dealing with Chrome. Ta-da, no more spyware.

Yes, this move is a deal breaker. Defaults matter, so I'm switching to Firefox.

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#129
post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried Firefox's multi-account containers? They might be more convenient than using multiple browsers.

I have. Unfortunately, I run my screen at a scaled resolution, so Firefox routinely pegs a full core redrawing itself, and burns my battery like it was punctured. Until that's fixed, I can't use it as my primary browser. This saddens me, because I otherwise love it. EDIT: This is actually more reason for me to switch back to Linux; FF doesn't have this bug there.

I heard rumours this might be fixed in FF64 or FF65. It's certainly very needed!

Re: Tell HN: Using Gmail? You will be force logged into Chrome

#130

This kind of chicanery is the reason I won't use Chrome for anything but browsing Facebook.

A while ago I switched to Vivaldi. I have never been happier with a browser.

Even though Vivaldi occasionally releases tarballs, the main browser is a proprietary product. See https://vivaldi.com/privacy/vivaldi-end-user-license-agreeme...
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