Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down • Hacker News Board

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#121

Post by arkitaip » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:11 PM UTC

gonehome wrote: post #78

aboringusername wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thing is, the value proposition proposed by "the cloud", whomever that may be (MS/Google/Apple et al), is quite the temptation. Seriously, I am slowly and surely de-googling, such as storing all data locally (if I need offsite, I use encrypted backups). My calendar now uses caldav on a raspberry pi, my home network uses ethernet for fast data flow to a portable drive and I am using a web browser for many applications…

The only main Google service I still used was Gmail (and occasionally search when DDG doesn't return something immediately useful). I'd seen comments about Fastmail over the years, but moving seemed like it would be a hassle. With more at home pandemic time I decided to just do it and have been super impressed. The Fastmail docs are really good, setting up DNS to use my custom domain had explicit steps and pictures f…

Hey, i recently switched to Fastmail too! It's been surprisingly painless, even with importing mail, calendars and what not. Like you mention, the most time consuming part has been going through my accounts to update the email address to the new one.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#122

Post by dade_ » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:13 PM UTC

tdeck wrote: post #3

> Google (Robot): We'll take your extension down Me: Hey, this must be a mistake > Google (Robot): No mistake, review these policies, your extension violates one of them Me: It does not violate any of them, this is a mistake! > Google (Finally human): Oh, sorry, a mistake. Obviously someone just needs to create a robot that automatically replies to the takedown notices and disputes them, thus closing the loop!

Somehow I expect that using a bot against their bot violates user TOS part #63836370 section YQ, and they will immediately lock your accounts, associated business accounts, delete the data and offer zero recourse.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#123

Post by whathappenedto » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:13 PM UTC

omnifischer wrote: post #5

It is disgusting that no one from media asks Sundar Pichai touch questions like: 1. Non human (AI) usage for termination google accounts. 2. No repeal process At least some employee from Google here in hn must do things and understand mentality of other people. It increasingly looks like - well... we employees live in bubble but if you are unlucky then you are screwed. Do not ask us? What kind of programmers wrote su…

So it's easy to think with a human customer service agent, all will be well. But then I think about all the customer service calls I've made or emails I've sent, and I almost wish that they did not exist so I don't get my hopes up and waste my time. Most customer service is worse than a computerized flowchart.

And even if they do understand your situation, and have authenticated you, and aren't just reading a script, then most of the time they can't offer you anything else besides what's possible on the website anyways. Sometimes we just like having someone to complain to.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#124

Post by arkitaip » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:14 PM UTC

achillesheels wrote: post #109

aboringusername wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thing is, the value proposition proposed by "the cloud", whomever that may be (MS/Google/Apple et al), is quite the temptation. Seriously, I am slowly and surely de-googling, such as storing all data locally (if I need offsite, I use encrypted backups). My calendar now uses caldav on a raspberry pi, my home network uses ethernet for fast data flow to a portable drive and I am using a web browser for many applications…

My wake up call came in May 2018 when I was starting a cannabis dispensary YouTube channel and they decided to terminate all content creators. But this also included the gmail account. Completely. Flipping the switch off just like that made me realize I’m an idiot for using Gmail as my “central” email address (I’ve navigated all my critical emails offline and now use my own email server.)

Not wanting to rely on Google - especially Gmail - as my central identity provider is why I switched to Fastmail. Sure it costs and the migration took a couple of days but it's been worth it.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#125

Post by coffeefirst » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:14 PM UTC

syshum wrote: post #84

omnifischer wrote: post #5

It is disgusting that no one from media asks Sundar Pichai touch questions like: 1. Non human (AI) usage for termination google accounts. 2. No repeal process At least some employee from Google here in hn must do things and understand mentality of other people. It increasingly looks like - well... we employees live in bubble but if you are unlucky then you are screwed. Do not ask us? What kind of programmers wrote su…

>>What kind of programmers wrote such code that terminates The Human mind has an infinite capacity to justify any manner of things as "just doing my job" or "just following orders" This has been seen in all industry, in all types of roles and at all times in history There is nothing more dangerous than a group of people "just doing their jobs"

Also hubris. Hubris is a hell of a drug.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#126

Post by trashburger » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:15 PM UTC

Another victim of the Chrome Extension AI. Seems like the PR move of last week was nothing beyond that, a PR move. I expect them to backpedal again like they did with Pushbullet, but it's too late now.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#127

Post by xkapastel » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:16 PM UTC

luckylion wrote: post #59

bdcravens wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brave is based on Chromium

But it's not chrome, hence not controlled by Google, and not bound by their policies regarding what extensions you may or may not install.

In theory. In practice, Manifest v3 (the changes to adblockers) will be implemented at the C++ level, meaning you'd need to fork Chromium in order to avoid it. I would be surprised if Brave even had the engineering power to do that. Microsoft perhaps, but I doubt they actually will.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#128

Post by bsder » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:18 PM UTC

llampx wrote: post #58

lykr0n wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stop worshiping the ground Google walks on, which seems common on HackerNews.

According to a lot of devs and CTOs I've met, Google and Apple can't do anything wrong while Microsoft can't do anything right.

Actually, I regularly have to go through any APIs we use from Google and yell at the developers who use them.

I can't risk having a corporate rollout/demo/pilot fail because some developer made the Googlebot pissy and got everything they're associated with banned.

I trust Microsoft way more than Google at this point. That says something.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#129

Post by gonehome » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:18 PM UTC

komali2 wrote: post #108

gonehome wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only main Google service I still used was Gmail (and occasionally search when DDG doesn't return something immediately useful). I'd seen comments about Fastmail over the years, but moving seemed like it would be a hassle. With more at home pandemic time I decided to just do it and have been super impressed. The Fastmail docs are really good, setting up DNS to use my custom domain had explicit steps and pictures f…

I went through a similar process during quarantine, but for bluehost. I found the process of changing emails over meant I also was able to make Pass entries for them (another way I'm taking control of my data), and at the same time delete my account for websites I don't need anymore. It's been very cleansing.

What is a pass entry and what do you use it for?

Another thing I should mention is I wanted to try hey.com since it looks like they’re doing some interesting things (alerting users to tracking pixels to push back on clients like superhuman, whitelisting incoming mail, etc.) but they make it hard to get an invite so I gave up trying and paid for fastmail instead.

Re: Unable to deal with Chrome Extension Team, Kozmos is shutting down

#130

Post by klyrs » Sat, May 23, 2020, 9:19 PM UTC

monadic2 wrote: post #18

lowiqengineer wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s pretty apparent that they think people who don’t work for google are vastly inferior human beings. It honestly runs counter to their “social justice” facade.

I really think this is unreasonable. Even at google there are different subcultures, including many with an anti-corporate streak. Furthermore I’m not going to blame an employee for not sticking out their neck for client businesses who also don’t give a shit about them. This isn’t a problem of individual providence. Google needs a damn union just to get some reason in the building.

> Google needs a damn union just to get some reason in the building.

I'm pretty pro-union in general but I don't follow your reasoning. Cops are unionized, and when they murder innocent civilians in broad daylight, the unions are right behind to pay for their legal defense. Unions don't bring reason to a workforce; they merely represent that workforce.