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Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

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Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#141

Post by izacus »

dannyw wrote: post #78
anonymousDan wrote: post #47

I would really like to uninstall chrome from my Android phone but it appears to be impossible. Am I missing something?

Consider buying an iPhone. I'm serious. Google is a spyware company.

How do you uninstall Safari from iPhone though?

On Android he has a free choice to use and support Firefox (with Addons), which on iOS he can't do by the decree of the platform holder.

(The platform holder which told us, developers, that writing the complaint that's linked in this very article would cause us to be removed from the AppStore.)

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#142

Post by theseanl »

I did found that the codebase does not seem to be using any `browser.clipboard` API, so `clipboardWrite` permission seems to be unnecessary. According to [MDN](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/Web...), `browser.clipboard` API mainly exists to enable extensions to write image contents to clipboards, and all the ClearURL needs is writing texts. Also, [another MDN page on clipboard interactions](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/Web...) states that extensions do not need `clipboardWrite` permissions to write to clipboards, e.g. by using `document.execCommand('copy')`.

Hopefully, removing this permission could help getting the extension restored.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#143

Post by achairapart »

Just to add my own data point: I have some extensions in the Chrome Web Store and, from time to time, Google send me a notice that they violate privacy policies (but they don't collect any data) or some permissions are not used (but yes, they are).

So, after explaining and linking to the source code, they usually reply with another canned response:

    Thank you for reaching out to us. We took a closer look at your item again and found it to be compliant with our policies. Your item has been reinstated and will be available in the store shortly. We apologise for the inconvenience caused to you in this matter. We value your contributions to the Chrome Web Store and look forward to working with you.
So maybe there is some Hanlon's razor at play here, too.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#144

Post by Andrew_nenakhov »

emayljames wrote: post #119
midasuni wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not like it’s difficult. This isn’t the world of IE6, where a bloated Netscape 4.7 which failed to work on many sites was the only alternative. (Kant remember when KHTML - later konqurer - became more usable than Phoenix/Firebird/Firefox)

I'd respectfully disagree, Netscape (Gecko) had better, more up to date standards. The issue was always folks not testing on other than Internet Exploder.

I actually found that the best way in that (horrible) era was to develop Opera-first. That way the amount of fixes for IE and Mozilla was much less than if choosing any of these two as firstm

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#145

Post by lopis »

bsdubernerd wrote: post #106
0xfaded wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I also just added it to firefox. Thanks Barbara Streisand effect!

Mozilla has been playing a little bit better here, but let's not forget Mozilla could remove the addon on pretty much in the same way. Case in point: Firefox on mobile has a selected _whitelist_ of addons you can install, and that's it.

It's true that the new Firefox still only has a handful of addons available. But that's still a handful more than Chrome supports.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#146

Post by worble »

eecc wrote: post #95
ulrikrasmussen wrote: post #45

What I don't get is why Google is allowed to provide a browser and be a major content provider at the same time. If this is allowed to continue then it seems inevitable than an unhealthy monopoly will form where Chrome and its derivatives are the only browsers that can consume the modern web, and where opting out of tracking is not a possibility for anyone but the most technically inclined (although that's almost alr…

What I don’t get is how many howl and cry foul at Apple for its Store “monopoly” while anyone can opt-out of it by switching to any other of the myriad competitors. While in this case, Google is very likely abusing its dominance to coerce the whole ecosystem beyond their own platform in their favor: if the web becomes “works with Chrome” everyone is (probably negatively) affected.

Definition of myriad (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : ten thousand

2 : a great number

The Apple/Google duopoly does not constitute a "myriad of competitors".

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#147

Post by lopis »

ErrrNoMate wrote: post #118
passerby1 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do I understand correct that duckduckgo is there already?

It's not a search engine, it's just something built on top of Bing. We need something independent to cut through this, it can't have these ties.

Do you realize how expensive and hard it is to build a search engine from scratch? It's not a coincidence that only state-size corporations have been able to keep a high quality web index going. Cliqz tried and struggled hard, until they decided to shut down. It's not a "market ripe for disruption". It's maybe the market with the highest barrier of entry in tech.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#149

Post by raihansaputra »

urthor wrote: post #132
eertami wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Firefox as my main browser I tried last year, and honestly it isn't bad. But I use the Chrome "install this site as an App" functionality a lot and Firefox's "app tabs" didn't work nearly as well. Plus, I hear they've removed or are removing said single site browser functionality. This might be a somewhat niche case but it makes it really hard to switch as much as FF does have some nice features (picture in picture…

On Firefox Android the same button for install this site as an app is right there? It's called Add to Home Screen

I think GP means on the desktop. I also use the same function so I can run the web version of Slack instead of the Electron one, on a separate window with the Slack icon. Firefox killed their efforts to support this (single site browser). https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25589177

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#150

Post by [deleted] »

echelon wrote: post #57
Hendrikto wrote: post #8

> The reasons for this are ridiculous and probably only pretended because ClearURLs damages Google's business model. […] > Among other things, it was claimed that the description of the addon is too detailed and thus violates the Chrome Web Store rules. The mention of all the people who helped to develop and translate ClearURLs is against Google's rules because it could "confuse" the user. Ridiculous. > Also, Google…

More fuel for the Google antitrust / breakup fire. Google should not be allowed to develop Chrome or have any say in web standards. Every play they make favors themselves - unsemantic HTML5, AMP, crippled and removed extensions, progressive removal of the URL bar, https everywhere (no more self-hosted blogs unless you understand cert signing and automated renewal - why did the web stop being easy?), cookie standards…

[deleted]
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