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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

#281

Post by smw »

jiofih wrote: post #262
johnvaluk wrote: post #254

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think authors want to ensure their writings are not edited, censored or otherwise tampered with while in transit to the reader. HTTPS isn't perfect, but this is one of the benefits it provides. It isn't only about encryption or privacy.

The NSA (and who knows who else) has the ability to tamper with TLS encrypted traffic, so that’s a moot point. Also easily defeated in the client by adding a rogue proxy and CA.

I don't think there's anywhere near a consensus that your statement here is true. In fact, I think it would be a surprise to the majority of the tech community if that were the case.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#282

Post by lordofgibbons »

kuschku wrote: post #169
Boltgolt wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was under the impression that the new Firefox for Android has not implemented all plugin APIs yet, and thus can't run most of the plugins. Of course there will be plugins that do work and are not whitelisted right now, and they need to get on that, but it's not just whitelisting for the sake of whitelisting

And you can actually modify that whitelist to be whatever you'd like — e.g. I've added hundreds of addons that aren't by default listed.

Can you please link to instructions on how to do this?

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#283

Post by anonymousab »

userbinator wrote: post #266
dessant wrote: post #37

I'd love to use ClearURLs, though last I checked it had a major flaw: it allows arbitrary code execution by the provider of the filter list. Among other things, it can redirect script URLs to arbitrary sources, and the filter list is periodically updated from a GitLab page, which enables the filter list provider to perform a targeted attack by serving a malicious filter list to a specific device. The only filter list…

Security paranoia is ruining the independent Internet and putting more power in the hands of companies like Google.

In this case, we know that extensions are sometimes sold and updated maliciously. Having external arbitrary code is a legitimately concerning vector because it bypasses Google verification of the extension.

Not that Google are great at their jobs in that case, but it's something.

So it's not paranoia in this case, it's "we can't have nice things" because of real bad actors.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#284

Post by ricardo81 »

jrochkind1 wrote: post #236
ColinHayhurst wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Self-disclosure: Mojeek CEO. On your points: - Our search engine works and has been doing so for >15 years. Our search quality needs improving but does so gradually. And it's independent; our own crawler, index and infrastructure - We just introduced non-tracking search ads: https://www.mojeek.com/support/ads/ - We use "No Tracking , Just Search" and "Search without Surveillance" We've been building for 15 years; her…

Here's the first test search I did. "github ruby hanami" looking for the hanami github repo. Seems like a relatively simple query. On Google, it's the first result. https://www.google.com/search?q=github+ruby+hanami On mojeek, it's not even on the first page. https://www.mojeek.com/search?q=github+ruby+hanami It's possible that at this point I (and others) have trained ourselves to know/do the kind of queries that wo…

Hello, mojeek dev here. Cheers for the feedback, appreciated.

In this case we simply don't have the page in our index, though we do have others mentioning hanami. Our bot is permitted to crawl github.com and has a good number of pages in from that host, we'll evaluate whether we can increase crawling for github and similar large sites and hopefully before long that page will enter the index.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#285

Post by asiachick »

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…

How is that different than a supermarket offering its own brand? Costco offer Kirkland, Whole Foods offer's 365 brand. Apple offers various Apple apps even though they provide the platform, both included "Pages" and separate "Final Cut Pro", etc...

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#286

Post by nitrogen »

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 was trying to help a family member set up a new tablet for their kids, and we literally could not find any Add to Home Screen feature in Firefox anywhere. It's there on my phone, but like 80% of the menu items I have were just not there on this tablet.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#287

Post by fbelzile »

dessant wrote: post #37

I'd love to use ClearURLs, though last I checked it had a major flaw: it allows arbitrary code execution by the provider of the filter list. Among other things, it can redirect script URLs to arbitrary sources, and the filter list is periodically updated from a GitLab page, which enables the filter list provider to perform a targeted attack by serving a malicious filter list to a specific device. The only filter list…

If you don't like the risk this poses, don't use the extension. Your ability to make informed decisions about risk vs reward keeps getting chipped away when Google pulls this kind of stuff off. Google should warn you about the security risks (edit: or just remove it from the public facing store and only keep the hard to guess URL active) but don't tell me what extensions I'm allowed to use or not. Even adding local extensions I make myself are treated like a security threat with a popup every time I open Chrome.

Stop the helicopter computing. People keep saying they want the old Internet back, this is why.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#288

Post by buzer »

ColinHayhurst wrote: post #163
skinkestek wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As has been said by someone before: There's a billion dollar niche waiting for the right company: - make a search engine that works - show text ads clearly distinguishable from results - play nice, and maybe even use use a cool slogan like "we're not evil" or something (it used to be someone else's but it seems they don't use it anymore ;-)

Self-disclosure: Mojeek CEO. On your points: - Our search engine works and has been doing so for >15 years. Our search quality needs improving but does so gradually. And it's independent; our own crawler, index and infrastructure - We just introduced non-tracking search ads: https://www.mojeek.com/support/ads/ - We use "No Tracking , Just Search" and "Search without Surveillance" We've been building for 15 years; her…

I tried some development-related queries that I have recently done in Google.

Queries related to Go seem to mainly work only if using Go and not if using Golang (unless "go" + term is popular outside of Go as well). Usually people use Golang in search (to avoid confusion with the verb & game), but pages generally refer to Go. "go package XXXX" seems to work better in many cases.

With a bit of lesser known technologies, it was hard to find a query that would get me to the actual site. e.g. Python SDK for OCI. Lots of links to examples with various queries (python oci, python oci sdk, python oci api), but not really any direct link to GitHub or the official documentation.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#289

Post by gogopuppygogo »

userbinator wrote: post #266
dessant wrote: post #37

I'd love to use ClearURLs, though last I checked it had a major flaw: it allows arbitrary code execution by the provider of the filter list. Among other things, it can redirect script URLs to arbitrary sources, and the filter list is periodically updated from a GitLab page, which enables the filter list provider to perform a targeted attack by serving a malicious filter list to a specific device. The only filter list…

Security paranoia is ruining the independent Internet and putting more power in the hands of companies like Google.

I remember back when adware, spyware, and viruses ran amuck on PC’s thanks to lax Windows XP security design and an open internet without any effort to protect users. It was bad.

We do need to decentralize the decision making but the progress toward making the web safer for average folks is good.

Re: Google Removed ClearURLs Extension from Chrome Web Store

#290

Post by cookiecaper »

aniforprez wrote: post #32
elktea wrote: post #2

anyone using this site that still uses chrome, why?

As a developer, Chrome's tools are pretty good. As a user, the sync options for history and bookmarks are what keep me in. It's definitely not perfect but it's fine for now. I like Firefox but not enough to switch I was first a Firefox user, switched to Chrome, back to FF and finally to Chrome once I got a smart phone and they added sync

Firefox's tools are still competitive with Chrome and there are even a few things I miss about them when debugging in Brave. It gives a little joy to know that Mozilla is still competitive in something, but not holding my breath for it to stay that way.
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