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If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

nytimes.com

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Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#51

Post by xnx »

xoa wrote: post #29
adrianh wrote: post #11

The author was testing these browsers on an iPhone — but neglected to note that Apple actually prevents other browser engines on iOS. So if you use Firefox or Brave on an iPhone, you’re simply using Safari with a different “skin.” This skin can clearly do some content blocking, and it can provide a different browser UI — but it cannot change the fundamental web technologies that are available in the browser. As such,…

> As such, Safari is basically the new IE6 — it lags all other modern browsers and prevents websites from taking advantage of nice new features. I strongly disagree with you. The new IE6 is Chrome: overwhelming dominance of the web to the extent that Google can dictate "standards" themselves and users begin to lose the ability to use other browsers because "site works best(only) in Chrome", and I think that having my…

For me the primary characteristic of IE6 was not that it had a large market share like Chrome, but that it didn't update for over 5 years. Chrome is nothing like IE6 in that regard.

The web would be better off if iOS users could benefit from the full Chrome codebase.

Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#52

Post by freebuju »

prophesi wrote: post #21

Firefox is good enough. Just remember to change your search provider, since they're still tied to a contract with Google. Their multi-account containers have been awesome, and I hope other browsers adopt similar functionality. For further privacy, there's a pretty radical version of Firefox called Tor.

Tor browser is not a version of Firefox. It is a browser project on its own. Couldn't let this coy remark just fly.

Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#53

Post by dang »

skinnymuch wrote: post #45
fastball wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seems like Brave is best of both worlds in this case. It's a Chromium browser with a focus on privacy.

How can I vouch for the child comment to your comment that is dead? Does any one know? I would like to know if their comment is wrong or not. I’ve been able to vouch for comments once or twice before.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsfaq.html#cvouch

Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#55

Post by jefftk »

nwienert wrote: post #14
adrianh wrote: post #11

The author was testing these browsers on an iPhone — but neglected to note that Apple actually prevents other browser engines on iOS. So if you use Firefox or Brave on an iPhone, you’re simply using Safari with a different “skin.” This skin can clearly do some content blocking, and it can provide a different browser UI — but it cannot change the fundamental web technologies that are available in the browser. As such,…

Which is actually a good thing for the diversity of browser engines and preventing Google from commandeering web standards and “embrace, extend, extinguish”ing them. If Chrome was allowed on iOS be sure Google would dump unlimited money to get people to use it. Websites would further go down the path of only testing on Chrome, and Google would continue stuffing their browser full of oftentimes needless features. And…

> Safari is miles ahead of any other engine in terms of performance. It’s not even close.

link?

Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#56

Post by saurik »

xnx wrote: post #51
xoa wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As such, Safari is basically the new IE6 — it lags all other modern browsers and prevents websites from taking advantage of nice new features. I strongly disagree with you. The new IE6 is Chrome: overwhelming dominance of the web to the extent that Google can dictate "standards" themselves and users begin to lose the ability to use other browsers because "site works best(only) in Chrome", and I think that having my…

For me the primary characteristic of IE6 was not that it had a large market share like Chrome, but that it didn't update for over 5 years. Chrome is nothing like IE6 in that regard. The web would be better off if iOS users could benefit from the full Chrome codebase.

Yeah: Chrome is the new IE4, pushing ridiculous new technologies simply because they can.

Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#58

Post by Wingy »

caslon wrote: post #36
wussboy wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Both of your comments in this thread confuse me. “Don’t use these tools which greatly increase your privacy and security because of some minor potential flaw.” To me it sounds like you don’t want to get in to the lifeboat because you might get a sliver climbing in. And you encourage others to stay out as well. Odd.

I agree with Mozilla's views politically, but Pocket is proprietary. It's a major flaw. Something proprietary (I know the Firefox integration is free now, but the server isn't), controlled by an American corporation, turned on by default, that sends content to the user. If it was only an RSS reader, fine. But it sends arbitrary content to the user from Pocket's servers! What if there's an RCE? Their refusal to free P…

What is a NSL? I looked it up and didn't find anything relevant.

Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#59

Post by caslon »

Wingy wrote: post #58
caslon wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with Mozilla's views politically, but Pocket is proprietary. It's a major flaw. Something proprietary (I know the Firefox integration is free now, but the server isn't), controlled by an American corporation, turned on by default, that sends content to the user. If it was only an RSS reader, fine. But it sends arbitrary content to the user from Pocket's servers! What if there's an RCE? Their refusal to free P…

What is a NSL? I looked it up and didn't find anything relevant.

National Security Letter; if the government wants to force you to backdoor some software, they send you one. That's why most projects have canaries.

Re: If you care about privacy, it’s time to try a new web browser

#60

Post by smitty1e »

saurik wrote: post #56
xnx wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me the primary characteristic of IE6 was not that it had a large market share like Chrome, but that it didn't update for over 5 years. Chrome is nothing like IE6 in that regard. The web would be better off if iOS users could benefit from the full Chrome codebase.

Yeah: Chrome is the new IE4, pushing ridiculous new technologies simply because they can.

'Ridiculous' is unfair. Google has enough technical chops and market heft to set new internet standards and not look as silly as Redmond did in the 90s in the process.
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