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Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

complang.tuwien.ac.at

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Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#241

Post by sfink »

prange wrote: post #224
prange wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wouldn't seriously consider using a non-free application for something as essential as everyday web browsing. Why? Are you considering forking Firefox?

For clarification - if you either contribute code or money to Firefox, you are clearly supporting the existence of a free browser. I don’t see how just using it does. So if you aren’t contributing to it you may as well use the browser with the best feature set for your use case.

Using Firefox definitely supports the existence of a free browser. Loss of market share is the #1 threat to the continued existence of a free browser. Beyond the obvious (if a tree falls in a forest, crushing the last copy of the code for a browser that has zero users, then was it a browser at all?):

    lower market share =>
    nobody testing against the free browser or fixing site breakage =>
    quirks (bugs, underdefined specifications, nonstandard features) of other browsers becoming required for a functional Web =>
    free browser is no longer a browser of the actual Web.

Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#242

Post by pessimizer »

rdez6173 wrote: post #119
forgotmypw17 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you know someone has cognitive impairment which makes it difficult to use JS-heavy sites and/or is using an older device which has performance issues with heavy sites? Answer: Don't worry, they just won't be able to use your site.

The same could be said about the use of images on a site. The solution is to develop sites with accessibility in mind. Use a screen reader; experience what ALL your users will experience. Experiment with various rendering tools to emulate color blindness. There are even more tools to performance tune your website. This all comes down to the site author taking the time to cater to as many users as possible. It is not…

> The same could be said about the use of images on a site.

Only if you're making websites by photographing a picture on a wooden table. https://thedailywtf.com/articles/Web_0_0x2e_1

But if we're talking about text-based websites that are basically brochures, all you have to do it fill in the alt attribute. Nobody is asking anyone to make their website of paintings cater to the blind, it's a strawman position.

Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#243

Post by prange »

ipaddr wrote: post #239
prange wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For clarification - if you either contribute code or money to Firefox, you are clearly supporting the existence of a free browser. I don’t see how just using it does. So if you aren’t contributing to it you may as well use the browser with the best feature set for your use case.

Marketshare is important, default search engine revenue is based on usage.

It’s not really ‘free’ if it has to produce ad revenue.

Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#244

Post by prange »

sfink wrote: post #241
prange wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For clarification - if you either contribute code or money to Firefox, you are clearly supporting the existence of a free browser. I don’t see how just using it does. So if you aren’t contributing to it you may as well use the browser with the best feature set for your use case.

Using Firefox definitely supports the existence of a free browser. Loss of market share is the #1 threat to the continued existence of a free browser. Beyond the obvious (if a tree falls in a forest, crushing the last copy of the code for a browser that has zero users, then was it a browser at all?): lower market share => nobody testing against the free browser or fixing site breakage => quirks (bugs, underdefined sp…

I agree that submitting bug reports or patches is an important contribution.

I don’t see how that relates to market share, since regular users won’t do that.

Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#245

Post by mhd »

danjoredd wrote: post #144
exitb wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there any version of Mosaic that are able to handle modern HTTPS?

Honestly thinking on making a Mosaic clone. Without CSS or Javascript, I imagine it won't be terribly difficult to put together

I’ve been quite impressed by the Gemini browser LaGrange[1]. Does it’s own antialiased text rendering straight to SDL. Automatic site coloring as an option. Would be neat to see something like this with basic HTML 3-ish support (basic tables, lists etc)

[1]: https://gmi.skyjake.fi/lagrange/

Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#246

Post by ted_bunny »

forgotmypw17 wrote: post #80
tannhaeuser wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firefox on Ubuntu (which I'm not using anymore for these and other reasons) and presumably on other OSs does exactly that: refuse to open new tabs/sites once every two weeks or so, telling me "one more thing we need to do" ie self-update. So you're loosing all your browsing context, though FF does a better job restoring it after restart than it used to, but still that's user-hostile and self-important as fuck. And th…

Gosh, that is frustrating to even read about. The first time it happened, I would get rid of whatever software was involved in causing it and never use it again, except for testing purposes. I completely agree with you about everything else too. The Web is mature enough that I can use a well-tested website with a 20-year-old browser. There is no technical reason to not have a minimum-viable web browser with a smaller…

Care to namedrop your favorites?

Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#247

Post by mhd »

somecommit wrote: post #85

Need some max-width to whatever the average screen was back in 1999. True story, I re-uploaded a website that I wrote in 1999, only now I discover that my header was never centered, if was just floating left. It's the only thing that look off, everything else is working perfectly. HMTL/CSS/JS is really a stable stack for the computer field.

I’m getting a lot of mileage out of this simple bookmarklet found here: https://maya.land/bookmarklets/readable/

Centered max-width without going all out reader mode.

Re: Why I Don't Use Netscape (1999)

#249

Post by Spivak »

c7b wrote: post #176
checkyoursudo wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I just want the information Certainly a reasonable choice on your part. We all want what we want. I have a friend who, when he goes grocery shopping, grabs the first item he sees from each of the items on his list. As far as I can determine, this is without regard to price, quality, or any other factor.

Statistically speaking, your friend should be getting average products from each category in the long run. Practically speaking, however, the assumptions that go into that statement likely won't hold, as supermarkets go to some lengths to make sure that the first item that meets your eye from any category is one of the pricier options.

> one of the pricier options.

More profitable for the store. The actual expensive stuff is on the top shelf. Eye level will probably be the store and the national brand which skew average or a little below.

It’s one of the instances where your interests and that of the grocery store are mostly aligned. Grocery store wants you to buy more and rotate inventory not necessarily pay a lot for it.

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