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NaCl uses the NPAPI which is pretty standard, it's used for flash for example and is supported by Firefox, Opera and webkit. This means NaCl could be plugged in those browsers without being reimplemented.
So, it's about as open as Flash, which is a free standard we're all happy about. No, wait...
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That's a valid concern; I know another HN user who might chime in with more detail to back it up. On the other hand, Google has built a particularly good security team for low-level systems code problems like this, and they've done things (like the NaCL security contest) to attract the right kind of attention from researchers.
I'm not the least bit concerned about NaCl's involvement here, but I'm still deeply scared by the potential for things to go very badly in the lower levels (but not enough so that I'm willing to disregard the benefits of these APIs, mind you). What it comes down to is that current GPUs do whatever you want with no concern for security; that part depends on the driver and userspace 3d stack. This isn't necessarily bad…
The reality is that web 3D's time seems to have arrived. It doesn't matter if it's through WebGL, Flash, Unity the issue you raised is present in all those solutions. Even Native client has that potential if the sandbox is not watertight.
In all, if we want a more capable web these are risk I feel are worth taking. But that's my personal view.
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The major difference being that Microsoft has a history of anticompetitive behavior and google does not. Your unfounded wharrgarble is noted, though.
Google is very similar. They do open up a lot of stuff, and provide a lot of free stuff too. They have a lot of talented people as well. But their base strategy is to control our most powerful tool. For that you need to kill standards. And hey, talented people sure know how to put things on the right balance, at the right time. I'm not sure who you think can compete with Google. For most people "the internet" is Goog…
I thought the meme was that for most people facebook.com is the web?
All Google cares about is that whatever tech is out there doesn't prevent them from displaying Ads to as wide an audience as possible. This is a very different motive than what Microsoft has which is to control your entire PC experience.
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That's a valid concern; I know another HN user who might chime in with more detail to back it up. On the other hand, Google has built a particularly good security team for low-level systems code problems like this, and they've done things (like the NaCL security contest) to attract the right kind of attention from researchers.
I'm not the least bit concerned about NaCl's involvement here, but I'm still deeply scared by the potential for things to go very badly in the lower levels (but not enough so that I'm willing to disregard the benefits of these APIs, mind you). What it comes down to is that current GPUs do whatever you want with no concern for security; that part depends on the driver and userspace 3d stack. This isn't necessarily bad…
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For now, that is true. However, NaCl is moving to the Pepper API, which is a proprietary Chrome API for plugins.
> proprietary Chrome API You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. From Wikipedia: """Proprietary software is computer software licensed under exclusive legal right of the copyright holder. The licensee is given the right to use the software under certain conditions, while restricted from other uses, such as modification, further distribution, or reverse engineering.""" Nothing of thi…
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The major difference being that Microsoft has a history of anticompetitive behavior and google does not. Your unfounded wharrgarble is noted, though.
You'd think it would be good to see the problems this will unleash on openness before it's too late and we have to say 2 years down the road, on the next embrace-extend move, that Google has a history of this. Google is using their muscle to push for the adoption of a Google-exclusive technology in browsers that Google's competitors have said they cannot support because it is not truly open. If you can't see that thi…
no, they aren't supporting it because they think it is a bad idea, which is a very, very different thing.
Even worse, as soon as you're working for a customer who isn't technical, you'll land in a situation where he shows you a Native Client app and wants "something like that" on his website but running in Firefox or Safari or (even worse) Internet Explorer.
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So, it's about as open as Flash, which is a free standard we're all happy about. No, wait...
It's not like Flash because the primary implementation of Flash by Adobe is not open source whereas NaCl is.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Google is very similar. They do open up a lot of stuff, and provide a lot of free stuff too. They have a lot of talented people as well. But their base strategy is to control our most powerful tool. For that you need to kill standards. And hey, talented people sure know how to put things on the right balance, at the right time. I'm not sure who you think can compete with Google. For most people "the internet" is Goog…
"I'm not sure who you think can compete with Google. For most people "the internet" is Google.com." I thought the meme was that for most people facebook.com is the web? All Google cares about is that whatever tech is out there doesn't prevent them from displaying Ads to as wide an audience as possible. This is a very different motive than what Microsoft has which is to control your entire PC experience.
There you go: Google's embrace, extend, extinguish. Just like MS, but with better cover. "Its open!" Of course, no one else will implement.