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Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

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Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#241

Post by c7DJTLrn »

tag2103 wrote: post #220

We are a smaller company, only 10 users. We are in the process of fully ditching Microsoft for a full linux stack using Samba for AD (for the leprosy known as Quickbooks alone). I've blocked MS at the pihole and was expecting people to bring torches and pitchforks. The general consensus was we should have done this years ago and how did you make my computer so much faster. To hell with Microsoft and their tripe.

Nice. I've also blocked Microsoft Teams in the sense that I won't work for a company that uses it, or any of the Office suite for that matter. Always willing to "unblock" it should Microsoft have an epiphany some day and decide to invest in building good products.

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#242

Post by jameshart »

nerdponx wrote: post #66
dogma1138 wrote: post #47

Looks like someone made a boo-boo it’s simply based on the user agent, w/e string matching they do is too strict they aren’t checking for actual JS/WebASM compatibility or anything like that. Chrome stable with a non standard user agent doesn’t work on via the windows live url but works through the O365 corporate one, same with Safari Mobile without any user agent modification. This to me looks like stupidity more th…

> Looks like someone made a boo-boo it’s simply based on the user agent, w/e string matching they do is too strict they aren’t checking for actual JS/WebASM compatibility or anything like that. Microsoft has repeatedly engaged in malicious anticompetitive behavior. Without any additional information, I therefore think it's rational to place a high prior probability on this being malicious anticompetitive behavior. Th…

This represents a basic misunderstanding of how public companies work.

Microsoft has been subjected to multiple lawsuits and judgements and fines and consent agreements regarding its practices in this area. Microsoft has been burned by this kind of thing in the past; we probably don’t even know half of the legal rulings that Microsoft is subject to that this potentially violates.

My high prior probability would be that there are actually a bunch of lawyers in Microsoft whose job it is to ensure that they have training and processes in place precisely to prevent this sort of thing happening, not that Microsoft has a secret team trying to find ways to sneakily block other browsers.

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#243

Post by hinkley »

mulmen wrote: post #185
scarface74 wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m about the same age as MS so I’m going to push the analogy. I was 26 in 2000. I hope to God I’m not the same person at 49 after 6 jobs, one failed marriage (and a 12 year current successful one), going through the real estate crash where I lost my shirt, etc. I really hope I’m not the same person I was in college in 1996

Ah yes the “it will be different this time I promise” defense. Microsoft didn’t get divorced or have six jobs or even study ethics as an undergrad. It’s a corporation. Made up of the same kind of people at the same points in their careers as it has always been. In other words I get older but Microsoft stays the same age.

Exactly. Once the interview process selects for the same sort of people, the wheel turns all on its own.

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#244

Post by Forbo »

6c696e7578 wrote: post #70
dogma1138 wrote: post #47

Looks like someone made a boo-boo it’s simply based on the user agent, w/e string matching they do is too strict they aren’t checking for actual JS/WebASM compatibility or anything like that. Chrome stable with a non standard user agent doesn’t work on via the windows live url but works through the O365 corporate one, same with Safari Mobile without any user agent modification. This to me looks like stupidity more th…

Sounds like Hanlon's razor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor

When it comes to megacorporations with a history of anticompetitive behavior, I much prefer "Never attribute to stupidity that which is adequately explained by greed."

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#245

Post by Forbo »

l_theanine wrote: post #150
Ensorceled wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You do realize the "someone" in question is a mega corporation worth almost 2 TRILLION dollars with around 200K employees? One with a long history of anti-competitive behaviour and "mistakes"?

I've worked on contracts alongside MS employees and researchers in the past, and I've been pleasantly surprised. Three decades of experience in the field, and unfortunately, I don't have quite the brooding disdain for Microsoft. Their stock has lined my pockets, their employees have treated my respectfully when we've worked together, their products do what they're advertised to do. Something tells me you're under 40.

Of course someone who is gaining financially from MS is going to take this position.

"It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#246

Post by luckylion »

jameshart wrote: post #242
nerdponx wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Looks like someone made a boo-boo it’s simply based on the user agent, w/e string matching they do is too strict they aren’t checking for actual JS/WebASM compatibility or anything like that. Microsoft has repeatedly engaged in malicious anticompetitive behavior. Without any additional information, I therefore think it's rational to place a high prior probability on this being malicious anticompetitive behavior. Th…

This represents a basic misunderstanding of how public companies work. Microsoft has been subjected to multiple lawsuits and judgements and fines and consent agreements regarding its practices in this area. Microsoft has been burned by this kind of thing in the past; we probably don’t even know half of the legal rulings that Microsoft is subject to that this potentially violates. My high prior probability would be th…

Microsoft had blocked Skype web from being accessed by Firefox for years. I doubt anyone over there cared about it, it did make larger waves a few times.

They no longer do though, or maybe Firefox has stopped identifying itself on the features they are testing.

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#247

Post by nimbius »

nerdponx wrote: post #66
dogma1138 wrote: post #47

Looks like someone made a boo-boo it’s simply based on the user agent, w/e string matching they do is too strict they aren’t checking for actual JS/WebASM compatibility or anything like that. Chrome stable with a non standard user agent doesn’t work on via the windows live url but works through the O365 corporate one, same with Safari Mobile without any user agent modification. This to me looks like stupidity more th…

> Looks like someone made a boo-boo it’s simply based on the user agent, w/e string matching they do is too strict they aren’t checking for actual JS/WebASM compatibility or anything like that. Microsoft has repeatedly engaged in malicious anticompetitive behavior. Without any additional information, I therefore think it's rational to place a high prior probability on this being malicious anticompetitive behavior. Th…

Agreed. All the big players in fact have a vested interest in encumbering Firefox releases as this browser still provides the ability to use poweful adblocking, which directly affects ad revenue.

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#248

Post by l_theanine »

Forbo wrote: post #245
l_theanine wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've worked on contracts alongside MS employees and researchers in the past, and I've been pleasantly surprised. Three decades of experience in the field, and unfortunately, I don't have quite the brooding disdain for Microsoft. Their stock has lined my pockets, their employees have treated my respectfully when we've worked together, their products do what they're advertised to do. Something tells me you're under 40.

Of course someone who is gaining financially from MS is going to take this position. "It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it."

My salary doesn’t depend on it, it’s just in my portfolio. I’m just not an idiot…

I do consulting and bill upwards of 300/hr worked in the DC area, with several decades of experience and a network built up along the way.

I took this position thirty years ago too, my mind hasn’t changed except that young people feel like they’re clever or somehow intellectually valid for copy pasting a quote into a web forum.

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#249

Post by l_theanine »

Ensorceled wrote: post #233
l_theanine wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've worked on contracts alongside MS employees and researchers in the past, and I've been pleasantly surprised. Three decades of experience in the field, and unfortunately, I don't have quite the brooding disdain for Microsoft. Their stock has lined my pockets, their employees have treated my respectfully when we've worked together, their products do what they're advertised to do. Something tells me you're under 40.

> Three decades of experience in the field, and unfortunately, I don't have quite the brooding disdain for Microsoft. Their stock has lined my pockets, their employees have treated my respectfully when we've worked together, their products do what they're advertised to do. "They've lined my pockets and treated me nice so anything they do is all right by me." > Something tells me you're under 40. No. But during my thr…

Bummer, I guess. I got rich and paid for three kids to go to Ivy League schools, bought a house a mile and a half from the White House, and before too long will leave them a seven figure nest egg after my wife and I are dead.

But hey, revel in your internet wit, mighty commenter! Your immense mental stature frightens me! ;-)

Re: Microsoft Teams is blocking Firefox Nightly

#250

Post by cpeterso »

How many companies test their websites in pre-release versions of Chrome or Firefox? Some brave volunteers on the team (even non-developers) could dogfood test Chrome or Firefox Beta (or even Chrome Dev or Firefox Nightly) as their regular browser for day-to-day work. It’s not full test coverage of your website, but they would identify major breaking issues before your end users do. They might find be new browser bugs that Google or Mozilla should fix or breaking web API changes that your website needs to adapt to.
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