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Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

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Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#301

Post by UberFly »

vasvae3 wrote: post #212
nomilk wrote: post #73

FWIW I got annoyed with chrome's distracting home screen, and pondered how long it would take for a 10+ year chrome user to switch to firefox. The answer (on macOS) was 5 minutes. I was shocked how easy it was (and, frankly, how similar it was). When you first open firefox, it gives options to import all your chrome settings (including saved passwords etc). Super cool.

You are annoyed with chrome's distracting home screen that shows your most visited sites but you are not annoyed with firefox's distracting home screen that shows your most visited sites plus some ads?

Also annoyed when someone I know cant be bothered to open the settings and customize. It's crazy how basic stuff goes over heads.

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#302

Post by wkat4242 »

bad_user wrote: post #100

I keep seeing Edge mentioned as a worthy alternative, and I just don't get it. First, all Chromium-based browsers will eventually block uBlock Origin for the sole reason that they can't maintain Manifest v2 on their own, and they all rely on Chrome's Web Store anyway. This won't happen immediately because Manifest v2 will probably stick around for longer because of enterprise users, but the writing is on the wall. Th…

Yeah I don't understand Microsoft trying to push Edge so much and more so, people actually falling for it.

They're admitting that they are unable to build a good browser themselves, then they basically rip off chrome and skin it up a bit and we're supposed to think it's amazing?? And then they start adding all this scamware like the "shopping assistant" and "buy now pay later" scams. Google doesn't even go that far and they do most of the work making this browser. I didn't even know it was so difficult to get away from Bing as I only use it at work.

I see why business admins love it so much, because it is of course well supported by their management ecosystem. Also, Microsoft lobbied the top brass at companies like crazy to make it the default browser and gain marketshare. Even every call sharing a screen with a MS consultant resulted in "Why are you not on Edge yet??" :( It's like they get paid per conversion or something.

Edit: PS I hate both Chrome and Edge for their privacy invasion (as you mentioned) but if I would use either I would use the real thing and not the knockoff.

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#303

Post by frereubu »

masfoobar wrote: post #148

I have been a happy Firefox user for 15 years... maybe more. I have seen people use and complain Internet Explorer in my younger days, from version 6 to 7, etc. Even though I mention Firefox to them, they stay with IE. What amazes me is how quick they transitioned to Google Chrome when it released. This was around 2009. It amazes me how quick people jump to something especially when it has a big company behind advert…

> I just don't understand why people would use Chrome

Because lots of people who build websites only test them in Chrome. I use Firefox as my main browser, but there are times when I'm forced to open Chrome to do something (e.g. buy visitor parking permits from my local council) even with uBlock Origin disabled. As a non-technical user, if that happens to you even once, what motivation would there be for you to go back? As far as those users are concerned "Chrome works, but Firefox doesn't".

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#304

Post by rpigab »

b800h wrote: post #11

Don't Google give Mozilla lots of money? Presumably at some point they will just stipulate that blocking WebRequest be made unsupported? I mean, speaking as a Firefox user who never switched in the first place.

It's just a web browser, not your wife.

Why not just use Firefox until that hypothetical point comes, then switch to another if there still exists one?

Of course, there are ways to continue after end of support, you can stay on the same version and stop updating, which is unconvenient in some websites and might block some, but if many people do it, then websites won't be able to safely rely on the features being available on their users browsers.

You can also fork it or use a fork someone made, but browser dev is a lot of work (in the engine mostly) and disagreements.

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#305

Post by jiki »

bad_user wrote: post #100

I keep seeing Edge mentioned as a worthy alternative, and I just don't get it. First, all Chromium-based browsers will eventually block uBlock Origin for the sole reason that they can't maintain Manifest v2 on their own, and they all rely on Chrome's Web Store anyway. This won't happen immediately because Manifest v2 will probably stick around for longer because of enterprise users, but the writing is on the wall. Th…

Edge is bloated and spyware for sure, but there're always people who would love to trade privacy for convenience.

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#306

Post by codedokode »

pyrale wrote: post #161
masfoobar wrote: post #148

I have been a happy Firefox user for 15 years... maybe more. I have seen people use and complain Internet Explorer in my younger days, from version 6 to 7, etc. Even though I mention Firefox to them, they stay with IE. What amazes me is how quick they transitioned to Google Chrome when it released. This was around 2009. It amazes me how quick people jump to something especially when it has a big company behind advert…

> What amazes me is how quick they transitioned to Google Chrome when it released. This was around 2009. The power of endless money for advertising. Some users think it doesn't have that much impact, but being nudged on every other web page to make the switch is much more powerful than that nephew who talks to you about it once.

There is even more powerful marketing tool - preinstalling software. If you can pay to PC or phone makers to have your software preinstalled, then it is difficult to compete with you. It is the most reliable method of marketing.

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#307

Post by [deleted] »

Timber-6539 wrote: post #292

With uBlock Origin working as it works best on Firefox, I get a 3-5 sec lag on launch [0] as it prepares the browser to block ads. With Chrome, the launch happens in an instant. I should also mention that Firefox has always had a slow start up time on my machine. While am sure there is a setting to turn the uBlock feature off, it probably won't make enough of a difference to beat Chrome's start up time. [0] https://g…

[deleted]

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#308

Post by flir »

jb1991 wrote: post #295
vasvae3 wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are annoyed with chrome's distracting home screen that shows your most visited sites but you are not annoyed with firefox's distracting home screen that shows your most visited sites plus some ads?

Long time Firefox user here, I’ve never seen ads in the browser. I am on Mac, however. It looks like from the other comments, windows builds somehow have ads.

You turned them off at some point. To turn them back on: On a new tab, click the cog in the top right. Tick "Sponsored shortcuts".

Compared to the Google panopticon... I can live with it.

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#309

Post by OfSanguineFire »

GTP wrote: post #266
OfSanguineFire wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are you using root terminals in the first place? This has always been considered poor security practice. Consequently, your workflow is a very peculiar one, and while you personally might feel inconvenience, I don’t think that this frustrates many other Firefox users out there.

He's using 'su' to switch to desktopuser, that's not necessarily, and quite likely not, an account with root privileges. 'su' stands for 'switch user', it's not just to become root.

He uses the term “root terminal”, he writes “Start a root terminal (or a normal one and then ‘sudo su’)”, and he says he only has a single user. One will naturally assume the worst, and in spite of repeatedly posting here he hasn’t exactly made much sense about his workflow and needs beyond launching the browser.

Re: Choose the browser that best suits your privacy needs

#310

Post by larodi »

Friends complain of FF being slower than Chrome for some actions. The CEO of Mozilla is accused of lots of things. Still - the whole Google/Chrome monopoly and tracking is just another level of irritation and I’d happily love to see and use alternatives in both browser and search. FF is absolutely okay for everyday use even the betas are quite stable. Give it a try, guys. It’s worth the effort.
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