Live data from Hacker News

Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

blog.pushbullet.com

111–120 of 206 posts

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's worth noting that the Chrome Web Store is currently full of malware and most malware I see on PCs was installed via the Chrome Web Store. By design, HTTPS does not protect your privacy at all if you have extensions that violate it, since they see what you see after TLS termination. So this is a huge deal, Google is already bad at it, but I can't fault them for heavily restricting extension install: Currently the…

You're confusing two things: laxness strictness scale carefulness/competence carelessness / incompetence scale Google tries to do this with automated processes and minimum wage drones, which results in both million dollar extensions being bump AND widespread malware being let through.

> Google tries to do this with automated processes and minimum wage drones

Do you have an alternative suggestion for how they could do it better?

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#112
As an aside to all this, seeing Google's team attempt to fight off Zoom's extension has been pretty hilarious to watch:

https://imgur.com/a/4RwlI0S

It started out with "Add google meet" not being a button, and below the Zoom button. Last week it shifted to the Google Meet button being a larger blue button. Today, they moved the Meet button to before the Zoom button by shifting their DOM around.

I assume Zoom can't do anything about this for 3 weeks at least, definitely goes to show how much authority Google has in this situation.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#113
post #94

You know this wouldn't be so much of an issue if Chrome didn't disable the ability to install extensions outside of the web store. As an extension developer its absolutely infuriating to realize that: 1. There is no way to install extensions outside the web store 2. Google won't approve anything to the web store. 3. The vast majority of people use Chrome vs other browsers. ------ I get it, Chrome is Google's browser…

Funnily enough, I was actually trying to figure this out today. I created a very basic Extension, to modify the new tab page (as it's something you can't set in G Suite the way we'd like it). I wanted to deploy it our G Suite users, and saw there was an option to deploy via a URL. So I packaged it up in Chrome, put the .crx in an public S3 bucket and set it to force install. Unfortunately it did nothing... is this no…

You certainly can with G Suite-managed accounts. https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6306504?hl=en

Edit: You seem to say this did nothing for you? Well, good luck troubleshooting.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#114
post #7

> All of that attention resulted in our issue being resolved. This is good for us. It is not yet clear if the attention will help other developers that are struggling with similar vague rejections. I think it's been made abundantly clear that Google will not, in fact, improve anything from experiences like this. They happen over and over and every single time it's the same; if it gets publicity, someone helps resolve…

If this happens to our extension, my plan is to have our team, along with our users, to protest outside of Google and to invite the local media.

They simply DO NOT CARE unless they're embarrassed.

My theory is that the AI has taken over and that there aren't any more humans at Google.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#115

Can someone from Google use a throwaway to explain why the hell their support is garbage. From the Chrome store, to G-Suite, to Pixel Support. It's just awful.

Is it really hard to understand? The answer is always money.

insufficient and ineffective regulation. imagine if they were actually held to account

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#116
post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it really hard to understand? The answer is always money.

Are there any examples of free services that don't directly make a company money that include great support? I am struggling to think of any.

google has chosen their pricing model tho. if it makes extensions a burden they should probably do something different

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use firefox as my primary browser, but I have recently ran into issues with several sites that I need to use. Whenever I contact support, they tell me their site requires Chrome. As it is, I have a Winblows box for gaming only that I put Chrome on, but one day, I am going to be remote and needing Chrome. I don't want google's tentacles on my work laptop, but am starting to worry that I have no choice...

Sadly, there's some uber-cool advanced web platform stuff that's only supported or only supported well on Chrome.

There is always ungoogled-chromium which runs many of these add-ons, https://ungoogled-software.github.io/ungoogled-chromium-wiki...

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1) Chromium is open-source as well. 2) Like 90% of Mozilla revenue comes from contract with Google. 3) Not sure what community-owned means here, but one could submit useful patch to both Chromium and Mozilla teams and have it accepted into main codebase. 4) Decisions for both products are not made by a community, but by internal full-time employees who are subordinates of CEO. Mozilla CEO knows the company absolutely…

1. No, it is not. Chromium relies on binaries as well as calling Google's web services whose code you cannot read. That is why ungoogled-chromium is a thing 2. Not sure what your point is here. Mozilla needs to make money to maintain and improve its advocacy work 3. See point 1. You don't own or control Google's web services nor its domains therefore you have no full control of the build process if Google decides to…

if mozilla dies, the open web is over. mozilla has been the champion of the open web through two browser monopolies and the five minutes in between. without them, all that is left is a the internet archive and wikipedia, neither of which can hold the web open.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#119

You know this wouldn't be so much of an issue if Chrome didn't disable the ability to install extensions outside of the web store. As an extension developer its absolutely infuriating to realize that: 1. There is no way to install extensions outside the web store 2. Google won't approve anything to the web store. 3. The vast majority of people use Chrome vs other browsers. ------ I get it, Chrome is Google's browser…

Maybe just maybe, you will consider Firefox. 1. Same or better performance 2. Open source for real not just (pretending to be) Open Source 3. More transparent process 4. No business conflicts Support Firefox if you care about the open web

> 4. No business conflicts

Isn't Firefox funded almost entirely by Google?

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#120
post #113
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Funnily enough, I was actually trying to figure this out today. I created a very basic Extension, to modify the new tab page (as it's something you can't set in G Suite the way we'd like it). I wanted to deploy it our G Suite users, and saw there was an option to deploy via a URL. So I packaged it up in Chrome, put the .crx in an public S3 bucket and set it to force install. Unfortunately it did nothing... is this no…

You certainly can with G Suite-managed accounts. https://support.google.com/chrome/a/answer/6306504?hl=en Edit: You seem to say this did nothing for you? Well, good luck troubleshooting.

Yeah, pointed it to the crx, set it to force install and nothing happens.

If I install the crx locally it works fine. No way of seeing any logs to troubleshoot, pinged a message to our reseller but that method is looking like a dead end.

Post reply on HN