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Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

mstdn.social

111–120 of 221 posts

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#111
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firefox is open source. I do pay for it as a tool. Toolmakers also work out of desire to practice their craft. Many projects are written, not to “earn a living.”

True but Firefox is mainly written by people who want to earn a living. Much FOSS is actually written by people who are being paid to do it, How do you fund the producers of Firefox and the infrastructure needed to get it built and released. Currently the only way is that the sellers of the adverts you read give money to fund Firefox. Now if you paid for Firefox then they don't need to get money from advertisers. Sim…

Perhaps they should consider accepting money from their users then?

Wikipedia doesn't fund itself by spying on you and selling the data. They ask for money.

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#112
post #93
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Web needs to make money. Giving tools to advertisers while making sure user privacy is preserved is better than free reign of tracking we have before, no? I myself do not like ads or tracking, but we need to be realistic and there needs a way to make web sustainable. How to do that and making sure that monopolies like Google are in check is a valid concern though, but in these conversations is the only point I hear.…

> Web needs to make money I don’t think this is true. No one “needs” to make money. Museums don’t need to make money. OSS doesn’t need to make money. The web has value without making money. But even if it does make money, it doesn’t need to maximize profits at the expense of user privacy and joy.

I'm certainly in favor of free software projects making enough money to be sustainable.

It could be zero in some conditions, but in the other cases, I'm also against ads. Fortunately, there are other ways of making money, without compromising the "open source" / "free software" part:

- consulting (including prioritizing new features and fixes)

- support

- providing an actual paid service

- selling free software extensions (and yes, that means someone can recompile the extension and distribute it gratis - that's what happening with OSMAnd+ on F-Droid, but they are still doing fine)

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#113
post #93
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Web needs to make money. Giving tools to advertisers while making sure user privacy is preserved is better than free reign of tracking we have before, no? I myself do not like ads or tracking, but we need to be realistic and there needs a way to make web sustainable. How to do that and making sure that monopolies like Google are in check is a valid concern though, but in these conversations is the only point I hear.…

> Web needs to make money I don’t think this is true. No one “needs” to make money. Museums don’t need to make money. OSS doesn’t need to make money. The web has value without making money. But even if it does make money, it doesn’t need to maximize profits at the expense of user privacy and joy.

Museums do get money from somewhere.

Where do you get them for web?

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#114
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Web needs to make money I don’t think this is true. No one “needs” to make money. Museums don’t need to make money. OSS doesn’t need to make money. The web has value without making money. But even if it does make money, it doesn’t need to maximize profits at the expense of user privacy and joy.

How do OSS devs support themselves without money?

The Stardew Valley gambit - quit programming and take up subsistence farming.

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True but Firefox is mainly written by people who want to earn a living. Much FOSS is actually written by people who are being paid to do it, How do you fund the producers of Firefox and the infrastructure needed to get it built and released. Currently the only way is that the sellers of the adverts you read give money to fund Firefox. Now if you paid for Firefox then they don't need to get money from advertisers. Sim…

Perhaps they should consider accepting money from their users then? Wikipedia doesn't fund itself by spying on you and selling the data. They ask for money.

Yes although given current user behaviour and expectations I doubt they would make enough money to continue.

If even a Microsoft Executive is saying that anything on the web can be freely copied then what does a normal user think.

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well since theft is also not going anywhere would you be OK with the police helping thieves as long as they make sure the thieves don't damage your house while taking your stuff? Why do you think the advertising industry is pushing for this kind of crap? Because they ARE scared that the world is finally waking up to them and making their business effectively illegal.

I mean, this is the idea behind legalising weed and injections sites

And tax evasion.

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#117
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Firefox is open source. I do pay for it as a tool. Toolmakers also work out of desire to practice their craft. Many projects are written, not to “earn a living.”

True but Firefox is mainly written by people who want to earn a living. Much FOSS is actually written by people who are being paid to do it, How do you fund the producers of Firefox and the infrastructure needed to get it built and released. Currently the only way is that the sellers of the adverts you read give money to fund Firefox. Now if you paid for Firefox then they don't need to get money from advertisers. Sim…

Of course Mozilla employees deserve to be paid. Are you really saying the only way to ensure this happens is for them to sell the software or sell ads? (I write GPL-licensed software for a living and manage somehow to get paid. I also write some for free because I find it fun.) Further, Mozilla positions itself as a member of the free software community and as acting in the interests of its users.

Re: Firefox 128 enables "privacy-preserving" ad measurements by default

#119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True but Firefox is mainly written by people who want to earn a living. Much FOSS is actually written by people who are being paid to do it, How do you fund the producers of Firefox and the infrastructure needed to get it built and released. Currently the only way is that the sellers of the adverts you read give money to fund Firefox. Now if you paid for Firefox then they don't need to get money from advertisers. Sim…

Perhaps they should consider accepting money from their users then? Wikipedia doesn't fund itself by spying on you and selling the data. They ask for money.

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