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Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

blog.pushbullet.com

131–140 of 206 posts

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#131

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

Does Firefox have the useful extensions that Chrome has? Are they as safe or safer?

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#132

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.

Web devs should not be using that stuff until it has broader support.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#133
post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can’t have your users “Load Unpacked...”? That always works for me.

For testing sure, but this needs to go to just over 1000 people. The only example I can find online on deploying via URL is this: https://support.securly.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036540753-H... Can't see many official docs on it at all. Now I've gone the Developer route I can see you can create internal apps without having to get them approved so think that's my best option now.

You have to get it signed and deployed as a internal app first.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There is no way to install extensions outside the web store > The vast majority of people use Chrome vs other browsers. Can you even do it with Firefox any more?

Yes, you can do so through the about:debugging page.

But you can do the same for Chrome in Developer Mode. What's the difference?

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#135

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...

Which sites? Name and shame. If you absolutely must use Chromium you can use Brave instead. It doesn't solve the extensions issue discussed here but at least it cuts out most of the Google garbage.

Not the GP, but here's some:

• Slack, for audio/video calls

• Microsoft Teams, for audio calls (the video portion technically works if you fake the user agent)

• Skype for Web, for audio/video calls (although it occasionally decides to work if you fake the user agent, it usually breaks)

Slack is a problem for me. I have to boot up a VM when someone wants to call me on Slack.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which sites? Name and shame. If you absolutely must use Chromium you can use Brave instead. It doesn't solve the extensions issue discussed here but at least it cuts out most of the Google garbage.

I don't remember them all, but coveredca is one. I thought Brave was yet another scammy project that was showing ads (albeit selectively)

Definitely shame coveredca since that is a public service website.

Put that one out to some local media, social media, etc.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#137

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…

Switch to edge? You can install extensions from outside of the store.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#138

The problems with the Chrome store are likely not over. What good is it if you have to stir up half the internet to get through their process? It's not as if developers can go to other platforms since Chrome has 70% of the market. Most of us in tech are in it to innovate and disrupt but hard to do that if everything is a Google or Amazon monopoly. If Chrome is broken then the browser market is broken. Devs should org…

in the olden days we used linux and mozilla when if it wasn't windows or i.e. it was nothing. i filed taxes on paper. as the web goes closed and unfree, innovators have to open up new greenfields

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#139
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

According to Dotproto, the changes they made in their first re-submission were sufficient: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23168874

Makes you wonder - was there even a problem in the first place? Or were they just trying to silently kill this extension but failed due to this going viral? I understand they were using a very broad wildcard for permission on websites they could access. I'm glad they narrowed that down. But after they did, they still needed this to blow up in order to get an actual response.

> Makes you wonder - was there even a problem in the first place?

YES.

> I understand they were using a very broad wildcard for permission on websites they could access

That is a problem.

Re: Our Chrome Extension Is Safe

#140
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Does Firefox have the useful extensions that Chrome has? Are they as safe or safer?

Of course! I don’t use extensions, but I’m sure most of the big players you’d expect from chrome have a Firefox version as well. Here is uBlock Origin https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin...

Apparently Mozilla vets add-ons with their ‘Recommended Extensions program’, not sure how you get an extension into that program though.

Here is Pushbullet for Firefox! https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/pushbullet/

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