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Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

ha.x0r.be

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Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#161
post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>(Though frankly, if you're using a Mac, Safari should be your browser of choice, if only for privacy reasons.) What privacy protections does Safari have that Firefox doesn't? (Keeping in mind the vast extension store - I include extensions like NoScript within the umbrella of "Firefox")

Moreover, does Safari provide something similar to Firefox's tab containers? Blocking Facebook, Amazon et al. from tracking me across the web is a big deal in my book.

Good point. Safari is not a bad browser, but it's all or nothing - I prefer Firefox since I can find add ons if there's a feature I want that isn't included.

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#162
post #15

Chromium Ungoogled repo [1] made it to the `top30` some days ago. I too have switched back to Firefox with the release of Quantum and have been very pleased. Frankly, I am amazed every day that Ungoogled Chromium, Firefox, & DDG.co are as good as they are. (aka: slightly inferior to Google regarding product polish, but truly "good enough" 98% of the time - without selling my future data down the drain) (edited: to fi…

Just read the FAQ and it seems that extension installation in this "spin-off" is pain in the ass; which makes protecting one's browsing experience in terms of privacy and ads even more annoying...

I wonder, how much it differs from SRWare Iron or Iridium

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#163
post #6

I am seriously considering rolling my own browser by embedding the Chromium Embedded Framework into my own GUI (or WebKit, or Gecko). A browser should just render pages (incl. JavaScript), and save cookies if you need it to. Beyond that, there's nothing else it needs to do. Round about Netscape 4 and IE6, browsers were functionally complete. Since then they've just been gilding the lily and creating an artificial 'fe…

Falkon is a Qt-based browser using QtWebEngine (Chromium).

https://www.falkon.org/

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#164
post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really want to use Firefox on Android, but I need a couple things: Desperately need the scrolling in Firefox to feel like scrolling in the rest of the apps. And I would very much like easy tab switching by swiping across the title bar thing, and the new tab/new incognito/back button behaviour. Pls Moz pls

Given that Chrome on Android doesn’t support extensions and thus no ad/privacy blockers, it might as well not exist and Firefox is for me the only game in town due to supporting uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger. Scrolling is irrelevant for me.

Surprisingly enough, I've been using Stylus on quite a few sites as well

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#165
post #39

The new Google Chrome design with version 69 marked the beginning of a new era – Google wants to portray Chrome as something that is way more than a browser. They want you to see it as the primary interface of the web. This is what the average user wants. All complex functionality has been put in the background. Cross-platform integration has been perfected. Give it a year and users around the world will no longer th…

> This is what the average user wants

I'd say it's what the average user was tricked into. In first years of existence Chrome was smuggled as "additional software offer" along with default browser setting in many software installers - that's how it mainly became popular. The typical computer user wouldn't notice the difference of new web browser presence (tho, the initial panic - "where are my bookmarks/passwords" could and did happen) and thus, as you're saying will accept that Chrome is the Web interface.

> With Chrome Google has succesfully defeated Apple, MS and Mozilla.

I'd say they managed to accomplish what MS couldn't with IE years ago - they had dominant position but not the quality and that's what Google with Chrome has achieved. I'm still "crying" after Opera decision of moving from Presto to Webkit/Blink - without it there's little to no competition at all between two remaining meaningful players. Nowadays it's Firefox with Gecko/Quantum vs Chrome along with all its's copies using Blink; an artificial homogenization of browsers market has happened - stimulated by shady marketing actions (mentioned bundling within installers).

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#166
Increasing complexity in the browser and a number of other projects has put it out of reach of small open source teams, it can now only be done by a well funded corporates. This is a huge loss because now we can't have viable alternatives put together by open source teams who don't need millions of dollars to exist.

Without competition ultimately the user does not have choice and you get invasive and arbitrary behavior like this, all pushed under the guise of 'helping' some mythical average user and it will keep getting worse.

There are professional security fud mongers always pushing 'no alternative' solutions that somehow always end up benefiting centralized corporate interests. The simple fact is the tech community have lost control of the web, standards, privacy, user interests either by naivete or collusion to adware and spyware companies masquerading as tech companies.

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet Firefox has sync too.

But you can sync w/ your own server, with a little extra work.

I didn't mean it as a bad thing. Firefox's sync features are encrypted.

In fact, if you reset your password you lose all your sync data as a result[0].

[0]: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/ive-lost-my-firefox-syn...

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#168
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And yet Firefox has sync too.

I'm actually kinda upset at firefox, because I wanted to switch, but when I tried the syncing (from one firefox instance to another) it didn't seem to work for like 90% of my bookmarks, history, passwords so I kinda gave up.

You may like to know that it is encrypted on their servers, and if you lost your password, resetting your password nukes all your data. So I don't mind letting Mozilla host the contents.

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#169
post #103

I'd strongly suggest people create separate users in the browser, one for daily, one for Google, one for Facebook. This way in my regular browsing there's no Facebook or Google cookies reporting on what websites I visit. It's really easy and doesn't impact at all on workflow, if you want your Gmail you just click the user button, and click Google. You could even set that user's homepage to Gmail.

Same browser and connection means those multiple accounts most likely share more than enough of a fingerprint to beprobabilistically joined together.

True, I think it's almost impossible to be really anonymous without something like Tor, and I suspect not even then

But if you want to be signed out of fb and goog in your regular browsing, I think it's the way to go

That and I hear Firefox has a Facebook container, which is probably the same approach

Re: Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine

#170
post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really want to use Firefox on Android, but I need a couple things: Desperately need the scrolling in Firefox to feel like scrolling in the rest of the apps. And I would very much like easy tab switching by swiping across the title bar thing, and the new tab/new incognito/back button behaviour. Pls Moz pls

Chrome style scrolling is default now. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17032056

Holy shit finally.

Why didn't they do this straight away? It's extremely bothersome having one app scroll differently to the others

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