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Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

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Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#191

Post by tssva »

throwaway8291 wrote: post #3

I'm using Firefox for years, after Chrome started to ask me for a login (at around version 40). Never looked back. One day I woke up to a chart showing browser market share of FF at around 4%, which surprised me - as I thought many people would understand the implications and directions. Maybe I'm too optimistic. Update: Loved chrome, used it for years, I also love most Chrome engineering and all the innovation they…

Last time I used Firefox it asked me to create an account and login. It wasn't required nor is it for Chrome.

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#192

Post by CompBrogrammer »

generalk wrote: post #33
XCSme wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I personally just like Chrome because the awesome syncing between all devices and always having the best Dev Tools ready to open at any second. I know my browser usage is used for marketing purposes, but as long as it doesn't harm me in anyway I can live with that.

I'm not sure if there's something outside my usage that Chrome does better, but for my needs Firefox's dev tools are great. Firefox also not only sync's between all of my devices, including my cell phone. Each device has the ability to send a tab to another device, which I don't recall Chrome having. Just some data points in case you're ever interested in trying something different.

Seems that this has been in Chrome since sometime last year; first mention on Google is in March, but a lot of the stories regarding it are dated September.

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#193

Post by tssva »

ailideex wrote: post #71
bilekas wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm on my waay BACK to Firefox, there was a strange period when I left, Firefox just seemed really heavy on my machine, and it was super intensive for some dev tools. Now I say the same about chrome and find FF much lighter and efficient. Delighted that FF are taking a bit of a stronger stand here in the privacy dept too .

Using Fedora Linux, last I tried a switch to FF (less than 6 months ago) it was way slower than chrome. I actually like FF functionality more and would prefer to use it but my laptop runs significantly hotter when I run FF on it.

This has been my experience across Linux distros and was also the case on my MacBook Pro. Whenever I mention my MacBook issues the down voters swarm despite the fact that there is an open bug regarding poor performance on certain MacBook configurations. And no the performance fix for Macs that came out a few months ago didn't resolve it.

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#194

Post by bloopernova »

giggles_giggles wrote: post #183
outadoc wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The exclamation mark is only shown when you're logged in but got logged out because of a problem. You can just remove your account whenever you want.

You can also self host the upstream service if you want there features that come with logging in but don't want Mozilla to have the data: https://blog.mozilla.org/services/2014/05/08/firefox-account...

I feel like this should be more widely known. I imagine there's a fair few large corporate IT departments that would love to host their own sync service.

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#195

Post by heartbeats »

ComodoHacker wrote: post #68
heartbeats wrote: post #36

If they want to do something, there's a simple three-step plan. 1) block all ads, by default 2) do not unblock Google's ads, 3) receive Adblock Plus-style bribes from Yandex or whoever to whitelist them, provided they don't harm privacy This would kill several birds in one stone. First, break Mozilla free of Google funding. Second, hurt Google. Third, increase Firefox' market share. Fourth, help users' privacy. As th…

>from Yandex or whoever to whitelist them, provided they don't harm privacy I doubt you can find one that doesn't harm privacy. And particulary Yandex will raise other concerns.

You make a deal - they stop it so that they may be granted a Firefox monopoly on advertising. Then, site operators are left with a choice:

1) abandon tracking, earn ad revenue from Firefox and Chrome

2) keep tracking, earn no ad revenue from Firefox

Yandex ads will be more pleasant due to not having the large amounts of tracking, meaning they'll reduce page views less. As a result of blocking ads, Firefox will become much more pleasant to use. As a result, the first option will be more profitable.

Yandex' "other concerns" is the whole point - they are the only serious competitor to Google. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If you were to enter into such a deal with another American/European company, the regulator would crush them over antitrust concerns. This leaves Yandex (or the Chinese) as your only options.

"In fine, let us recognize that the adoption of my advice will leave us each citizens of a free state, and as such arbiters of our own destiny, able to return good or bad offices with equal effect; while its rejection will make us dependent on others, and thus not only impotent to repel an insult, but on the most favourable supposition, friends to our direst enemies, and at feud with our natural friends." –Hermocrates

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#196

Post by heartbeats »

zzzcpan wrote: post #49
heartbeats wrote: post #36

If they want to do something, there's a simple three-step plan. 1) block all ads, by default 2) do not unblock Google's ads, 3) receive Adblock Plus-style bribes from Yandex or whoever to whitelist them, provided they don't harm privacy This would kill several birds in one stone. First, break Mozilla free of Google funding. Second, hurt Google. Third, increase Firefox' market share. Fourth, help users' privacy. As th…

They could probably exist without Google funding, like just supporting a Chromium fork with fast native adblocking. But obviously not as a thousand people company.

Sure, but organizations strive for bigness.

It's the perfect way to kill one, actually.

1) Give them $0.2 billion a year in easy money

2) Their projects expand as per Parkinson's law so they spend $0.2 billion a year

3) Since they have easy money, they won't bother seeking alternative funding sources

4) They now find themselves in the same position as a crack whore vis-a-vis her pimp

Mozilla wouldn't ever abandon their fun pet projects, but with sufficient coercion they might abandon privacy for "fighting hate" or similar.

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#197

Post by XPKBandMaidCzun »

Angostura wrote: post #67
ecmascript wrote: post #62

Mozilla essentially did a "get woke, go broke". They fired Brendan for ridicolous reasons, they focused on products that were useless and were really focused on spreading propaganda for woke causes. I still use Firefox everyday since it's the best browser for linux but I also use Brave. Mozilla as a company in my eyes are a bit lost and they need more focus on their technology. It seems like they have realized this i…

> hey fired Brendan for ridicolous reasons Marriage equality isn't a particularly ridiculous reason.

> Marriage equality isn't a particularly ridiculous reason.

I believe you're trying to do what's right and care about the issue.

It appears some disagree that Mozilla was an appropriate venue to bring the matter up, though.

People use Mozilla for a web browser. Eich isn't making laws and Mozilla isn't ordained to marry. Mozilla is subject to the laws of the state of California and USA, regardless.

People are trying to say (if I may be so bold): it turned a technical, meritocratic culture into an organization that makes choices based on support of a political ballot.

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#198

Post by [deleted] »

gfody wrote: post #142

Using uMatrix really raised my awareness of how bad things are - spyTech is utterly everywhere. I still take the time to micromanage my matrix every time I encounter a new site and it’s ridiculous how long it can take to get a random infested page back to an acceptable level of usability.

[deleted]

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#199

Post by moksly »

throwaway8291 wrote: post #3

I'm using Firefox for years, after Chrome started to ask me for a login (at around version 40). Never looked back. One day I woke up to a chart showing browser market share of FF at around 4%, which surprised me - as I thought many people would understand the implications and directions. Maybe I'm too optimistic. Update: Loved chrome, used it for years, I also love most Chrome engineering and all the innovation they…

I’m not convinced it’s good to have alternatives, or maybe I’m just too uneducated on the subject to understand why. I’m old enough to have lived through the horror of IE, and since I work in Enterprise where some old web applications still require it, I will continue to live it until we’re capable of rolling out the new Edge with IE compatibility.

I’ve actually used FF as my main development browser for most of those years because it’s the only browser where extensions aren’t controlled by our IT department, and I kind of need extensions on the fly. So I’ve seen the good and the bad of it. I personally prefer Chrome. I also like privacy, but I’ve tried the Duck and it just doesn’t work for my language, leading me to add the !g on almost all my searches, and if I’m google that much anyway, so I really benefit from using FF? Doesn’t FF also use one of Google’s engines to check site security?

Anyway I’m rambling, so let me get back on track. I’ve been testing the new Edge, and it’s Microsoft’s best browser, and what are the risks? Is it really better to have all the browsers on different engines instead of having multiple big guys work on the same open source engine?

Re: Mozilla’s plan to fix internet privacy

#200

Post by move-on-by »

SXX wrote: post #185
move-on-by wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> One day I woke up to a chart showing browser market share of FF at around 4%, which surprised me - as I thought many people would understand the implications and directions. Its certainly low, but I also think FF usage is under reported due to built-in tracker blocking. For reference, FF uses the level 1 disconnect.me block list, which blocks StatCounter scrips from loading on 3rd party sites [1]. [1] https://githu…

> Its certainly low, but I also think FF usage is under reported due to built-in tracker blocking. Of course it's not perfect source, but CloudFlare for instance have client detection purely by SSL handshake fingerprint and it's show 6-7% for Firefox: https://malcolm.cloudflare.com/ Long ago Wikimedia also had own statistics that was pretty much relevant, but I guess it's discontinued.

Wow, that is a great link, thanks for sharing! Doing a filter based on device, FF doesn't even rank on Phone, and has 12.73% on Desktop. Although the data appears to only be for 24 hours - so not super great, but still an interesting data point.
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