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Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

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Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#231

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to wonder what Mozilla are doing with $400m a year.

Building and maintaining a full browser isn't cheap, if it were there'd be more browser engines.

There is some hope...

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32809126

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30853392

In other words, I don't think Mozilla is making good use of that money at all.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#232
post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Using any Google product in a non-Google browser will trigger a "Download Chrome!" dialog, and that includes things like Google's search which practically everybody uses. This has not been my experience. I even did a Google search for something random and could not find any "Download Chrome!" message anywhere (I'm using Firefox). I do remember some years back there was such a message somewhere on Google search, tho…

I just tested and I couldn't get it to appear when using Firefox on macOS or Windows or under Edge on macOS, but it appeared right away under Edge for Windows[0] and Safari on macOS[1]. So it seems that they target default browser configs specifically. On iOS in a private tab, Google doesn't try to push Chrome but instead the Google app, which functions as a browser. [0]: https://i.ibb.co/Htk645k/Screenshot-2022-09-2…

Now that I see your screenshots it is something that I vaguely recall seeing in the past.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#233
post #57

The most recent W11 update turned on hypervisor on my machine, which I had off to be able to use Bluestacks 5. That config being on/off probably does not make that much money - yet Msoft decided to mess with my settings (not the first time this has happened in W11 and, were I to bet, not the last time either). Why wouldn't Msoft NOT force Edge as the default browser; a company could fill their coffers hugely if they…

Since Windows 10 plenty of security features rely on Windows actually running as a guest OS on Hyper V, like secure kernel and device guard, hence turning on the hypervisor.

Securing the software against you, to be fair.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#234

Unfortunately in the current landscape, I think Firefox will unlikely gain the traction again even if we can bring those big techs to a fair playground. Browser development becomes an extremely complex, expensive project that requires at least hundreds of engineering headcounts and Mozilla cannot simply afford it. Worse, Servo was a kind of big bet to change the equation from the ground but Mozilla decided to abandon…

Servo was not abandoned, it was setup to act as a proving ground for various techniques, and the things that worked out well were integrated into Firefox. The group was disbanded because they accomplished their initial goals.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#235
For context, these articles form a good background of the ongoing war between Microsoft and Mozilla on this:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28510490

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29579994

They'll always use "security" as an excuse to force you into doing what they want, and this is just another instance of that tactic. Don't be fooled into giving up your freedom. I wish more people would be aware of that.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure I'll get downvoted for this and not believed by hardly anyone on this crowd so I'll keep it short and without evidence, only testimony: I was a US intelligence officer for some time. Not woth NSA, but did a lot of work with NSA, CIA, and the Bureau. The involvement between the US intelligence agencies and FAANG (in terms of the rough narrative involved) is a lot less impressive and threatening than people he…

I won't downvote you, but I have a really hard time believing you (and prefer to entertain the possibility you didn't have complete insight into the intelligence agencies). Thank you for replying though, it's interesting to hear alternate perspectives on the topic!

Bleh. I'll use up a spare account.

hunter-gatherer sounds about right on the money.

I've previously held a TS SCI clearance within an organization. I wasn't an S-2 guy, but worked with them and troubleshot stuff in the SCIF from time-to-time. I did some auditing in well-known buildings, blah blah blah.

Basically, the more secretive things get, the more bureaucratic and tedious they get. The more impossibly hard it is to do literally anything without at least 5 or 6 meetings to discuss the poteintal outcomes and risks therein. I suppose when you get to the kinds of things POTUS wants done right now, it could get weird? I don't know, never been in that position. But the amount of oversight and auditing that gets done by people that refuse to do anything that could risk their retirement? It is excessive. At more than a few points I found myself "preparing for the pre-inspection, inspection." That inspection, which would happen however often, was essentially always happening. You were either "learning from the last one" or you were "cleaning up for the next one". Just absolutely soul crushing.

I should also mention, even though some of the words I used above might sound interesting, it really comes down to carpeting. Carpeting sucks everywhere in the government. They can spend tons of cash on stupid meeting room tables for conference calls or whatever, but the thing you walk and stand on is just absolutely awful. Except in an executive officers office. The office that goes completely unused because they're out doing...whatever it is they do. Golf? Lunch? Who knows. Once you notice the little things like that, or light fixtures just looking like trash, you realize that all of the magical ideas people have about the big scary government is just kind of...quaint. Like things can be important or sensitive or whatever, but it's just not the way people imagine it being. It's too bogged down in the mud to be what people think it is.

Getting basic things like light fixtures changed out becomes a major hassle because, if it requires a dude on a ladder, now that dude on a ladder also has to have a clearance, and the room has to be sanitized. Don't forget to turn on the red light, so no one forgets that there is a guy up on that ladder! Getting one bulb changed can interrupt your work for at least an hour or two. It's insane.

Like, we had one cleaning lady. For a building of...a lot of people. Everyone loved her and treated her great. Do you know why that was? (Well, she was totally awesome and nice. But besides that.) It was because if she quit, there would be no one to replace her. That would mean every desk jockey in the building would be lugging their trash to the locked dumpster halfway across the parking lot in the hot sun. Then have to go through all of the fun stuff that goes with getting through the front door. They treated her like royalty!

Right before I left, they did actually get some young guy in there. If I had to guess, they went with him because they were hoping he would stick around for at least two to three decades.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#237

Does Firefox have a future? I'm writing this from Firefox, having used it ever since the days when Firefox releases used to have launch parties, and tabs was the revolutionary killer feature. Let me rephrase the question: does Gecko/Spidermonkey have a future? I think it's clear the Firefox branding will live on, since it is Mozilla's crown jewel. But in today's landscape, you can target WebKit (Apple) and V8/Blink (…

>"I think it's clear the Firefox branding will live on, since it is Mozilla's crown jewel." I'm not following your question. How does Firefox branding live on without Gecko/Spidermonkey?

For example, if the engine is switched out (or made an option) so that Firefox 150 uses WebKit or Blink instead.

Many Firefox users would not notice the difference, as long as the things they care about keep working.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#238

It drives me nuts that a fresh install of Android apps defaults them all to "in-app" browsing instead of my default browser. And you have to go to each app and turn it off in a different place. Wish I could just override all of them and "open every web page in My. Default. Browser. "

I've set my default browser on Android to Firefox Focus, and found that many "in-app" sessions appear to be running an in-app variant of Firefox Focus.

It's not quite the same as running actual Firefox Focus, but there's a drop-down menu option to let you switch to launching the in-app page in proper Firefox Focus. That's almost instant and appears to preserve the page state. So between that and the way cookies always seem to be reset in in-app sessions, which is great, that's why I think the in-app sessions are using Firefox Focus.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#239
post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Wow, zealot much? someone makes a single, half sentence including the word Linux, and now they are a Zealot? Calm down dude.

Telling someone to just use Linux comes from a position of privilege. Not everyone is tech savvy (no, I don't care about your grandma being able to write her own video drivers) and many people must use software that's not available on Linux. No, the open source version isn't the same thing and saying "just use WINE" is once again coming from a position of privilege. Overall, telling people to just use Linux is one th…

even if everything you said is true (and thats a stretch), what does that have to do with the person calling the other a zealot for using the word Linux?

It seems by your logic, calling a Linux user a zealot is fine. Also by your logic, if someone casually suggests trying Linux, then that person is abusing their privilege and lacks empathy.

Re: Mozilla claims Apple, Google and Microsoft force users to use default browsers

#240
post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks, I just thought it was broken. I hate this behaviour, as I'm usually looking as my fingers type the last bit, and if I keep adding matching letters, please don't change?

It's definitely broken, but apparently by design. It's a deliberbug.

Microsoft is full of those.

When you enter your birthday during Windows installation (yes, you have to have a Microsoft network account to log in to your own computer, and you have to supply a birthday), the button for confirming the date is a small, grey checkmark hiding below the date picker. Clicking the big, blue “Continue” button in the lower corner will discard your date choice (since it wasn’t picked) and then fail form validation because you didn’t pick a date.

There is a certain cubicle masochism associated with this kind of system. I’m convinced that computers did not get easier to use since all of them had command prompts. But you know, it’s got windows!

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