In 2024, please switch to Firefox • Hacker News Board

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#251

Post by bradly » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:03 PM UTC

jjice wrote: post #100

jcalvinowens wrote: post #5

I switched back to firefox last year and haven't looked back. I still use chrome on another laptop sometimes, the performance difference from my human perspective is literally zero. These days, it's much more common for me to encounter a website that works in firefox but not chrome than the other way around. I actually switched for good when I had to use firefox to file my taxes, because the IRS free self-file site w…

I've been using FireFox for about 4.5 years now, but I have to have Chrome installed for a few reasons unfortunately. - Some websites still will just not work in FireFox. It's not super common anymore, but if I sense something is fishy, I pop open the console and see some strange error and swap over to Chrome. Things will just work then. All extensions disabled even. I even ran into this on Vanguard's website, albeit…

> Some websites still will just not work in FireFox

I run into this as well, but I just use Safari as my backup browser and that usually is good enough. The only thing I still need to use Chrome for is my Nest thermostat.

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#252

Post by core-utility » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:03 PM UTC

thefourthchime wrote: post #101

nsagent wrote: post #79

As someone in the Apple ecosystem, Firefox is not a very compelling alternative. I've certainly tried: Firefox Focus was my main iOS browser for a few years (I know it's Webkit-based) and I've tried switching on desktop as well. On desktop, various Firefox updates would change my settings subtly and nag me about features I had no interest in. On top of that, it was simply a slower browser, both with DOM manipulation…

Same, it's simply easier to use Safari on my phone and Mac. The performance is fantastic, syncing is perfect, and switching between the two devices is effortless. If I used windows or Linux I would probably give it a try again.

I also love having the Apple Pay and automatic SMS OTP integration. Those got me to start using Safari again from FF, and the only thing I'm really missing is uBlock Origin (Adguard is doing okay in its place)

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#253

Post by froggertoaster » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:03 PM UTC

I will never switch back to Firefox. Not until Mozilla as an organization fundamentally changes.

They pretend to be the "good guys" but they're a very different organization than they were 20 years ago.

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#254

Post by munk-a » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:03 PM UTC

behnamoh wrote: post #199

culi wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but that's not on Mozilla in any way. That's just Google's anti-competitive practices. Firefox refuses to jump on Google's attempts to ban adblockers with Manifest V3 so Google wants to punish them

What matters for the end user is the experience. If using FF will lead to a poor experience on certain websites, then why recommend it? Do people honestly believe that if they keep recommending FF, people will magically switch to FF and Google will be forced to stop its anti-competitive practices?

Yea - because Google is just outright acting evil in a number of ways. A good example is the fact that background blur isn't supported in google meet in FF and that audio translation is similarly blocked in FF. These are just arbitrary ways that Google is degrading the FF experience because of their commanding market share.

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#255

Post by Slava_Propanei » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:03 PM UTC

Brave is more ethical. Firefox is just a vassal Google. And it is run by San Francisco bugmen.

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#256

Post by culi » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:03 PM UTC

behnamoh wrote: post #199

culi wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but that's not on Mozilla in any way. That's just Google's anti-competitive practices. Firefox refuses to jump on Google's attempts to ban adblockers with Manifest V3 so Google wants to punish them

What matters for the end user is the experience. If using FF will lead to a poor experience on certain websites, then why recommend it? Do people honestly believe that if they keep recommending FF, people will magically switch to FF and Google will be forced to stop its anti-competitive practices?

> What matters for the end user is the experience. If using FF will lead to a poor experience on certain websites, then why recommend it?

Because holding that against Firefox is exactly what Google is counting on. And the more you recommend it the harder it is for Google to continue its anti-competitive practices.

The more you fall a fool for Google's (or Microsoft a decade ago) practices, the worse the experience for everyone is in the future.

Anyways, there's simple extensions that will sidestep Chrome's bs. In addition, you'll soon to be able to get an adblocked experience that you can only get on Firefox. That means less network traffic, faster loading websites, and better user privacy

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#257

Post by wg0 » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:03 PM UTC

The main short coming in firefox for me is the ability to create different profiles for different use cases like one for personal and one for work etc.

It is doable but is hidden behind special settings:/// etc sort of and switching between them also requires something similar.

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#258

Post by froggertoaster » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:04 PM UTC

havaloc wrote: post #246

Anyone else remember Mitchell Baker (Firefox CEO) calling for more than deplatforming? https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/we-need-more-than-deplat...

Yep, one of the many reasons I won't support the organization.

At least capitalist/for-profit organizations are honest about who they are.

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#259

Post by torstenvl » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:04 PM UTC

deafpolygon wrote: post #224

torstenvl wrote: post #188

I use Firefox as my main browser. I love Firefox and I want it to succeed. However... a person who uses Firefox as their primary browser must generally still keep Chrome installed. A person who uses Chrome as their primary browser has no need to keep Firefox installed. Firefox should endeavor to fix that. First, Firefox should honor age-old tradition, swallow its pride, and spoof 99% of the Chrome user agent string.…

> First, Firefox should honor age-old tradition, swallow its pride, and spoof 99% of the Chrome user agent string. This leads to the larger issue of not knowing who your visitors actually are. If 75% of all Firefox installations spoof Chrome, then you won't know that they are actually FireFox users. This can drive adoption rates down as they stop caring about making things work on Firefox.

No. Fragmentation is not a feature of the web, and delusions about developers caring about Firefox and its ~2% of web traffic are not helpful. The way to make sites work on Firefox is to convince them to stop serving broken shit to Firefox. This is the way the web has always worked.

Re: In 2024, please switch to Firefox

#260

Post by redcobra762 » Fri, Dec 29, 2023, 5:04 PM UTC

europeanNyan wrote: post #184

behnamoh wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, on iOS the choice is between Safari + Plugins (official Safari) and Safari w/o Plugins (Chrome, Brave)

Brave on iOS is a, more or less, perfect Youtube Player. I haven't seen ads in months and it just works while also supporting the download of videos and creation of local playlists.

The YouTube app is also a perfect YouTube player, so I’m confused…