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Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

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Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#61

Post by mkr-hn »

aquova wrote: post #8
mkl wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, that's their argument for doing it. Most users don't understand the different bits of a URL, to know whether it's from the site they think it's from. See (huge) previous discussion from two months ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23516088 Personally, for my own purposes, I think hiding any bit of the URL is incredibly inconvenient. Already hiding the www. is seriously annoying. I will switch this n…

If that's really their justification, then I wish they would take the approach that Firefox does - show the full URL but have the domain name in white and the rest of the URL in a muted color. It provides the full information as well as highlighting the most important info for spotting a phishing scheme.

I didn't notice Firefox does this before your comment. On my screen the domain is black and the rest of it is gray. Maybe it's because I don't have any kind of night mode thing on. I'm sure the colors would be inverted with that enabled.

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#62

Post by oneeyedpigeon »

khaledh wrote: post #12

IMO this is the real reason why they're pushing hard towards this: However, it's also worth considering that making the web address less important, as this feature does, benefits Google as a company. Google's goal with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and similar technologies is to keep users on Google-hosted content as much as possible, and Chrome for Android already modifies the address bar on AMP pages to hide that…

> Chrome for Android already modifies the address bar on AMP pages

How does it do this? The URL looks totally as I'd expect (google.com/amp/) - I'm on version 84.0

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#63

Post by jefftk »

s_dev wrote: post #54
jefftk wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just confirmed that desktop Safari has exactly the behavior this post describes. If I visit any Wikipedia page, what I see in the URL bar is "[lock icon] en.wikipedia.org". The path is entirely removed.

My Safari has the full path 13.1.1 (15609.2.9.1.2)

Weird! I see: https://i.imgur.com/6r73iFt.png (v13.1.2)

Is there any chance you've checked "Preferences > Advanced > Show Full Website Address"?

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#64

Post by Liquix »

asimpletune wrote: post #18
draw_down wrote: post #4

Really wish they would stop trying to do this.

It’s sort of surreal to feel so disenfranchised about it too. Like, no one wants this, I’m sure they know that, but they just don’t care.

They know that no matter what they do they're too big to be stopped. We cannot rely on on any of the five eyes governments to break their monopoly because their data collection programs are of immense value to these nations. If they ever are broken up, it'll be a 30 year smoke and mirrors campaign like when we 'broke up' Ma Bell [0]. Disenfranchised is right.

[0] https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F...

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#65

Post by icebraining »

cinquemb wrote: post #31
bambax wrote: post #13

For now I'm quite happy to have finally switched to Firefox a few months ago. If Firefox disappeared though, as it seems it might, that would be horribly frustrating.

And for those of us who still compile ff from source and remove/add things as we please, we'll have to see people moan about something they always had and will continue to have control over, but long ago rationalized away seeking comfort in the chaining of their minds to things/ideas that are foremost in the best interest of others and not themselves. /me shrugs

If you have such complete control over your applications, why do you have to see anything you displease? Just add a filter to your Firefox that removes such complaints before they are displayed.

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#66

Post by d99kris »

khaledh wrote: post #12

IMO this is the real reason why they're pushing hard towards this: However, it's also worth considering that making the web address less important, as this feature does, benefits Google as a company. Google's goal with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and similar technologies is to keep users on Google-hosted content as much as possible, and Chrome for Android already modifies the address bar on AMP pages to hide that…

To play the devil's advocate, Apple's Safari has been hiding full addresses for quite a while, without having any direct benefit as a company as far as I know.

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#67

Post by brianush1 »

kergonath wrote: post #51
asimpletune wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m not sure why this is being downvoted, this is an accurate albeit sardonic description of what’s happening. People don’t want to visit AMP sites, they want to visit the site that’s the original source for their news, etc...

The premise “browsers are as powerful as OSes” is dubious. “Why do you need OSes” is something I would expect from someone who does not know how a computer works. Whilst they should probably be tweaked, address bars are central to the web as it is currently. Google should stay as far as possible from me and has no business telling me it approves of the sites I am browsing. I did not downvote the post, but there is no…

I understood the "Why do you need OSes" as "Why would you use Windows when you can use ChromeOS, since the only thing you'll ever need to open is Chrome"

And all of these opinions are obviously not held by the poster but are rather what the poster believes Google wants.

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#68

Post by donor20 »

Wow - top posts are conspiracy theories. "The only reason to do this..." "This is a security issue..."

Google has millions / billions of users. From a security standpoint the focus should be entirely on the root domain, that is the only really meaningful root of trust.

If you are talking about a security issue - the KEY security issue is ANY lack of clarity around root domain.

"Showing the full URL may detract from the parts of the URL that are more important to making a security decision on a webpage." is a statement they have around this change.

I think I agree - I suspect other browsers will have to copy chrome (again) in de-emphasizing the leading URL (often used for fishing).

Folks seem to miss the fact that google chrome was a minor competitor initially it IE - and their focus on things like ... security ... helped them become absolutely dominant. A fair number of enterprises have (finally) started slow slow switch to mandating chrome.

Re: Google resumes its attack on the URL bar, hides full addresses on Chrome 86

#69

Post by distances »

criley2 wrote: post #16
bambax wrote: post #13

For now I'm quite happy to have finally switched to Firefox a few months ago. If Firefox disappeared though, as it seems it might, that would be horribly frustrating.

Firefox/Mozilla is largely funded with the search deal which is usually paid by Google. Google has a vested interest in Firefox staying alive for competitive/monopoly reasons, especially now that IE is official a Chrome skin. e.g. https://www.forbes.com/sites/barrycollins/2020/08/13/mozilla...

Wasn't the last days' layoffs direct consequence of that deal expiring later this year?
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