Shit like this is exactly why competition is of utmost importance. The internet was never meant to be single-handedly controlled by a corporation with private interests, and more importantly, private pockets
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If we don't see a somewhat significant rise in Firefox usage increases after this, then I fear that battle is already lost. People can complain a lot but doing something as easy as switching browsers seems to be the hardest thing for most of them.
Honestly I don't think most people know or even care.
You Grandma and her Chromebook don't care though. The numbers aren't in our favor, but Mozilla absolutely dominating in the features and privacy arenas is.
Even if Firefox were to win it's still a bleak future because the ridiculously complexity and scope of browsers prevents new ones being made. Without the possibility of newcomers either the war never ends or there is one victor. We should start to abandon browsers in favor of apps that focus on each part of the browser (e.g. why does a browser need to render video to the screen when the user already has an app for that).
"Destroying an empire to win a war is no victory, and ending a battle to save an empire is no defeat."- Kahless
Fuck that. I'm not switching between apps for every god damn function my browser does. I intentionally decline to install apps when I can just use the browser.
In my experience people have a poor understanding of the software they use, it just needs to continue working as it always has.
In retrospect maybe having the worlds most popular browser and the world's biggest advertiser be the same person, was a bad idea.
Calling it the "Googlenet" now. The rest of us that don't suck Google dick can stay on the actual Internet.
Manifest V2 phase out is a big deal, as Google is pushing towards Manifest 3 only. Google's version of Manifest 3 is hobbled by removing WebRequest blocking which breaks privacy and ad blocking tools - an obvious benefit to Google as an Ad and data harvesting company.
Firefox is implementing Manifest 3 with WebRequest blocking, as well as supporting Google's hobbled version declarativeNetRequest to allow compatibility with chrome extensions.
As far as I know there is no plan to phase out Manifest V2 at Mozilla. As long as V2 and V3 are active in parallel it shouldn't have a negative Impact on adblockers etc.
But at least Firefox is just compatibility, and not phasing out v2
Yeah, it's still worrisome. This makes Firefox a lynchpin for whether ad blocking works for the foreseeable future on the whole web.
Anyone still using Chromium or any of its derivatives (including Chrome) just needs to suck it up and admit it's the loser here. Use a Firefox derivative, it's just all around better in every single way.
I had to call someone using Microsoft Teams today. It does not work with Firefox, even if you spoof the user agent.
I don't know what's up with your setup, but this is untrue. I've used Firefox for teams in browser for years with no issues.
I have Edge for two things: Teams and Outlook.
The desktop software for both is so bad, I can't even use them half of the time.
Outlook actually works in FF, but that way I can put it on my second screen and use Firefox on my main one so I don't need to switch tabs when emails come in.
I’m using both Firefox as my daily browser, and Edge for school related stuff, Firefox is very often maxing out my CPU usage and I can’t figure out why
- On June 3rd, Chrome(ium) users will start being informed that their MV2 extensions will soon stop to function. uBlock Origin (and others) will lose the "Featured" badge.
- The remaining MV2 extensions will be gradually disabled in the "coming months", with the last deadline being the beginning of next year. (Expect that uBO will probably not last that long).
What options do you have if you still want to use uBlock Origin?
- Firefox (and up to date forks) have no plans to end support for the webrequest API that uBO requires.
- Brave browser will allow MV2 extensions for now. I still have no info on if they are going to use their own store or require manual installation/updating of MV2 extensions.
- If you use Chrome. By enabling enterprise policy ExtensionManifestV2Availability, you should be able to extend support till June 2025.
- uBlock Origin Lite (uBOL) is a MV3 extension that is much more limited than uBO and is not intended to be a replacement for uBO. These limitations are described in detail in the FAQ for uBOL: https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBOL-home/wiki/Frequently-asked-questions-(FAQ)
Thanks, great info
Firefox gang but still appreciated a couple of these reminders
We’ve always been clear that the goal of Manifest V3 is to protect existing functionality while improving the security, privacy, performance and trustworthiness of the extension ecosystem as a whole. We appreciate the collaboration and feedback from the community that has allowed us - and continues to allow us - to constantly improve the extensions platform.
"We've always been clear that the goal of our remote-unlockable front door product is to protect your family while improving the efficiency and safety of our field reconnaissance and repo unit. We appreciate your feedback that you really hate unannounced in-home data gathering incursions, and we are integrating that feedback going forward as we work to improve your interactions with our team. See you soon!"
The {"SHOP DEALS AT TEMU"}
will continue until morale improves!
Not if you stop using chromium based garbage!
I’m just here to say fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck Google.
Considering the community behind uBlock origin has no financial incentive, why are they still developing for chrome and manifest v3 while google keeps pulling off anti consumer and anti-adblock tactics, shouldn't they just drop chrome and orient people to use firefox or one of its derivatives.
gorhill already strongly suggests to use Firefox, but to drop Google Chrome altogether would leave millions of people stranded.
Maybe that would be a good thing, maybe it would force people onto Firefox?
You are underestimating how much bulshit people are willing to put up just to not have to make any change.
I recommend to read this response of a developer for Emacs to a user asking why stick to Microsoft's Github: https://protesilaos.com/codelog/2024-04-30-re-emacs-github-freedom-microsoft/
Many times stupid web pages don't load.... Call support and I'm told it only works in chrome.
Can't get away from it
So what, you keep an ungoogled-chromium around and use it occasionally for compatibility, if you really need to. Doesn’t mean you are obligated to use it as your daily driver.
Internet is dominated by Netscape, then crushed by MS giving its browser away.. Firefox steps in for a while and is great but starts to suck / get slow, google steps in people start to shift to google, everyone is on google... Wonder who steps in next.
There’s a lot more vendor lock in than there has been in the past. I don’t see there being a major change without legislation. It’s still too early to see how the EU’s DMA will affect market share, but it’s probably the best hope, even if it is limited to a few geographical areas.
It becomes impossible to block ads in all browsers new forks will be made and the features we want will happen. The bar to spin and maintain a new browser is high but it's not impossible on there are a lot of people that want this
Sorry mate I think this is a little naive.
I suspect that the bar to "spin and maintain a new browser" is so high as to be impossible.
The resources required to keep firefox afloat are huge. It's not something a few like minded individuals can do on their weekends.
Independent Web browsers in active development which use their own engine and (aim to) support modern Web standards:
-
Linux Foundation Europe's Servo
That's it.
I assume with chromium being open source that there will be an alternative compiled version without this nonsense?
That’s how it works for now, but eventually the code itself will be removed from chromium, not just disabled. At that point they’d have to maintain a large patch set reimplementing it, which would be extremely time intensive to maintain and keep secure.
There is - Firefox
Firefox is not chromium
I know, precisely. But it is an alternative without this nonsense, kinda the only one. And the only option to actually stop the Google monopoly that led to this.
My chrome phase-out finished years ago (though technically I was using a chromium-based browser and not chrome itself). Good riddance to that trash. Firefox all the way!