this post was submitted on 04 Oct 2024
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Clearly, Google is serious about trying to oust ad blockers from its browser, or at least those extensions with fuller (V2) levels of functionality. One of the crucial twists with V3 is that it prevents the use of remotely hosted code – as a security measure – but this also means ad blockers can’t update their filter lists without going through Google’s review process. What does that mean? Way slower updates for said filters, which hampers the ability of the ad-blocking extension to keep up with the necessary changes to stay effective.

(This isn’t just about browsers, either, as the war on advert dodgers extends to YouTube, too, as we’ve seen in recent months).

At any rate, Google is playing with fire here somewhat – or Firefox, perhaps we should say – as this may be the shove some folks need to get them considering another of the best web browsers out there aside from Chrome. Mozilla, the maker of Firefox, has vowed to maintain support for V2 extensions, while introducing support for V3 alongside to give folks a choice (now there’s a radical idea).

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[–] DarkCloud@lemmy.world 117 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

I downloaded Librewolf today - the privacy oriented fork of Firefox!

Good to see there are browser variants that aren't just Chrome.

[–] Album@lemmy.ca 11 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

yep firefox with arkenfox for me, same deal as librewolf. And Mull on mobile.

Switched about 2-3 months ago thinking it might be difficult or impact me negatively or something but its been easy and great.

[–] kitnaht@lemmy.world 9 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

You know the problem I have with Librewolf? -- Fuckall nobody knows how to spell it.

The beauty of Firefox is that even the densest idiot knows how to spell those two words. And with attention spans the equivalent of a gnat, people need to have things simplified for them as much as humanly possible.

Fortunately enough, Firefox is about the only one with a renderer that isn't controlled by Google, but - even now they're shifting to a pro-advertising stance and backing off of the privacy orientation that they took just a year or two ago.

[–] Supervisor194@lemmy.world -4 points 6 hours ago

Yes, and we will drop Mozilla when it drops uBlock as well. We will all get behind whatever open-source browser stops ads, and it will very quickly become the most widely used browser. Why? Because everybody despises fucking ads and you can't curb-stomp them into liking ads, that's why.

Google can spend all the money it likes trying to piss on users and tell them it's raining but at the end of the day, a new king will be crowned and if it isn't Chrome and it isn't Firefox, then it will be something else.

And no, FOSS doesn't need money behind it. FOSS needs a dedicated community behind it. Assertions to the contrary are FUD constantly being seeded by Google, Microsoft and their ilk to destroy competition. This is an existential necessity for Google, you can bet they are doing everything in their power to maintain the status quo.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 6 points 7 hours ago (7 children)

Until you actually need a chromium based browser. I get so annoyed when this happens.

[–] LucidNightmare@lemm.ee 9 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Almost 20 years and I've never needed a Chromium browser for anything. I'm sorry you were forced to use such garbage ass software.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I have chromium installed for the sole reason to cast some streams to my remote TVs. Otherwise it stays closed. I tried some work around with FF, but I couldn't get it to work. It's only once or twice a week for live sporting events, so I can stomach it.

[–] LucidNightmare@lemm.ee 7 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I understand where you're coming from. It's never happened to me, but if a website didn't work with Firefox, I would just assume it's a shit site ran by rookies who know nothing, and move on to a different site. I understand most people don't have that kind of principle though.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

It's not that the site doesn't work in FF, it's that casting the stream from that site to a remote TV in the house is only possible in chromium, at least with my current device setup. If I just watch on my computer, I watch in FF.

[–] LucidNightmare@lemm.ee 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Ah, you did say that. I'm sorry for my misunderstanding. I've never tried that, and you're the first I've seen to mention it. I concede to your argument.

[–] BassTurd@lemmy.world 1 points 2 hours ago

I'm in the slow process of replacing devices with HTPCs then I won't need to cast anything. Unfortunately computers and time don't grow on trees.

[–] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 9 points 6 hours ago (4 children)

In what situation do you need one?

I've been using Firefox for over a decade and have literally never once needed to open a different web browser. For anything, ever. This is a very common complaint that tons of people seem to have that I have never seen happen even once out in the wild.

[–] Zetta@mander.xyz 8 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I also use Firefox on my work computer, I need to quickly authorize a login in the browser before the local "app" opens ("app" because it's just a webpage pretending to be an app) and I just recently got a notification that slack won't support Firefox anymore so please switch to chrome. The fucking animals.

[–] lohky@lemmy.world 6 points 5 hours ago

Sounds like Salesforce acting like Salesforce.

[–] suburban_hillbilly@lemmy.ml 9 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (2 children)

Several government websites for the state of Pennsylvania complain and refuse to work if they detect that you aren't using chrome/edge/safari.

[–] poke@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 hours ago

Do the sites work if you use an extension that lies to them about what browser you are using?

[–] bitwolf@lemmy.one 4 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

You can spoof your useragent to appear as chrome. And you should as it makes your browser less "unique"

[–] suburban_hillbilly@lemmy.ml 0 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

While you can do this, it's not clear to me that you should. There are a number of additional laws having to do with perjury and misusing goverment sites and while I would undoubtedly agree with you, were you to assert the application of those laws to the utilization of a user agent switcher is a ridiculous overreach, I am just as certain I have no desire to be in the hot-seat on the day we all find out.

[–] bitwolf@lemmy.one 1 points 2 hours ago

Oh wow I didn't know that. I'll have to double check for the states that are relevant for me.

I imagine many people naively install a privacy extension and unknowingly have altered useragents

[–] Flying_Hellfish@lemmy.world 2 points 4 hours ago

Flashing ESPhome devices. I just had to re-flash one via serial the other day and it requires chrome AFAIK.

[–] sunbeam60@lemmy.one -2 points 5 hours ago

Firefox is getting so small it’s starting to disappear out of the testing matrix. Confluence has issues with it, you can’t always log into Vanguard on Firefox, many news website layouts have overlapping elements on Firefox, quite a few shopping websites too (H&M in Europe has a long-standing but with putting stuff in the shopping basket until they revamped their website a couple of months ago). Etc etc. I see it ALL the time.

[–] Supervisor194@lemmy.world 8 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

As if installing and using something else means you can't have Chrome lying around for that one stupid website.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 1 points 6 hours ago

And I do. Sometimes I'll just fire up Edge if Chrome isn't installed since it's chromium based.

[–] kent_eh@lemmy.ca 2 points 6 hours ago

Chromium isn't as problematic as Chrome.

[–] warm@kbin.earth 1 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

If people used other browsers, then the market share would change and this would become less and less of a problem.

[–] Kbobabob@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago

I already use Firefox full time and recommend others do as well.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.world -1 points 6 hours ago

constantly, to be honest

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world -1 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

There's still Vivali which is Chromium based and still supporting V2 extension (like uBlock) until June 2025. Its not a full fix, but its a stay of execution. That said, I'm a FF primary user.

[–] Mossheart@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 hour ago

I see Vivaldi, I upvote.

[–] funkajunk@lemm.ee -1 points 5 hours ago

Vivaldi isn't entirely open source, if that matters to you.

Brave would be my recommendation, I just disable the crypto stuff.

I've been using librewolf for a several months. Be careful because streaming doesn't always work on it due to DRM features, and YouTube has been spotty AF. With YouTube it might start the video a couple seconds into it, buffer for no discernable reason, or just skip a few random seconds.