topic Re: Web Browser Suggestions... in The Lounge

Web Browser Suggestions...

Obice — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 15:01:02 GMT

Hey,

I'm curious what browers are out there. I have been using Firefox for the longest time and I'm wondering what you might all be using and why. I might try something else?

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

will13am — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 17:39:23 GMT

Chrome is the only other popular option.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Obice — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 18:02:56 GMT

Hmmm, I'm not after popular I'm after workable and functional and ...might I add nothing Google-y.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

srlawren — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 20:36:34 GMT

@will13am wrote:
Chrome is the only other popular option.

@will13am agreed for Window and Android. If you happen to be using Apple devices, Safari is popular (as well as being the default). The new Chromium-based Edge is also quite good on Windows, though it's not may daily-driver I have played around with it a bit.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

srlawren — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 20:37:49 GMT

@Obice wrote:
might I add nothing Google-y.

@Obice Firefox is your best bet, then. Especially if you need cross-platform support. If you're only in Appleworld, then Safari is a viable alternative. Edge has moved to Chromium (the rendering engine that powers Chrome), so I'd avoid it as well if you're anti-Google.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Obice — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 20:53:42 GMT

@srlawren wrote:
@Obice wrote:
might I add nothing Google-y.
@Obice Firefox is your best bet, then. Especially if you need cross-platform support. If you're only in Appleworld, then Safari is a viable alternative. Edge has moved to Chromium (the rendering engine that powers Chrome), so I'd avoid it as well if you're anti-Google.

Firefox it is then.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

NDesai — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 01:54:29 GMT

For Windows, i have started using the new Chromium Edge, and it feels just like Chrome but without all extra processes running in the backgroud.

For Android, i use Kiwi Browser because it's got built-in Ad-blocker, night mode, and bottom address bar which i use all the time. It has way more fetureas than what i use including extension support. The dev went all in and keeps improving.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Obice — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 11:43:40 GMT

@NDesai wrote:
For Windows, i have started using the new Chromium Edge, and it feels just like Chrome but without all extra processes running in the backgroud.

For Android, i use Kiwi Browser because it's got built-in Ad-blocker, night mode, and bottom address bar which i use all the time. It has way more fetureas than what i use including extension support. The dev went all in and keeps improving.

I currently use and mind you I have been using this setup for years because it suits me is Firefox for my desktop and on my android, and Opera Touch on my iPhone.

Firefox has uBlock Origin for both desktop and android platform. Win-win.

Opera Touch works well on iPhone and comes with an adblock. Firefox cannot use extensions on iPhone - it's "unsupported".

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Jb456 — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 14:08:48 GMT

Opera mini

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Obice — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:23:17 GMT

@Jb456 wrote:
Opera mini

I don't mind that one. The issue with that is that some websites won't display properly because too much code has been stripped otherwise it's very viable browser.

I prefer Opera Touch on iPhone because it has adblocking integrated into it, otherwise I'd use Firefox.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Obice — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:24:40 GMT

Opera Touch can block ads on YouTube so if you use an iPhone and don't wanna see ads that's your best FREE bet.

(This was meant to be posted alongside my previous post and for some reason it didn't work.)

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Korth — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 03:04:19 GMT

Chrome is the most popular browser, but google's marketing, spyware, telemetry, tracking, and privacy invasions are evil.

Firefox used to be good about privacy, but not anymore, times have changed.

Both used to be snappy and lightweight, both are now sluggish and bloated.

And both have a tendency to autoupdate (even if explicitly configured to never update, never check for updates, never nag about updates) so what works today will sometimes change or break tomorrow.

Safari is probably the best choice on iOS devices. Although Apple is only marginally less greedy and evil than google.

But some of the chromium-based browsers are good, especially if pure opensource and non-commercial. I currently like Brave, it has built-in adblocks and scriptblocks which work fairly well (I haven't seen a popup, popunder, window hijack, or YouTube ad in ages). It's also fully compatible with all the usual (and many unusual) audio/video codecs, office document viewing, pdf viewing, etc. You can't really get any better on a mobile device (unless you root).

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Obice — Thu, 23 Jan 2020 14:42:20 GMT

@Korth wrote:
Chrome is the most popular browser, but google's marketing, spyware, telemetry, tracking, and privacy invasions are evil.
Firefox used to be good about privacy, but not anymore, times have changed.
Both used to be snappy and lightweight, both are now sluggish and bloated.
And both have a tendency to autoupdate (even if explicitly configured to never update, never check for updates, never nag about updates) so what works today will sometimes change or break tomorrow.

Safari is probably the best choice on iOS devices. Although Apple is only marginally less greedy and evil than google.

But some of the chromium-based browsers are good, especially if pure opensource and non-commercial. I currently like Brave, it has built-in adblocks and scriptblocks which work fairly well (I haven't seen a popup, popunder, window hijack, or YouTube ad in ages). It's also fully compatible with all the usual (and many unusual) audio/video codecs, office document viewing, pdf viewing, etc. You can't really get any better on a mobile device (unless you root).

I won't use Chrome because Google.

I use Firefox because it seems to do the job but skeptical of Mozilla.

I won't use Opera because I don't like the design nor how slow it is.

I've heard of Brave, Opera, Maxthon and some others; most of the not so popular browsers including Brave and Opera use the Chromium-engine which likely means they have some connection or association with Google whether directly or indirectly.

I'm not really looking to avoid Google. I know I can't. Google has trackers built into at least 75% of the most popular websites, probably this one (I wouldn't be surprised). But I'd rather use a different browser than Google's.

I won't use Safari because in order to block ads one must pay a subscription to an app called Guardian or something and to hell with that. The day I start paying to remove ads is the day I start using Chrome and say hello to Google.

At the end of the day, our data feeds somewhere. It's inevitable nowadays.

Re: Web Browser Suggestions...

Korth — Fri, 24 Jan 2020 02:07:00 GMT

@Obice wrote:
I won't use Chrome because Google.
...
I've heard of Brave, Opera, Maxthon and some others; most of the not so popular browsers including Brave and Opera use the Chromium-engine which likely means they have some connection or association with Google whether directly or indirectly.

I'm not really looking to avoid Google. I know I can't. Google has trackers built into at least 75% of the most popular websites, probably this one (I wouldn't be surprised). But I'd rather use a different browser than Google's.
...
The day I start paying to remove ads is the day I start using Chrome and say hello to Google.

Chromium is not Google. Google originally created Chromium as the engine for Chrome, but Chromium has since become a fully opensource project developed by the opensource crowd (Google's continued participation is always subkected to extreme scrutiny). Generic Chromium doesn't contain any "black box" codeblobs or proprietary components, it doesn't connect to Google's servers or services in any way, Google doesn't even have to know you're running Chromium. You can look it all up on wikipedia and githhub.

Different devs build up on base Chromium packages, usually adding useful extensions. Some are built better than others, some actually install themselves as middlemen selling to Google. Brave isn't perfect but in my opinion it's the best overall and the least of all evils. It may or may not work out for you but I'd recommend giving it a shot.