zlacker

> somehow feels entitled enough that they can dictate browsers to respect their authority regarding what users can and cannot block. It's the same behavior. And the fix is the same: abandon the Chrome ecosystem. The more users do that, the more the web will basically remain outside of the control of Google.

This is fundamentally the problem isn't it. They feel entitled _because_ they can dictate terms to the rest of the web, or at least they think so. There's no fixing this by changing Google's mind, only by forcing their hand by making this decision hurt their wallet. And as you point out, that only happens if people stay outside of the Google garden.

>>genoci+(OP)
Microsoft thought they can do that too. Where is IE now?

>>gmerc+x2
IE lived on a very long time after the antitrust thing. Also still in relatively widespread use in parts of Asia.

>>genoci+g3
As soon as Firefox started grabbing market share, Google backed them and at the same time (probably) started the process of creating Chrome. IE is one of those zombie things that's still around that does not matter. Arguably it's a nuisance even to MS at this point.

>>jilles+v5
> Arguably it's a nuisance even to MS at this point.

Which is likely a big part of why MSFT tried to get rid of it.

>>genoci+g3
That was a rhetorical question- IE is irrelevant sans south korea due to their weird banking laws.

>>gmerc+E7
But IE didn't just become irrelevant overnight. It took antitrust enforcement and multiple massive companies pooling their resources to dislodge it from it's position. There was a significant, concerted effort to knock out IE, and I just don't see the same going on vis-a-vis Chrome now.

>>gmerc+x2
I think circumstances are different now because alternatives to IE provided superior user experience, so there was a motivation for "normies" to switch. At present it seems to me that "normies" are quite content with Chrome and enticing them to switch is going to be quite challenging.

Not sure what is the solution here. Several years ago it seemed to me that Mozilla may be on track to get their shit together, then they decided to lay off Rust/Servo people, left their Firefox for Android team barely staffed so they couldn't even handle more that handful of supported extensions and instead spent all the money on their CEO bonuses. Guess this is going to be quite a painful decade for the open Web...

>>genoci+c9
To start an avalanche, start with pushing a few stones

>>gmerc+x2
IE's monopoly was broken by Google spending billions of dollars on chrome and advertising it. Where is such spender who would do it for the open web? It doesn't exist. The only hope is regulatory/legislative action, but taking away freedom and relative anonymity online is now pretty well aligned with the interests of the western ruling elites(not to mention some degree of regulatory capture), so the incentive structure just isn't there. Open web will continue to exist for some time, but eventually will be limited to several websites with an activist position. (Unless there is a subsequent legislative mandate to enforce this attestation for everything, for safety and security of course)