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Why you shouldn't use Brave Browser (www.spacebar.news)
submitted 3 years ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] 45 points 3 years ago (11 children)

This article is useless trash. There is no real technical argument here except "founder bad".

I do have reasons for not using Brave, but it's to do with the annoying defaults and the crypto integration. They default whitelist Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook garbage that I have to go and toggle off.

Given the level of effort and extensions like Facebook container on Firefox, I just prefer the better experience for me. This bullshit about getting on identity politics agendas I find abhorrent and repulsive. This author's a stupid fuckhead.

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  • [–] 16 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Did you read the whole thing and you're just okay with them quietly pulling sponsored links for FTX?

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  • [–] 6 points 3 years ago

    Not sure about OP,

    I read the whole thing and it doesn't really bother me because I'd never touch their coin crap. The whole we'll pay you to browse smells like a pyramid scheme.

    Downsides:

    CEO is an ass: check

    They'll sell my traffic: check

    They've added a half assed insecure tor implementation: check

    They've replaced ads on websites with their own to an illegal level: check

    They're trying to use crypto currency to fund themselves and did that to a level that got them charged by the FTC: check

    Once their crypto plans fails, they'll probably either sell more of my data or fold up: check

    Upsides:

    Runs all my chrome plugins

    Tight IPFS integration without running Kubo

    Decent P2P bookmark/history syncing to unlimited nodes without making an account

    Very solid anti-fingerprinting when combined with privacy badger.

    Small enough that selling my data will have less reach than Google or Microsoft selling my data

    Blocks youtube ads, even on mobile (while they still can)

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  • [–] 6 points 3 years ago

    They default whitelist Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook garbage that I have to go and toggle off.

    They have to do that, otherwise things like the "login with Google" buttons disappear from sites, breaking logins for many users.

    I wouldn't be affected by the settings being enabled by default as I always create a local account, but I'm also not the average internet user. My parents and most of my friends would though, and those are the users Brave are trying to get to use their browser.

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  • [+] 3 points 3 years ago (2 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago

    From KHTML to Webkit, to Blink. Forking forked forks, but still open source. If we were talking about a closed source browser then it would be a travesty. Today what Google's doing with Web Integrity is disgusting, but their freely available codebase is not. If the Linux kernel supplanted the NT kernel and Apple decided to re-develop the Mac and iOS (however absurd the notion is given the gigantic amount of work required to do, let's just say hypothetically), and Linux had a "monopoly" on kernels by getting 95% marketshare across mobile and desktop systems, I highly doubt there'd be an uproar for the sake of "muh choices".

    As to self awareness, conservatives like iPhones, and liberals love them some Chik-Fil-A, and I can write off pointless articles trying to get me to shop elsewhere over "founder bad" for gender or identity politics. My best friend is a gay man, and I am happy for that couple to have the right to do so. If I didn't use a product or service because of a political misalignment, I wouldn't use anything. Companies that work against socialized medicine irk me because I think we need that, and companies that support gun control irk me because I live by castle doctrine.

    There is room in this country for people that purple and cross their ideals, this idea of absolutes is absurd. Gender and identity politics are pointless to even address given the challenges ahead of us, how about we give a shit about.....housing or healthcare? Let's maybe do something about climate change by addressing gentrification and long commutes? Let's fight together to keep our WFH.

    Selective outrage is where all the LGBTQ issues belong for the short term, we have real problems.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    They aren't.

    The author also makes a much more compelling argument than you on their position, and the article supports the argument with verifiable fact and links.

    Only one side of the equation uses the phrase "identity politics", and it's the broken flailing, desperate side - Gay people are going to get married, trans people exist and interracial couples are going to walk down your main Street holding hands and smiling. You need to accept these basic facts about your fellow human beings.

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  • [–] -1 points 3 years ago

    One of my best friends is gay and married, and I fully support their right to do so and be recognized as a couple. I just don't see how the politics of a founder need to have any bearing on how I use the product. Conservatives like using iPhones and liberals still like their Chik-Fil-A food and Marvel entertainment despite Perlmutter moving huge amounts of money for conservative support. It's hypocritical for people to froth at the mouth over Brendan Eich while they still order from Amazon, shop at Walmart, and patron many other conservative companies. Identity politics in consumerism is ridiculous, and pandering to the virtue signaling helps no one. "Founder bad" arguments are pathetic, as are the constant reminders that we need to shop X for social causes.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago

    This really sums up everything I felt while reading it.

    I'm still using it and Firefox in lieu of Chrome

    Brave + Privacy badger has the only working fingerprint reduction (https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/) I can find. So I know brave is tracking me, but all the sites I visit had a hard time doing so if I don't log in.

    I use IPFS quite a bit and I really like that it's integrated without me having to install Kubo everywhere. I tried the companion in FF but it still opens ipfs:// in brave.

    The CEO is a piece of crap. That seems pretty average IMO.

    They'll sell my data. Anyone that can fingerprint me will do the same. I have one smallish company selling my data instead of google or Microsoft.

    They have previously done shitty things and they have put in too many fake features in the name of privacy like a half assed TOR implementation.

    I'm not against trying other things. but every time someone says OMG BRAVE IS THE WORST. It ends up with a very slight Utility > Evil function for me.

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