this post was submitted on 08 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 year ago (7 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.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year 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)

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Your reasons are discussed in the post. Did you just read the first section and then get mad?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year 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.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

How was your day?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year 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.