Mastodawn

We’re going to have a serious problem on our hands soon with compatibility. I’m a software dev and I’m already seeing a few issues here and there where Chrome is being treated as the default expected browser and features don’t work on Firefox.

Firefox doesn’t support a fair few Chrome features because of security and privacy reasons, such as WebHID, WebUSB, etc.

Devs, please stop using those features. I know it’s tempting, but they’re basically bribes to encourage you to sell out to Google. Don’t do it.

pumpkinseedoil Oct 5, 2024

I’m using Firefox as my only browser. If everything works in Firefox that’s fine for me.

That’s the best advantage of only making websites / web applications for fun (for friend groups, video games, family etc)

sandbox Oct 5, 2024

Yeah, but that’s my point, not everything works in Firefox now and my prediction is that if we continue on our current course Firefox will either have to compromise their commitment to privacy and security or will become more and more unusable.

Kronusdark Oct 5, 2024

I saw this quote a while back “if you only make code that works in chrome you aren’t a web developer, you are a google developer.”

Randelung Oct 5, 2024

Teams calls for example :( I have chromium on my Debian only for teams.

Frays6142 Oct 5, 2024

Teams works in Firefox, I sadly have to use it almost every day interacting with clients who use teams for comms.

coolfission Oct 5, 2024

But you can’t turn on camera with Teams on Firecox iirc

Randelung Oct 5, 2024

idk what to tell you, calls have no sound.

I’ll try again, though.

Frays6142 Oct 5, 2024

I’ve not had either of those issues on my laptop, using teams through Firefox. I wonder if there is something else going on there.

frozen Oct 5, 2024

One of my company’s customers is a DoD contractor that uses the government version of Teams, which does require Chromium, unfortunately. Or at least, I haven’t found a way to make it work on Firefox yet.

katy ✨Oct 5, 2024

We’re going to have a serious problem on our hands soon with compatibility. I’m a software dev and I’m already seeing a few issues here and there where Chrome is being treated as the default expected browser and features don’t work on Firefox.

It’s basically IE6 and ActiveX all over again.

spookedintownsville Oct 5, 2024

Most “Chrome-only” web applications I have to use I can get around just by changing my user agent string and everything works fine. I try not to use that stuff when I can, though.

sandbox Oct 5, 2024

Some of the older stuff is indeed that way, but there are more and more features which Firefox can’t support. Web-based custom keyboard configuration tools, tools to flash phone firmware, and one niche MiniDisc tool all are chrome-only things I’ve had to open Chrome to use

spookedintownsville Oct 5, 2024

tools to flash phone firmware

Yep. Forgot I had to use Chrome on Windows to flash GrapheneOS.

GiveMemes Oct 5, 2024

Wait is this real? That’s hilarious

spookedintownsville Oct 5, 2024

grapheneos.org/install/web#prerequisites

Technically it works on Linux, but I didn’t feel like installing a Chromium browser to do it at the time.

GrapheneOS web installer

Web-based installer for GrapheneOS, a security and privacy focused mobile OS with Android app compatibility.

GrapheneOS

WhyJiffie Oct 5, 2024

you don’t have to, there’s no need for that. they have a normal flashing tool too

WhyJiffie Oct 5, 2024

we are really really better off without features that grant any website such deep access to our systems just by a single click, trust me. this is a security nightmare, especially looking at people who don’t understand computers and those who instant allow permissions by reflex.

stoly Oct 5, 2024

This is my experience. They are just taking your default agent and throwing up a message because they can’t be assed to do minimal testing in FF.

linearchaos Oct 5, 2024

Google’s working on fixing that for you right now. That’s more people switch to Firefox and there’s futures don’t work they’ll start complaining to the developers and then to Firefox. Microsoft road the it only works in IE train for a long time and it eventually buried them

altec Oct 5, 2024

I just don’t use services that don’t work with Firefox. Easy.

SynopsisTantilize Oct 5, 2024

Yep. There are plenty of other ways to do something that don’t require selling out.

Konala Koala Oct 5, 2024

What about ad blocking services where you would need them, such as browsing into an ad farm of a website?

WhyJiffie Oct 5, 2024

Firefox doesn’t support a fair few Chrome features because of security and privacy reasons, such as WebHID, WebUSB

I’m very serious about my opinion that we are better off without them. If the feature does not exist, it cannot be activated by a bug in the permission system, and also the lesser technically inclined people won’t allow them by reflex/accident