RaphaJan 13, 2025
sdw

I genuinely believe we’ll look back on this era of the web and think we were all just collectively insane.

The best technology of our existence for reading is ubiquitous yet there’s never been a worse reading experience.

Jan 12, 2025 at 10:22pmIvory for iOS
Show threadNumeric CitizenJan 12, 2025
@sdw two great examples for showing the trigger that puts me off and leave.
Show threadHerrHerrmannJan 12, 2025
@sdw Screw the mainstream websites, long live the small web! (https://ar.al/2020/08/07/what-is-the-small-web/)
What is the Small Web?

Updated June 19th, 2023 Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. But that doesn’t mean you can’t watch it! You can download Small Is Beautiful #23 directly, and watch it with your favourite video player. Small Is Beautiful (Oct, 2022): What is the Small Web and why do we need it? Today, I want to introduce you to a concept – and a vision for the future of our species in the digital and networked age – that I’ve spoken about for a while but never specifically written about:

Aral Balkan
Show threadBrian LewisJan 12, 2025

@sdw The first is GPDR. The second is lack of a good business model.

Autoplay video should be a war crime.

Show threadPeter van BroekhovenJan 12, 2025
@HanBrolo @sdw The first’s excuse is GDPR, but it’s still an unnecessary choice.
Show threadKarl BaronJan 13, 2025
@HanBrolo The first isn’t due to GDPR, it’s due to third party trackers for advertising
Show threadГригорий КлюшниковJan 13, 2025
Brian, it blows my mind that browsers just parse and play <video> no questions asked. It should be behind a permission prompt imo
Show threadFelix LapalmeJan 12, 2025
@sdw the modern version of the early 2000s web browser toolbar insanity
Show threadJP GouletJan 13, 2025
@Lapfelix @sdw At least, the early 2000s version displays 50% of the content. We have somehow found a way to regress.
Show threadYadiel SotomayorJan 13, 2025
@sdw @caseyliss gently adding that with no alt text, my reading experience is much worse. Not trying to be a dick, just making you aware.
Show threadRobert KoonsJan 13, 2025
@sdw Enshitification (e13n) is maddening.
Show threadmattcomiJan 13, 2025
@sdw one can only hope.
Show threadFlohGroJan 13, 2025

@sdw one easy recommendation regarding the cookie banners: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/consent-o-matic/id1606897889?l=en-GB
Install this extension and let it click away these banners with minimal required allowance.

Second regarding the adds: use something like a pihole and you’ll se much less adds (sometimes blank spaces but no adds)

‎Consent-O-Matic

‎Cookie pop-ups are designed to be confusing and make you 'agree' to be tracked. This add-on automatically answers consent pop-ups for you, so you can't be manipulated. Set your preferences once, and let the technology do the rest! This add-on is built and maintained by workers at Aarhus University…

App Store
Show threadMarc PuricelliJan 13, 2025
@sdw @caseyliss Absolutely. We've ruined the internet.
Show threadZsolt BenkeJan 13, 2025
@sdw Yeah, the GDPR crap should have been a browser feature.
Show threadAndy CarolanJan 13, 2025

@sdw Can't even successfully search for anything as it's all ads, sponsored content, and now AI slop.

Manage to find a site that has answers, and it's purely unusable.

Show threadTorsteinJan 13, 2025
@sdw @caseyliss why aren't people and especially so many tech nerds using ad blockers?
Show threadbeasomJan 14, 2025
@sdw Relevant rant from ye olde 2017 http://www.shindoisshin.com/blog/dickbars-and-other-readability-excrement
Dickbars and Other Readability Excrement — 神道一心 – Shindo Isshin

神道一心 – Shindo Isshin
Show threadFlorian TaltavullJan 14, 2025
@sdw 🤢
Show threadJ Lam 👩🏻‍💻👩🏻‍🎨Jan 16, 2025
@sdw safari reading mode is a game changer imho
Show threadKevin Karhan Feb 10, 2025

@sdw and now you know why I use @torproject / #ToeBrowser as my default #Browser!

Show threadTheMolluskJan 29
@sdw thankfully I don't encounter this stuff because of ublock origin