erin 💫Oct 29
websites should be banned from knowing the operating system they're running under. no exceptions. the web development industry has collectively lost their privilege to know what os im using. i will continue taking away standard web features until you agree to fire the imbeciles that put "linux isn't supported! you're doing scary things that may not work!" messages on my fucking textbook reader. whatever your terrible pdf.js clone is doing that requires knowledge of my operating system, stop doing it immediately
Show threaderin 💫Oct 29

but platform-specific browser bugs need to get found somehow

then ask the user their operating system, dickhead. also you're not clever enough to tell the difference between an intermittent issue and a platform-specific browser bug, you don't get to play that card

but users are stupid and in-band detection is easier

i don't care! learn to talk to people who don't know computers! greater harm is done to me personally by your shitty fucking os detection warning messages than will be done to you if you are forced to sit down for two seconds and direct an elderly user to open system preferences and take a picture of the "about" section

Show threaderin 💫Oct 29
every browser's ua should report windows by default for all sites permanently and i'm not joking
Show threadgudenauOct 29
@erin I wonder how bad not sending one would break stuff.
Show threaderin 💫Oct 29
@gudenau would you like to find out https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/user-agent-string-switcher/
User-Agent Switcher and Manager – Get this Extension for 🦊 Firefox (en-US)

Download User-Agent Switcher and Manager for Firefox. Spoof websites trying to gather information about your web navigation—like your browser type and operating system—to deliver distinct content you may not want.

Show threadngoomieOct 29
@erin @gudenau i am giving an empty UA string a go
so far nothing bad has happened but i've barely done anything
Show threadngoomie
@erin @gudenau oh yeah and that one UA tester that extension links to reports nothing for ua-parser.js and platform.js, but for using window.navigator it says i'm using... this:
Oct 29 at 8:09amWeb
Show threadgudenauOct 29
@nu @erin I meant to not send the header at all, not send a blank one.
Show threadngoomieOct 29
@gudenau @erin i would imagine it would behave similarly
and in that vein i'm already stopping because i keep getting either flat-out banned from things or barred access until i use a normal UA string