nixCraft 🐧
The enshittification of Mozilla with AI "slop" and greed is a cautionary tale for various open source projects and Linux distros not to become comfy with AI garbage. People, developers, volunteers, and users will abandon your product, because being open source doesn't mean you can get away with it. Users are tired of this garbage. Know your userbase before you add AI. I'm just saying
Nov 6 at 11:07amWeb
Show threadAsgerGitzNov 6
@nixCraft if something advertises that it “has AI” I automatically deduct 5 points. I want to use my machine, not have my machine use me.
Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@nixCraft what are your favourite alternatives to Firefox?
Show threadClem 🌍🌻⏚Nov 6
@alberto @nixCraft
Maybe @zenbrowser ?
Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@clement_la_baleine @nixCraft @zenbrowser nice!
Show threadBenoît B.Nov 6

@alberto @nixCraft

Not sure there is one.

The only alternative:

1. Ask Mozilla to remove it or to deactivate it as default (at least!)
2. Struggle to disable the AI-based features as they go

BTW, I'm furious with Mozilla, but I wonder how many of their current users will be perfectly comfortable with this new set of AI-based features?

Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@benoitb thanks! I'll write them but I wonder how effective a protest can be without good alternatives
Show threadKevin CaccamoNov 6

@alberto @nixCraft There's Librewolf!

https://www.librewolf.net/

But unfortunately, unlike Firefox, Librewolf isn't available on Android...

LibreWolf Browser

A custom version of Firefox, focused on privacy, security and freedom.

Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@Talon1024 @nixCraft well there's a weekend project :P
Show threadj4n3zNov 6
@Talon1024 for Android there is IronFox - a successor to Divested Mull browser:
https://gitlab.com/ironfox-oss/IronFox
@alberto @nixCraft
IronFox OSS / IronFox · GitLab

Private, secure, user first web browser for Android. https://ironfoxoss.org/

GitLab
Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@j4n3z @Talon1024 @nixCraft super nice!
Show threadekariNov 6

@alberto @nixCraft qutebrowser in terms of usability.

Old momentum and uBlock Origin are the reasons I haven't made the jump fully.

(Imagine if we would choose which TV to buy based on their ability block ads?)

Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@ekari @nixCraft I'll try it. Ublock is still my main reason to stay
Show threadekariNov 6
@alberto @nixCraft If you haven't already, check out Tridactyl extension for Firefox and then you'll know what to expect with qutebrowser 
Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@ekari okok will do
Show threadTravisNov 6
@alberto @nixCraft I’ve been using Waterfox since the TOS debacle.
Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@travis looks good! But that's still a spinoff of Firefox, right?
Show threadTravisNov 6
@alberto Yes, but considering everything else is just Chrome…
Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 6
@travis yeah 😅
Show threadAgarwaënNov 6
@alberto @nixCraft Librewolf. Firefox without the bullshit.
Show threadZeka ParıltısıNov 7
@alberto @nixCraft Why is no one recommending GNU Icecat? What's the reason it hasn't become more popular?
Show threadDirected Alberto Cetoli GraphNov 8
@zekapariltisi I'll add it to the list ☺️
Show threadSolomon SchulerNov 7
@alberto @nixCraft I currently use liberWolf a derivative of Firefox. It removes all the AI shit, and all the privacy features are on by default. What also propagates the AI enshitifcation is the search engine. I've stopped using major search engines like duckduckgo, google, and others, and replaced it with marginalia search.
Show threadSuperboomNov 6
@nixCraft Just hope doesn't affect Fedora much, now that they accept AI slop contributions... 
Show threadthe elder seaNov 6

@superboom12s
I don't want to switch browsers and distros but I will...

I need some to lay out strict rules about this before I do though.

This is like COVID, everyone gets it eventually ☹️
@nixCraft

Show threadSuperboomNov 6

@eldersea
Well, I don't use Fedora or RHEL, but it is sad that this has been aproved, more when Fedora is one of the most used distros...

And I know, everything will just be AI slop someday, hope at least the human world lasts a bit longer...
@nixCraft

Show threadthe elder seaNov 6
@superboom12s
Fedora is my home choice of distro, I find it more functional than anything Ubuntu. Haven't tried arch and honestly don't really want to.
@nixCraft
Show threadSuperboomNov 6

@eldersea
I have tried several options in the past, Fedora included, but the one that I find more useful for my desktop is Ubutnu.
Still, I might migrate to openSUSE, as I am trying it on my servers and I love it, but I may still keep Ubuntu or Debian as secondary OS.

But why don't you wanna try Arch , I didn't get used to it when I tried it, but its a lovely distro.
@nixCraft

Show threadthe elder seaNov 6
@superboom12s
Fedora works nearly perfectly from the start. Arch is pretty famously not that easy to set up, and fedora hasn't given me any issues I need to solve with headaches. Plus, supporting it for other people in my house sounds even less fun.
@nixCraft
Show threadSuperboomNov 6

@eldersea
Yeah, Arch is more difficult and very gatekeeped by most of its community for some reason...

Both Ubuntu and Fedora are really easy to use, so they are best for most users.

But I cant relate with you, my family for some reason doesn't believe in Linux or open source, even if they don't have much idea about tech...  
@nixCraft

Show threadthe elder seaNov 6

@superboom12s
Windows finally got bad enough, plus with some computers not being able to run eleven, it was time.

I'm also not entirely above refusing to support windows eleven out of principle...

It probably helps that we went to see Cory Doctorow talk about enshittification and privacy.
@nixCraft

Show threadPiotr SmyrakNov 6
@nixCraft The fact that K-9 Mail is now under Mozilla rule makes me somewhat uneasy.
Show threadDraken BlackKnightNov 6
@nixCraft
I already delete both Firefox and Thunderbird whenever I do a fresh Linux install. Their inclusion of A"i" will only drive me to telling others to replace it with @librewolf
Show threadMatt SimpsonNov 6
@nixCraft I've come back to your post several times and I still don't understand what specific point you're making. You're mad that Mozilla is allowing the use of GenAI to help build Firefox, or mad that they're giving you the option of using GenAI within Firefox? Any specific details would be useful.
Show thread2somethingNov 6
@mattsimpson @nixCraft
I am guessing it's about this
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/forums/contributors/717446
End of Japanese community | SUMO community discussions | Forums | Mozilla Support

Show threadLinus GasserNov 6

@nixCraft I'm currently trying out Vivaldi and Helium. And it got me to also install Bitwarden, so that all my password are in the same place when switching...

Vivaldi has some nice ideas with the inclusion of a mail client. Rings a bell somehow, Netscape something something, no? But the client doesn't work with my email folder structure.

Show threadqwertzNov 7

@ligasser @nixCraft

#seamonkey ?

https://www.seamonkey-project.org/

The SeaMonkey® Project

Show threadLinus GasserNov 7

@qwertz @nixCraft yay - one more browser that I need to try out :) It's not Apple-signed...

Some browsers don't work with gitlab.com
Some browsers don't work with https://danu.li
Some browsers don't work with our HR system

I need a browser of browsers to know which browser I need to use to browse the web...

Danu - Decentralized Resource Sharing

Show thread2somethingNov 6
@nixCraft Take note @miraheze , @nextcloud , and @keepassxc
Show threadmav Nov 7

@nixCraft
It's kind of amazing we are where we are - that the closest thing we have to a working free (as in freedom) browser is kept by one of the most inept and anti-user organizations.

How did it come to this.

Show threadBoloMKXXVIIINov 8
@nixCraft SUSE Linux is embracing A.I. slop too. Scary times.