AI controls is coming to Firefox

https://lemmy.today/post/46846195

Pepperidge Farms remembers when Firefox had a control like that to turn JavaScript on and off. The rest of you are supposed to have forgotten. Oops.

I wrote myself a little plugin for firefox.

It runs nice, and I want to install it permanently. It does something I want.

Can I? No. Why? Because Firefox… Apparently I’m not adult enough to control my own browser. WTF.

I have to either get their developer build or become a developer with an account. WTF.

So I think, I don’t want their developer build, I just want this plugin— I make a mozilla plugin developer account- because apparently that’s how I’m supposed to do it- I try to create the plugin upload —

Can I? No. Why? Because they want my phone number before I can make a plugin just for myself. WTF.

So - I ask ChatGPT if there is any work around for this, can it search, I just want to run my own plugin, I don’t want the developer build, I don’t want the developer account, I just want to run my own plugin- ChatGPT says it can’t help me because I’m not adhering to Firefox’s EULA. WTF.

So I give up on the plugin - and today, I just happen to notice Mozilla silently turned on SYNC for my web history for that fucking Mozilla plugin developer account. So I guess I’m sending them everything I ever do on the web. WTF.

I go and try to find out what information they’ve stolen from me, can I find it? No. The have some link, to another link, to another link, to another link, which eventually ends up on some page where I can ask them to pretty please send me what information they stole. Why can I not see this without writing a letter! WTF.

WTF WTF WTF. I hate Mozilla.

Please let them burn in software hell.

/rant

@blaggle42 @solrize
https://www.w3tutorials.net/blog/firefox-add-ons-how-to-install-my-own-local-add-on-extension-permanently-in-firefox/

There er multiple ways but yes they don't make it easy cause the want to make the attack vector aka ( a "friend" sent you a email with the "hottest new" firefox extension ) as small as possible.

I understand what you are saying - but - if I want to install a program on my computer - I should be allowed to do so - the same with firefox — maybe it might need me doing the equivalent of sudo, entering some password - or just clicking through, “ok, yes I know, extensions can do bad things.”, “yes I really know that I shouldn’t install an extension if I don’t know exactly what it is” 10 times, but — etc…

I just don’t buy the “attack vector” argument. There are many ways to mitigate, without removing the ability.

Anyway, in a way this was a good experience - I am going to try to ditch firefox sooner than later now.

don’t enable unsigned extensions. It’s there for good reason.

upload your addon to addons.mozilla.org. there’s an option to not publish, but only upload for signing. then you’ll get back a signed xpi you can install properly.

Doesn’t work. Try to do it without giving them a phone number or installing some other application. You can’t. Or I couldn’t.

Then, after you can’t and you think, “I’ll go to the forums, see if there is a way.” You’ll find out Mozilla has problems with sign in. I mean come on… But this is irrelevant, this whole flow is dumb. And it presumes that I shouldn’t be able to control my own browser.

We need a new firefox - just like the original firefox showed that Mozilla was bloat and dumb, we need another that shows the current is bloat and dumb.

Doesn’t work. Try to do it without giving them a phone number or installing some other application. You can’t. Or I couldn’t.

how did you try? did you try registering a mozilla account?

You’ll find out Mozilla has problems with sign in.

It’s probably temporary, it doesn’t have problems usually

And it presumes that I shouldn’t be able to control my own browser.

they do it so that malware cant install unvetted addons to your browser. and if someone signs a malware addon this way, and some people report it, mozilla can disable it for everyone.

We need a new firefox - just like the original firefox showed that Mozilla was bloat and dumb, we need another that shows the current is bloat and dumb.

what you need is a footgun. you have it in about:config.

Nah, I think we just need a dialog box - could be like osx - “are you sure you want to allow the plugin that you said you wanted to use? It was built by: you, not signed by Mozilla.” Maybe put a “You have unsigned plugins running” tool tip - that gets displayed at startup or every 8 hours.

Again - imagine if you couldn’t install the programs you wanted on your computer - this is current firefox.

I suppose we are both beating the already-dead-horse on different ends now.

Nah, I think we just need a dialog box - could be like osx - “are you sure you want to allow the plugin that you said you wanted to use? It was built by: you, not signed by Mozilla.” Maybe put a “You have unsigned plugins running” tool tip - that gets displayed at startup or every 8 hours.

that won’t help to warn the largest part of the target audience, those who were trained by big tech to dismiss those dialogs by reflex without reading a word in it

I disagree, if the user has opened up about: has gone in an said, “I want to enable this local plugin permanently” and then says, “yes” to a “do you really want to do this” — this is enough — also just think if mac or windows or linux all of a sudden said, “no you can’t install the software you want” — you would be against I would think.