this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
716 points (100.0% liked)

Technology

38657 readers
93 users here now

A nice place to discuss rumors, happenings, innovations, and challenges in the technology sphere. We also welcome discussions on the intersections of technology and society. If it’s technological news or discussion of technology, it probably belongs here.

Remember the overriding ethos on Beehaw: Be(e) Nice. Each user you encounter here is a person, and should be treated with kindness (even if they’re wrong, or use a Linux distro you don’t like). Personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Subcommunities on Beehaw:


This community's icon was made by Aaron Schneider, under the CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] LinkOpensChest_wav@beehaw.org 191 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I don't trust homophobes or cryptobros, especially not those with a history of selling users out like Brendan Eich

[–] ours@lemmy.film 40 points 2 years ago

Especially when there is Firefox and Firefox-based, privacy-focused alternative with great add-blocking and privacy extensions.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 146 points 2 years ago (14 children)

Very strongly worded, but yes.

Brave have had a history of controversy since their inception. Every time something happens, the CEO went on a marketing campaign across social media and drummed up enough new users to drown it out. However the attitude of the business is clear: it would take a very small sack of money for Brave to sell out its users.

If you're going to use a Chromium web browser, there are non-commercial open source projects that don't have a history of shady shit. However Firefox forks are better.

load more comments (14 replies)
[–] falsem@kbin.social 112 points 2 years ago (10 children)

People that use Brave always remind of the people pushing crypto.

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] people_are_cute@lemmy.sdf.org 69 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (13 children)

Not a single solid reason given in this unhinged rent except a mention of that affiliate link fiasco, which even they themselves agree was a major fuckup.

All BAT and crypto stuff are completely opt-in and it barely takes a few clicks to set the browser to never let you see that side of it again. As for Brendan's political affiliations, most users couldn't care less. He might as well be a ~~furry~~ flat-earther but if the product is good, it is good. Stop acting like you're sure all the things you use throughout the day aren't made by people with doubtful leanings.

I personally don't use Brave on desktop, Firefox is good enough; but it is the best option on Android currently since Bromite is almost always a Chromium version behind whatever is current.

Edit: Just learnt that I was wrong in my perception of what "furry" meant. Reading the replies objecting to that reference made me dig a bit deeper and realise that it's just a type of fandom, and not some sex-deviant cult that pop media made me believe. Sorry for the wrong example.

[–] wifienyabledcat@beehaw.org 134 points 2 years ago (3 children)

mf really conflated being a homophobe to being a furry 💀

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] davehtaylor@beehaw.org 88 points 2 years ago (3 children)

As for Brendan’s political affiliations, most users couldn’t care less. He might as well be a furry but if the product is good, it is good. Stop acting like you’re sure all the things you use throughout the day aren’t made by people with doubtful leanings.

  1. People do care about Eich's beliefs, or this discussion wouldn't even be happening.

  2. There's nothing wrong with being a furry, and trying to compare it as though it's equivalent or worse than being a shitbag bigot is bullshit.

  3. If you know that the people who run a company are bigots and you continue to use their products and services, you are giving your explicit approval to who they are and what they do. "if the product is good, it is good" absolutely fucking not. Goods and services don't exist in a vacuum.

load more comments (3 replies)
[–] TWeaK@lemm.ee 81 points 2 years ago

Not a single solid reason given in this unhinged rent except a mention of that affiliate link fiasco, which even they themselves agree was a major fuckup.

That's pretty dismissive of a feature that could only have been added intentionally. It's not like there was some accidental glitch that was adding affiliate suffixes on the end of links.

What we have here is a business poking and prodding and seeing what they can get away with. You've said that there's only one thing they did that's truly out of line, while glossing over the fact that most of what they do is borderline. Their intent is clear.

[–] borlax@lemmy.borlax.com 45 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Imagine comparing furries to homophobes lol. Sit down you goofball.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Alto@kbin.social 40 points 2 years ago

If directly funding homophobic policies isn't a good enough reason for you, you need to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself why that is

[–] beefcat@beehaw.org 39 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (5 children)

The very first reason seems valid to me. No way anyone should be supporting a hateful asshole like that. Anybody going around saying homosexuality is any less valid than heterosexuality has no place in our society anymore.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] sarsaparilyptus@beehaw.org 27 points 2 years ago

Not a single solid reason given

Well not to you, but that doesn't mean much considering you think spyware is fine as long as it's opt-in (and that being a furry is equivalent in severity to being homophobic, wtf). The fact that you think this article is bad is basically a ringing endorsement.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] drcouzelis@lemmy.zip 64 points 2 years ago (1 children)

To anyone reading this article, only the first quarter of it is about the beliefs and political stance of the developers. The rest of the article after that goes into more technical reasons.

[–] IHeartBadCode@kbin.social 40 points 2 years ago (6 children)

All I needed to read was in the first paragraph.

Brave Software, the company behind the browser of the same name, was founded by Brendan Eich. He's best known as the creator of JavaScript from his days at Netscape Communications

I mean, JS is his baby that's all there needs to be said about the person's motivations.

[–] ericflo@lemmy.ml 59 points 2 years ago (10 children)

I love Brave, use it daily, and this article didn't convince me at all. Vaguely motioning at the founder's ancient political donations or the optional crypto features, doesn't make a strong case.

[–] Scary_le_Poo@beehaw.org 60 points 2 years ago (10 children)

Chromium should be enough of a reason to get rid of it.

load more comments (10 replies)
[–] Naatan@lemmy.one 45 points 2 years ago (6 children)

You see, when someone is known to make bad choices it makes sense to approach what they do with apprehension. This guy not only has a history of bad choices, he's also the CEO.

You're free to do as you like of course, but I'd say it's hardly fair to say the article is unconvincing.

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments (8 replies)
[–] Gsus4@feddit.nl 52 points 2 years ago

The moment my cryptofan buddy started talking up brave, I knew it was time to uninstall.

[–] regalia@literature.cafe 49 points 2 years ago (5 children)

It should've been as simple as stop using any chromium-based browser, but the CEO is also super bigoted, doing ad theft, and pushing crypto scams.

load more comments (5 replies)
[–] Steeve@lemmy.ca 45 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Stop telling me what to do

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] ulkesh@beehaw.org 44 points 2 years ago

Now it makes sense why some of the Fox News-parroting, right wing people I know use Brave. I had no idea about what the author mentioned about the browser, I just know it is based on Chromium which I will not use. Thus, I am on Firefox. And for many reasons, including those the author laid out, I'm happy I chose wisely.

[–] emptyother@programming.dev 41 points 2 years ago

Don't need to tell me twice. I've distrusted Brave since I saw their advertisement for it. It just feels like they sell the browser in same mood as pyramid schemers does their products.

But its just my gut feeling. Got no good reason why people should avoid the browser. And because the CEO is an ass isn't a good enough reason for most people.

[–] Janis@feddit.de 38 points 2 years ago (2 children)

if you useanything alphabet like chromium, then YOU are the problem.

[–] acastcandream@beehaw.org 76 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (17 children)

I think it’s pretty unfair to put all of the blame on everyone who uses a chromium browser, considering that most people with a computer have no idea what the hell you are talking about.

Google Chrome is the single most popular web browser. Everyone’s work uses it, everyone’s school uses it, why would they possibly question it? And then they discover a new browser someone recommended - why would they look into “chromium” and what it all means? It’s just not reasonable to expect of nearly the entire population at this stage.

Take your anger out on the company and educate people. This is a problem of education, not selfishness (on the part of the user).

load more comments (17 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] RobotToaster@infosec.pub 33 points 2 years ago

Isn't this like the fourth time this has been posted? the conversation always goes around in circles with nobody changing their mind.

[–] retronautickz@beehaw.org 31 points 2 years ago

I never used brave. I wasn't interested in it since I learned it was chromium and all the crypto stuff.

[–] sculd@beehaw.org 26 points 2 years ago

I used to think Brave was good until I found out they are into crypto.

Nope Nope and Nope! Not using that thing again. Firefox is my friend now.

[–] Melody@lemmy.one 24 points 2 years ago (5 children)

I don't use Brave, won't use Brave, and have my reasons for it.

  • Brave is Chromium based; a project which is slave to the whim of Google.
  • Brave integrates an unnecessary cryptocurrency.
    I hate shitcoinsI don't trust small crypto projects, and I doubly do not want this to be integrated into my browser. It's a good way to lose your stable crypto-holdings if you have them. (I don't; but I've seen lots of anecdotes about catching malware that subsequently stole their crypto wallets, including any BAT tokens they owned)
  • Brave does not block ads! It does not 'enhance' your privacy. It just absorbs some ads, replaces some, and blatantly lets first-party advertisements through the filter. That's not ad-blocking
  • Brave does not protect your privacy. As per my previous point; it does not block ads, it injects it's own right into browser chrome! That's worse than plain Chrome! Your privacy is automatically violated when you watch/view even a single ad.
  • Brave does not have many benefits above "Ungoogled Chromium" or other competing projects. It just doesn't. Unless you like marketing fluff.
  • Brave is NOT BETTER THAN Firefox. It's worse; because it's Chromium; which is enslaved to Google whims. Don't believe me? Try to contribute something to Chromium that goes contrary to Google's stated goals and watch how fast you get shot down.

But sometimes...Yes, Sometimes a programmer does succeed. But only sometimes; and this is usually because they have the clout, coding skills, chops and public reach to embarrass the fuck out of the Google PMs. This will never be you, unless you put an extraordinary amount of effort into becoming a very well known and respected contributor in the OSS space. If you already are a respected contributor in the OSS space, Congrats! You're still likely to be forced to fight a long and protracted battle against the Google nerds to get "Google-Hostile" code changes approved.

load more comments (5 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›