[conspire] Browser 'Wars'

[Micah Lee]

On 02/10/2011 05:24 PM, Rick Moen wrote:
> But, hey, you're a Windows user and are sui-generis OK with your
> computer working for someone else with an agenda hostile to your own.
> ;->

Actually I'm not a Windows user (I was being sarcastic -- I thought it
was clear that I didn't use Windows). I use Ubuntu. I only use Windows
in VMs when I need to test things in IE or Safari, or when I need to use
Photoshop.

And I'm not ok with my computer working for someone else. I use
luks/dm-crypt full disk encryption. I'm very careful about the software
I choose to install and use. I don't use Chrome. I am very informed
about the security and privacy risks associated with using a web browser
and I have it configured to mitigate them as much as possible. I don't
use other websites while I'm logged in to facebook or google. I tunnel
all my traffic if I'm using an untrusted network.

When I make websites I don't like to use proprietary crap like Flash. I
only make websites depend on javascript when it's appropriate to have
that dependency (like if I'm writing an utility to crop images after you
upload them). I don't like sending visitors to any third-party analytics
or ad servers without their consent.

I think we probably agree on quite a few things. Regardless, most
applications getting developed now and in the future will be run in a
web browser and hosted on remote servers, and that's what's pushing the
demand for modern web browsers, and also what's pushing the demand for
privacy and security features and add-ons (like the new DNT http header
in Firefox 4).

Micah