[grey_earthling]

> if it works in Chrome, all web developers will adopt it

This is why we, tech nerds who understand the problem, must resist monopolies: object to using such APIs. Chrome wouldn't be in quite this position if, instead of embracing the monopolist, more techies had warned their non-techy friends and family away from it, like they did with IE.

[scblock]

"Tech nerds" built web sites that only worked in IE back then and "tech nerds" are building websites now that only work in Chrome. Didn't have a clue back then, and don't have a clue now. Forget warning "non-techy" people and clean your own house first.

[jwells89]

Ethics go out the window so long as the flow of shiny new features remains unimpeded. The only reason devs turned against IE is because Microsoft got complacent and essentially abandoned it, letting Gecko and WebKit steal the spotlight… a move that Google is smart enough to know to not repeat.

[razakel]

We warned people that the government was snooping on everything you transmitted or received.

They didn't listen or care.

[inversetelecine]

Many took tech jobs to help further that cause. Perhaps unknowingly?

[eitland]

I have been rather loud about this and while I don't think my voice has meant much I think I have been part of a growing group of people who - together - are making a dent in this monopoly.

Becoming part of it isn't hard either, if you test software either as a SW engineer on a team or as a full time tester it might actually save you some time :

- If you use Mac, test in Safari first. On any other platform, install Firefox (or the Debian version, or Librewolf) and use it as the first tool to test applications.

- If it doesn't work (and the customer hasn't very explicitly said they absolutely only care about Chrome or IE^CEdge) report it as a bug.

I mean, seriously, who would have accepted a feature that only worked in IE 6?

---------

OK, some people might say: but IE 6 was an old and outdated browser, you cannot compare IE 6, or any version of IE for that matter to Chrome.

Or one might say: Chrome has already won, your idealism is appreciated, but you are too late.

Well, here is the thing: IE was at one point in almost the exact same postition as Chrome is now:

- biggest browser by far

- endorsed (or even enforced) by IT

- lots of features only worked in IE. (I remember one particular customer who seemed to be obsessed with security to the point were we had to keep a VM with Windows XP and IE 8 around with both Active X and Java Applets enabled to sign into them. This was around 2014..! Yes, if you find this notion of security absolutely ridiculous then we agree.)

---------

OK, one key difference:

Back in 2006 when I started fighting IE we had Mozilla on our side. Firefox was innovating like crazy. We had extensions that let us embed IE in a tab to render certain web sites. We could automatically archive a full website for offline access (full rewrite of links so they worked on our copy was included). Full developer tools that everyone knows from every browser these days started out as just an extension to Firefox, named Firebug IIRC.

Today, while I understand that the extension API had to be reigned in before a disaster happened, it went way to far and today we cannot even get a function in the API to programmatically remove the top tab bar when we add a tab bar on the side. And not only that, but if someone asks about that particular issue, someone will come and hush and hide the comment.

So godspeed to Ladybird devs and Orion devs, Librewolf devs and actually even Safari devs and everyone else who challenges the current monopoly!

[sph]

Laziness and inertia is the reason monopolies exist, yet when you inquire individually everybody have their own inane reasons to keep the status quo alive.

Elsewhere in this comment section someone literally said they use Chrome because Reddit does not work in Firefox, which is utter nonsense.

[bigfudge]

This is a tragedy of the commons, rather than simple laziness. Choice of messaging apps is the same. I may know that the world would be a better place if everyone ditched WhatsApp and used signal, but I want to schedule tennis matches today, and the value of a open source future is distant and heavily discounted by the knowledge that it is low probability, even if I do my part.

[matheusmoreira]

> object to using such APIs

Doesn't work since the corporation can just fire you and replace you with someone who has no such objections.