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  • [LINK] Google's decision to deprecate JPEG-XL emphasizes the need for b

    From Computer Nerd Kev@21:1/5 to All on Fri Apr 21 09:05:18 2023
    Google's decision to deprecate JPEG-XL emphasizes the need for
    browser choice and free formats
    by Greg Farough, Apr 12, 2023
    - https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/googles-decision-to-deprecate-jpeg-xl-emphasizes-the-need-for-browser-choice-and-free-formats

    "Whether it's through the millions of dollars Google has funneled
    into development and advertising or the "convenience" that it
    offers users in exchange for freedom, the fact remains that Google
    Chrome is the arbiter of web standards. Firefox, through ethical
    distributions like GNU IceCat and Abrowser, can weaken that
    stranglehold. Google's deprecation of the JPEG-XL image format in
    February in favor of its own patented AVIF format might not end the
    web in the grand scheme of things, but it does highlight, once
    again, the disturbing amount of control it has over the platform
    generally.

    Part of Google's official rationale for the deprecation is the
    following line: "There is not enough interest from the entire
    ecosystem to continue experimenting with JPEG-XL." Putting aside
    the problematic aspects of the term "ecosystem," let us remark that
    it's easy to gauge the response of the "entire ecosystem" when you
    yourself are by far the largest and most dangerous predator in said
    "ecosystem." In relation to Google's overwhelming power, the
    average web user might as well be a microbe. In supposedly gauging
    what the "ecosystem" wants, all Google is really doing is asking
    itself what Google wants. If we take their contribution in turning
    the web into the "WWWorst App Store" seriously, then we understand
    what Google really wants. Google wants to do what's best for its
    own predatory interests, not what's best for the web." ...

    --
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    #_ < |\| |< _#

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Marco Moock@21:1/5 to All on Fri Apr 21 08:40:04 2023
    Am 21.04.2023 schrieb not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev):

    "Whether it's through the millions of dollars Google has funneled
    into development and advertising or the "convenience" that it
    offers users in exchange for freedom, the fact remains that Google
    Chrome is the arbiter of web standards. Firefox, through ethical
    distributions like GNU IceCat and Abrowser, can weaken that
    stranglehold.

    Mozilla is going the same way as Google - they implement all what
    Google wants to have and removed ability to customize the browser.

    Remember XUL, Stratum etc.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Mike Spencer@21:1/5 to Marco Moock on Fri Apr 21 17:39:05 2023
    Marco Moock <mo01@posteo.de> writes:

    Am 21.04.2023 schrieb not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev):

    "Whether it's through the millions of dollars Google has funneled
    into development and advertising or the "convenience" that it
    offers users in exchange for freedom, the fact remains that Google
    Chrome is the arbiter of web standards. Firefox, through ethical
    distributions like GNU IceCat and Abrowser, can weaken that
    stranglehold.

    Mozilla is going the same way as Google - they implement all what
    Google wants to have and removed ability to customize the browser.

    Mozilla's Seamonkey still retains on-screen menus w/ options to enable
    or disable cookies, images, scripts, popup windows etc.

    I haven't paid attention to tectonic changes w/ Google as I don't use
    any of thier services except web search. Given that, Seamonkey works
    for me and I'm a crank old geezer.



    Remember XUL, Stratum etc.



    --
    Mike Spencer Nova Scotia, Canada

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From SH@21:1/5 to Mike Spencer on Sat Apr 22 08:39:50 2023
    On 21/04/2023 21:39, Mike Spencer wrote:
    Marco Moock <mo01@posteo.de> writes:

    Am 21.04.2023 schrieb not@telling.you.invalid (Computer Nerd Kev):

    "Whether it's through the millions of dollars Google has funneled
    into development and advertising or the "convenience" that it
    offers users in exchange for freedom, the fact remains that Google
    Chrome is the arbiter of web standards. Firefox, through ethical
    distributions like GNU IceCat and Abrowser, can weaken that
    stranglehold.

    Mozilla is going the same way as Google - they implement all what
    Google wants to have and removed ability to customize the browser.

    Mozilla's Seamonkey still retains on-screen menus w/ options to enable
    or disable cookies, images, scripts, popup windows etc.

    I haven't paid attention to tectonic changes w/ Google as I don't use
    any of thier services except web search. Given that, Seamonkey works
    for me and I'm a crank old geezer.



    Remember XUL, Stratum etc.





    Wow, thanks for the heads up regarding Seamonkey!

    I'm not a fan of Edge or Chrome. Whetre I am forced to use them, I have
    DDG privacy essentials, Privacy badger, Ghostery, uBlock origin and
    Disconnect plug ins all running. This does break some sites like eBay
    which will work in Firefox with exactly the same 5 plug ins (and all
    three work with my private DNS server which rejects well over 50% of all
    DNS lookups.....

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Marco Moock@21:1/5 to All on Sat Apr 22 11:47:10 2023
    Am 21.04.2023 um 17:39:05 Uhr schrieb Mike Spencer:

    Mozilla's Seamonkey still retains on-screen menus w/ options to enable
    or disable cookies, images, scripts, popup windows etc.

    Mozilla wants to get rid of Seamonkey.
    I am surprised that it still has its name "Mozilla Seamonkey".

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Nyssa@21:1/5 to Mike Spencer on Sat Apr 22 09:27:24 2023
    Mike Spencer wrote:


    Marco Moock <mo01@posteo.de> writes:

    Am 21.04.2023 schrieb not@telling.you.invalid (Computer
    Nerd Kev):

    "Whether it's through the millions of dollars Google has
    funneled
    into development and advertising or the "convenience"
    that it offers users in exchange for freedom, the fact
    remains that Google Chrome is the arbiter of web
    standards. Firefox, through ethical distributions like
    GNU IceCat and Abrowser, can weaken that stranglehold.

    Mozilla is going the same way as Google - they implement
    all what Google wants to have and removed ability to
    customize the browser.

    Mozilla's Seamonkey still retains on-screen menus w/
    options to enable or disable cookies, images, scripts,
    popup windows etc.

    I haven't paid attention to tectonic changes w/ Google as
    I don't use
    any of thier services except web search. Given that,
    Seamonkey works for me and I'm a crank old geezer.



    Remember XUL, Stratum etc.



    I'm a SeaMonkey user too. I have several (Linux) versions
    and profiles that I can mix and match depending on how I
    need to approach various websites.

    The one thing newer versions have taken away though is the
    option to screen and block cookies and domains interactively
    as the page loads. The settings now are basically accept
    all or reject all with exceptions for session cookies or
    third party cookies. I prefer more control, so I use several
    older versions that allow that unless I want to reject all
    cookies.

    I'm NOT a Google user, not even their search engine, and
    I try to avoid or block whatever Googlish things they're
    trying to push out, especially Chrome. I don't like that
    one megacompany seems to have taken over making decisions
    about standards for the whole Internet with no controls or
    input from neutral, knowledgeable sources.

    Nyssa, who also avoids Microsoft and commercial social
    media providers too

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Blue-Maned_Hawk@21:1/5 to All on Sun Apr 23 17:32:09 2023
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    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)