Excursions

I read this interesting perspective from Bálint where he argues that “Chrome is a Google Service that happens to include a Browser Engine”. I understand where he is coming from, but I believe the thought process needs to be dealt with and curbed before it gets commonly accepted.

Sure, Google would want to believe that Chrome is just one of their many services — it suits their business model. When they can move their trackers (and eventually ads) right to the tool that people access the internet with, they would know what everyone’s doing on the internet. But Google should not be allowed to get away by dumping the idea down its user’s throat. Sure, normal people may not be able to differentiate how logging in to a service and to Chrome is different. Or how login/session cookies for Google may screw up the security model on a shared computer.

But that exactly is the reason why people who understand better need to voice their disapproval. It is easy to say that it’s not a big deal as I am already better informed to not use Chrome. But it is also reckless — Chrome has already become a de facto browser for mainstream users. It’s a wrong precedent then to let people who cannot fully grasp (or aren’t inclined to out of sheer neglect) the basic underpinnings of the open web to drive what’s acceptable for a browser, and on the web. If that was allowed, Net neutrality would already have been a lost battle worldwide. Such decisions tend to be uninformed and harm the community in the longer run.

An internet service is a different entity, it serves a specific purpose. It solves a specific problem that an end user has. Gmail is an email client. YouTube is a video sharing service. Google Search is… well, it has long since stopped being just a search engine. But, one gets the idea. You access a URL and it brings you to the service.

Chrome is not that. Chrome is a tool that allows users access these different services. And it is better if it stays that way. It’s already bad that all browsers come with an incognito mode by default. It would be important that we do not introduce another mode just to go incognito from the owners of the browsers.

I am sure Bálint will agree and his final thought kind of sums it well.

Part of me feels that this Chrome shared computer issue that Googlers mentioned is real, but it’s also just too convenient to solve this by tieing Chrome closer to Google, you know?

Though a bit old, this post from Bron Gondwana is such a fascinating view on emails. I’d never looked at them as a memory, your personal copy of what was said. Bron’s right, the immutability of an email made it an accepted standard for communications of all forms. h/t @fiona

I am surprised to read the pushback against Marzipan and the extremely new Apple apps ported from iOS — especially they being ugly. Didn’t Apple mention it is still new and not yet fully baked? It’s a work in progress and am sure things will significantly change before release.

Nice, this post from @vasta got a mention from @leo on this week’s episode of MacBreak Weekly — especially “the automation offered in Shortcuts, Drafts, Things, and Launch Center Pro”. Your empty screen inspired many people, Sameer 👍🏽

“Manyverse is a social network mobile app (…) not running in the cloud owned by a company (…) all your social data live entirely in your phone”. Mark me curious on how it works and what’s Secure Scuttlebutt. If nothing else, FB/Twitter debacle has opened up the social space.

This sucks, Google’s screwing with it’s most indispensable services i.e maps — “if you want to save a home or work address in Google Maps, you now have to allow activity tracking throughout Google services.” Another episode in Google’s constant quest for more data.

I wonder if anyone successfully follows the Pomodoro Technique - I have attempted the approach so many times and I keep failing at it. I guess it requires extreme focus and control over one’s thoughts which I wished I had. I tend to work in bursts.

Played a game with a shared AR experience and, oh boy, did we enjoy it! It was a great family timeout — of course ignoring how funny we looked jumping and scampering around an empty table. In a way, the others enjoyed the scene too. This would be so much more fun without the need to hold any devices in your hand. And I think we will reach the state soon.

This was the first time I actually found AR alluring. Shared experiences has the potential to change the space significantly.

Frustration dwells in the void between planning and implementing - unfortunately, “just do it” is underrated.

There are times when I wish I can mute a thread on m.b - make all the discussions around a topic to not appear on my timeline. Arguments tend to get repetitive, fog your perspective when stretched for too long. Better to just hold back and let the time crystalize your thoughts.