5 ms·

Google moves closer to letting Chrome web apps edit your files

19 points by leeoniya 7y ago

namanaggarwal 7y ago
it's not great but not terrible
btown 7y ago
This could be one of the hardest and most gamechanging UX challenges since email. Because if they get the security model right and allow informed user consent for an app to access a folder it shares with others... then it's a quick step towards POSIX and mmap APIs for WebAssembly. Then the web literally has parity with operating systems.
- andrerm 7y ago
  Great, a giant WebAssembly blob reading and writing my files. What could go wrong?
- apostacy 7y ago
  I used to be so enthusiastic about stuff like this. Sadly, I don't think this will be cool at all. I don't think this will ever reach parity with desktop operating systems, because they don't want us using desktop operating systems at all. I would not be at all surprised if the only code that has access to this is signed by Google and maybe hosted on their servers.
Proven 7y ago
I don't think so. They first need to make me use Chrome. Which isn't going to happen.
andrerm 7y ago
> Consent by the user Like Android permissions hell? Why do Google do this kind of things? Can't they see it's not worth it? How could my 12 years old daughter understand that her farm, barbie or chicken whatever don't need access to read and write her files?
- alvatech 7y ago
  Agreed. Bad actors will exploit the non tech savvy users.
- kerng 7y ago
  Google pushes these concepts because they want Chromium to be the operation system that will replace Linux/Windows/Mac. Something like Chrome - Total Control Edition. Why, I dont know - but in the 90s people said Microsoft was after world domination. Similar reasons might apply.
comex 7y ago
I like this. Currently, webapps can read files from disk using an upload dialog and write them to disk by triggering a download, but this is clumsy enough that it only really works as an import/export feature. Webapps are essentially forced to have their "native" document storage be an online service, usually bespoke to that specific app. Files on my disk are files under my control. I can back them up myself, pay for their storage myself (rather than be subject to inflated cloud rates), and easily bring them to other web or native apps. Files hosted on my account on some website are... less so. If you're lucky, the storage costs are reasonable. If you're lucky, there's an API. Often there isn't.
nallerooth 7y ago
Given the problems in the past with extensions being sold and exploited by the new owners, this could get really ugly. Of course it could also be very useful, but I'm going to wear my tinfoil hat until proven wrong.
rdiddly 7y ago
"This is fine."

19 points by leeoniya 7y ago

it's not great but not terrible

This could be one of the hardest and most gamechanging UX challenges since email. Because if they get the security model right and allow informed user consent for an app to access a folder it shares with others... then it's a quick step towards POSIX and mmap APIs for WebAssembly. Then the web literally has parity with operating systems.

andrerm 7y ago
Great, a giant WebAssembly blob reading and writing my files. What could go wrong?
apostacy 7y ago
I used to be so enthusiastic about stuff like this. Sadly, I don't think this will be cool at all. I don't think this will ever reach parity with desktop operating systems, because they don't want us using desktop operating systems at all. I would not be at all surprised if the only code that has access to this is signed by Google and maybe hosted on their servers.

Proven 7y ago

I don't think so. They first need to make me use Chrome. Which isn't going to happen.

andrerm 7y ago

> Consent by the user Like Android permissions hell? Why do Google do this kind of things? Can't they see it's not worth it? How could my 12 years old daughter understand that her farm, barbie or chicken whatever don't need access to read and write her files?

alvatech 7y ago
Agreed. Bad actors will exploit the non tech savvy users.
kerng 7y ago
Google pushes these concepts because they want Chromium to be the operation system that will replace Linux/Windows/Mac. Something like Chrome - Total Control Edition. Why, I dont know - but in the 90s people said Microsoft was after world domination. Similar reasons might apply.

comex 7y ago

I like this. Currently, webapps can read files from disk using an upload dialog and write them to disk by triggering a download, but this is clumsy enough that it only really works as an import/export feature. Webapps are essentially forced to have their "native" document storage be an online service, usually bespoke to that specific app. Files on my disk are files under my control. I can back them up myself, pay for their storage myself (rather than be subject to inflated cloud rates), and easily bring them to other web or native apps. Files hosted on my account on some website are... less so. If you're lucky, the storage costs are reasonable. If you're lucky, there's an API. Often there isn't.

nallerooth 7y ago

Given the problems in the past with extensions being sold and exploited by the new owners, this could get really ugly. Of course it could also be very useful, but I'm going to wear my tinfoil hat until proven wrong.

rdiddly 7y ago

"This is fine."