5 ms·

Brave's business model is fear mongering.

by eclipxe 7y ago

tssva 7y ago
And extortion.
- wnoise 7y ago
  Extortion would be threatening to reveal bad acts, in order to gain something from those threatened. If they always reveal bad acts, and don't even try to gain anything from the bad actors -- well, that's just plainly not extortion, nor even criminal in any way.
  - tssva 7y ago
    That would be blackmail. Extortion is "the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats." Brave extorts websites by threatening to block the site's choosen revenue stream and to instead earn revenues from visitors to the site unless the site uses Brave to funnel their revenues. I don't have an issue with ad blockers or alternative payment methods but the way Brave combines the two in my opinion amounts to extortion.
    - wnoise 7y ago
      Sure, I was focusing on the blackmail subset of extortion, because (a) this posting was discussing their releasing of information and (b) they can't actually use any force or threats of force. Helping their users decline to provide tracking information on unless they and their users get a cut is also not extortion, because the website owners don't have a right to that information. You seem to believe that owners of websites have a natural right to their chosen business model, even if others don't wish to help enable that business model.
gowld 7y ago
What's the difference betwen fear mongering and educating about risks?
- endorphone 7y ago
  The difference is the beholder. If the beholder's income is threatened when people are educated about risks, they'll invariably declare it fear mongering.
  - endorphone 7y ago
    My prior comment was so well received that I'd like to add that another motivator for claims of "fear monger!" is when people delight in their lack of concern, such that the concern of anyone else feels threatening to them. I worked a summer shift at a heavy machinery factory just after high school before college. I was the single and only person, to my knowledge, that made use of the provided ear and air protection (a face mask and ear plugs, given that we worked with fiberglass with incredibly loud machines). I was told multiple times that I was "paranoid" and faced a negative reaction because someone protecting themselves pierced a hole in the delusion that everything was fine.
- ddalex 7y ago
  educating is "this works like this and that, mind yourself" fear mongering is "you're in danger, buy this for us to save yourself" not exactly a thin line

Brave's business model is fear mongering.

tssva 7y ago

And extortion.

wnoise 7y ago
Extortion would be threatening to reveal bad acts, in order to gain something from those threatened. If they always reveal bad acts, and don't even try to gain anything from the bad actors -- well, that's just plainly not extortion, nor even criminal in any way.
- tssva 7y ago
  That would be blackmail. Extortion is "the practice of obtaining something, especially money, through force or threats." Brave extorts websites by threatening to block the site's choosen revenue stream and to instead earn revenues from visitors to the site unless the site uses Brave to funnel their revenues. I don't have an issue with ad blockers or alternative payment methods but the way Brave combines the two in my opinion amounts to extortion.
  - wnoise 7y ago
    Sure, I was focusing on the blackmail subset of extortion, because (a) this posting was discussing their releasing of information and (b) they can't actually use any force or threats of force. Helping their users decline to provide tracking information on unless they and their users get a cut is also not extortion, because the website owners don't have a right to that information. You seem to believe that owners of websites have a natural right to their chosen business model, even if others don't wish to help enable that business model.

gowld 7y ago

What's the difference betwen fear mongering and educating about risks?

endorphone 7y ago
The difference is the beholder. If the beholder's income is threatened when people are educated about risks, they'll invariably declare it fear mongering.
- endorphone 7y ago
  My prior comment was so well received that I'd like to add that another motivator for claims of "fear monger!" is when people delight in their lack of concern, such that the concern of anyone else feels threatening to them. I worked a summer shift at a heavy machinery factory just after high school before college. I was the single and only person, to my knowledge, that made use of the provided ear and air protection (a face mask and ear plugs, given that we worked with fiberglass with incredibly loud machines). I was told multiple times that I was "paranoid" and faced a negative reaction because someone protecting themselves pierced a hole in the delusion that everything was fine.
ddalex 7y ago
educating is "this works like this and that, mind yourself" fear mongering is "you're in danger, buy this for us to save yourself" not exactly a thin line