5 ms·

Tell HN: There is no reason not to use Brave

7 points by d--b 6y ago

Hey HN, Just wanted to share that I've just installed Brave (from Chrome) to see what it was like. I thought I'd have to recreate all my passwords and shortcuts and stuff, and that it'd be missing some functionality. In fact, it feels exactly the same as Chrome (plus a builtin ad blocker). I wish I'd known earlier that it wasn't half baked... The only problem I have is that I am not used to the lion icon :-)

jqpabc123 6y ago
Negative comments regarding Brave usually center around either their ad blocking and replacement strategy and "fairness" to advertisers or the political views of Brendan Eich. As if advertisers somehow deserve "fairness" as they unfairly track and invade and usurp your privacy. Choosing personal privacy over politics and "fairness" to advertisers should be a no brainer.
- approxim8ion 6y ago
  You're pretending like you're taking a downgrade on personal privacy by not using Brave, as if everything it does cannot be replicated or surpassed with 5 minutes of effort on any other browser.
  - jqpabc123 6y ago
    ...replicated or surpassed with 5 minutes of effort on any other browser. You're pretending like this 5 minutes of effort won't have to repeated in the future. Other viable add-on options are certainly available but in my experience, I have not found these to surpass the speed and ease of maintenance I get built-in with Brave.
    - approxim8ion 6y ago
      > You're pretending like this 5 minutes of effort won't have to repeated in the future. Every time you install the browser or buy a new computer, I guess? 5 minutes every couple of years seems like a negligible amount for me. Not to mention the fact that in Firefox you can just carry over your profiles folder, so it's more like 30 seconds every couple of years. I actually quite like Brave as a browser and recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to or isn't going to be able to fiddle with setting things up. I just don't think the value proposition is compelling enough for me to reconsider.
      - jqpabc123 5y ago
        Every time you install the browser or buy a new computer, I guess? Or until they issue an update or change their API and your add-ons suddenly stop working. https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2021/02/01/addons-mozilla-org-api-v3-deprecation/ https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2021/02/01/addons-mozilla-or...
        deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
        approxim8ion 5y ago
        That's a fair point, but this change comes after 5 years. Again, spread over that time span, the effort is negligible. Sure, the blocker being a first-class citizen on Brave is certainly helpful and perhaps a marker of reliability (imo it is too young of a project to tell). I take that point, but there just isn't enough instability or unreliability on something like Firefox to warrant a switch for me (yet). I also prefer a more granular control over my blocking, which Brave doesn't offer. I understand this isn't something the majority cares about, but I'm only talking about myself here.
pestaa 6y ago
I, too, switched to Brave on all platforms a few days ago. Hands down the best 'Chromium with extras' experience so far. The controversial ad strategy is completely opt-in, and at this point I haven't read up on it, and just let it stay turned off. The sync is encrypted, the adblocker is what you'd expect, and the browsing is really fast (on Linux and Android, at least).
misterioss 6y ago
It seems that Google Pay doesn't work in Brave
- jqpabc123 6y ago
  Point to Brave. Google Pay is about as anti-privacy as it gets. You are handing Google your identity info and connecting to your Google ID. They don't even have to work for it.
leipert 6y ago
Except if you are happy with Safari or Firefox or MS Edge ;)
neilsimp1 6y ago
If Brave would have just used a different engine under the hood than Chromium, I would be all over it. I am not anti-Chromium, just pro-browser diversity.
stephenr 6y ago
> In fact, it feels exactly the same as Chrome That sounds like a good reason not to use it.
- jqpabc123 6y ago
  Brave is faster because it doesn't load ads or report back to daddy Google.
  - stephenr 6y ago
    You've missed the point my man. Being "like Chrome but not Chrome" is not a positive thing.
    - jqpabc123 6y ago
      Like Chrome but faster and with much improved privacy is a positive thing.
maverick74 5y ago
Being based on Chromium IS reason enough for me to stay away from Brave! It's not like Firefox is perfect but, at the moment, seems the only way...

7 points by d--b 6y ago

jqpabc123 6y ago

Negative comments regarding Brave usually center around either their ad blocking and replacement strategy and "fairness" to advertisers or the political views of Brendan Eich. As if advertisers somehow deserve "fairness" as they unfairly track and invade and usurp your privacy. Choosing personal privacy over politics and "fairness" to advertisers should be a no brainer.

approxim8ion 6y ago
You're pretending like you're taking a downgrade on personal privacy by not using Brave, as if everything it does cannot be replicated or surpassed with 5 minutes of effort on any other browser.
- jqpabc123 6y ago
  ...replicated or surpassed with 5 minutes of effort on any other browser. You're pretending like this 5 minutes of effort won't have to repeated in the future. Other viable add-on options are certainly available but in my experience, I have not found these to surpass the speed and ease of maintenance I get built-in with Brave.
  - approxim8ion 6y ago
    > You're pretending like this 5 minutes of effort won't have to repeated in the future. Every time you install the browser or buy a new computer, I guess? 5 minutes every couple of years seems like a negligible amount for me. Not to mention the fact that in Firefox you can just carry over your profiles folder, so it's more like 30 seconds every couple of years. I actually quite like Brave as a browser and recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to or isn't going to be able to fiddle with setting things up. I just don't think the value proposition is compelling enough for me to reconsider.
    - jqpabc123 5y ago
      Every time you install the browser or buy a new computer, I guess? Or until they issue an update or change their API and your add-ons suddenly stop working. https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2021/02/01/addons-mozilla-org-api-v3-deprecation/ https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2021/02/01/addons-mozilla-or...
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
      - approxim8ion 5y ago
        That's a fair point, but this change comes after 5 years. Again, spread over that time span, the effort is negligible. Sure, the blocker being a first-class citizen on Brave is certainly helpful and perhaps a marker of reliability (imo it is too young of a project to tell). I take that point, but there just isn't enough instability or unreliability on something like Firefox to warrant a switch for me (yet). I also prefer a more granular control over my blocking, which Brave doesn't offer. I understand this isn't something the majority cares about, but I'm only talking about myself here.

pestaa 6y ago

I, too, switched to Brave on all platforms a few days ago. Hands down the best 'Chromium with extras' experience so far. The controversial ad strategy is completely opt-in, and at this point I haven't read up on it, and just let it stay turned off. The sync is encrypted, the adblocker is what you'd expect, and the browsing is really fast (on Linux and Android, at least).

misterioss 6y ago

It seems that Google Pay doesn't work in Brave

jqpabc123 6y ago
Point to Brave. Google Pay is about as anti-privacy as it gets. You are handing Google your identity info and connecting to your Google ID. They don't even have to work for it.

leipert 6y ago

Except if you are happy with Safari or Firefox or MS Edge ;)

neilsimp1 6y ago

If Brave would have just used a different engine under the hood than Chromium, I would be all over it. I am not anti-Chromium, just pro-browser diversity.

stephenr 6y ago

> In fact, it feels exactly the same as Chrome That sounds like a good reason not to use it.

jqpabc123 6y ago
Brave is faster because it doesn't load ads or report back to daddy Google.
- stephenr 6y ago
  You've missed the point my man. Being "like Chrome but not Chrome" is not a positive thing.
  - jqpabc123 6y ago
    Like Chrome but faster and with much improved privacy is a positive thing.

maverick74 5y ago

Being based on Chromium IS reason enough for me to stay away from Brave! It's not like Firefox is perfect but, at the moment, seems the only way...