6 ms·

I'm just worried that we are losing another browser engine.

by cubix4u 4y ago

pipeline_peak 4y ago
The writing’s on the wall. Browser dominance is too niche of a problem for the industry to care about.
- marcosdumay 4y ago
  The industry doesn't care about anything except for executive personnel profit. If you want caring, you need to get it outside of the industry.
  - pdimitar 4y ago
    I and many others agree. But the pesky problem of needing to pay the people who want to make a difference sadly still persists. I'd work on idealistic causes starting tomorrow if I didn't live in a world that mandates me to spend most of my energy on commercial work just so I can eat and have where to sleep.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - marcosdumay 4y ago
      Oh, the idea of my comment is to put it clearly and unambiguously that the problem is open, and the most commonly discussed "solutions" are complete bullshit, so we need to find a way to solve it. And we won't find any solution within the main view of letting the market solve it. The market doesn't solve this kind of problem.
- nicolaslem 4y ago
  I never understood why we don't have more indie browsers. Individual developers love implementing their own take on anything: from the most simple projects to crazy ones like booting Linux from JavaScript or entire operating systems. Why are those talented individuals not implementing their own browsers?
  - lysergia 4y ago
    Because a browser is very complex and does many things simultaneously. Not going to list them here. We all know the many things a browser has to do right. It’s a bundling of many separate components.
  - tablespoon 4y ago
    > I never understood why we don't have more indie browsers. Individual developers love implementing their own take on anything: from the most simple projects to crazy ones like booting Linux from JavaScript or entire operating systems. Why are those talented individuals not implementing their own browsers? My understanding is it's been a long time since a browser was a cool little thing a single person could hack up in a reasonable amount of time. Now web standards are such that it's like some massive line-of-business app with a million requirements that all have to be implemented (and be fast, and be memory efficient) or something will break/someone will complain.
  - mamcx 4y ago
    You see all that devs, even here, clapping when the web browser is more like a OS? That is why. A browser engine today is TOO complex.
  - badsectoracula 4y ago
    Well, there is the web browser engine that the SerenityOS folks are making for their OS and IIRC their goal for it is to be advanced enough to be able to visit their Discord using it.
    - skywal_l 4y ago
      I mean I love serenity OS and its community. A perfect mix of passion and talent. But let's get real here, implementing a usable browser implementing all the specs at half the speed of chrome is an undertaking that would requires a huge amount of work. Don't get me wrong I would love for this happen, just don't count on it. And please, when SerenityBrowser have 80% market share in 10 years, don't hesitate to parade that comment all over HN or whatever cool website we'll be on.
otabdeveloper4 4y ago
> losing That war has been lost decisively ten years ago.
- guywithahat 4y ago
  I don't know why people are downvoting you you're right. The firefox engine has been struggling to keep up with chrome. We'd just be losing a worse browser engine which, while sad, isn't really that terrible. If we need a new engine someone can fork Chrome or write a new engine from scratch if chrome is a lost cause. The firefox foundation has stopped innovating and it isn't worth trying to keep them alive for a worse browser
  - otabdeveloper4 4y ago
    Firefox is a great browser engine and has a hell of a lot less bugs than Chrome. That's not the problem. The problem is that Firefox is funded by their direct competitor, who incidentally also is a monopoly with a bottomless marking budget.

I'm just worried that we are losing another browser engine.

pipeline_peak 4y ago

The writing’s on the wall. Browser dominance is too niche of a problem for the industry to care about.

marcosdumay 4y ago
The industry doesn't care about anything except for executive personnel profit. If you want caring, you need to get it outside of the industry.
- pdimitar 4y ago
  I and many others agree. But the pesky problem of needing to pay the people who want to make a difference sadly still persists. I'd work on idealistic causes starting tomorrow if I didn't live in a world that mandates me to spend most of my energy on commercial work just so I can eat and have where to sleep.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - marcosdumay 4y ago
    Oh, the idea of my comment is to put it clearly and unambiguously that the problem is open, and the most commonly discussed "solutions" are complete bullshit, so we need to find a way to solve it. And we won't find any solution within the main view of letting the market solve it. The market doesn't solve this kind of problem.
nicolaslem 4y ago
I never understood why we don't have more indie browsers. Individual developers love implementing their own take on anything: from the most simple projects to crazy ones like booting Linux from JavaScript or entire operating systems. Why are those talented individuals not implementing their own browsers?
- lysergia 4y ago
  Because a browser is very complex and does many things simultaneously. Not going to list them here. We all know the many things a browser has to do right. It’s a bundling of many separate components.
- tablespoon 4y ago
  > I never understood why we don't have more indie browsers. Individual developers love implementing their own take on anything: from the most simple projects to crazy ones like booting Linux from JavaScript or entire operating systems. Why are those talented individuals not implementing their own browsers? My understanding is it's been a long time since a browser was a cool little thing a single person could hack up in a reasonable amount of time. Now web standards are such that it's like some massive line-of-business app with a million requirements that all have to be implemented (and be fast, and be memory efficient) or something will break/someone will complain.
- mamcx 4y ago
  You see all that devs, even here, clapping when the web browser is more like a OS? That is why. A browser engine today is TOO complex.
- badsectoracula 4y ago
  Well, there is the web browser engine that the SerenityOS folks are making for their OS and IIRC their goal for it is to be advanced enough to be able to visit their Discord using it.
  - skywal_l 4y ago
    I mean I love serenity OS and its community. A perfect mix of passion and talent. But let's get real here, implementing a usable browser implementing all the specs at half the speed of chrome is an undertaking that would requires a huge amount of work. Don't get me wrong I would love for this happen, just don't count on it. And please, when SerenityBrowser have 80% market share in 10 years, don't hesitate to parade that comment all over HN or whatever cool website we'll be on.

otabdeveloper4 4y ago

> losing That war has been lost decisively ten years ago.

guywithahat 4y ago
I don't know why people are downvoting you you're right. The firefox engine has been struggling to keep up with chrome. We'd just be losing a worse browser engine which, while sad, isn't really that terrible. If we need a new engine someone can fork Chrome or write a new engine from scratch if chrome is a lost cause. The firefox foundation has stopped innovating and it isn't worth trying to keep them alive for a worse browser
- otabdeveloper4 4y ago
  Firefox is a great browser engine and has a hell of a lot less bugs than Chrome. That's not the problem. The problem is that Firefox is funded by their direct competitor, who incidentally also is a monopoly with a bottomless marking budget.