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There is certainly more than one person who wants to reinvent browsers, even among web pioneers, I'm sure :-) Some things I'd like to see in the next generatio

There is certainly more than one person who wants to reinvent browsers, even among web pioneers, I'm sure :-) Some things I'd like to see in the next generation of browsers: - Modular design. Many things like rendering engine, history/cookie/cache mechanism, configuration framework, UI, sync system, download manager, privacy enhancements, ad blocking/request filtering, extensions should be separate programs (with independent authorship) that follow some common, compatible interface. Advanced users can mix and match these components to assemble their own "browser", or even develop their own components. "Browser distributions" can be created for less technical users that are plug and play. - Ad blocking, request filtering and cosmetic filters as core functionality, rather than some exotic thing for the adventurous that is best left to extension developers. These require low level access to the browser's internal workings, they don't work well as regular extensions because those usually have security restrictions. They also need a solid UX that can provide enough granularity to be useful. Probably a good system for crowdsourcing the filter rules as well. - The browser shouldn't treat the server as incontrovertible gospel. It shouldn't necessarily run every script the server sends over, or provide a full inventory of capabilities (fonts, filetypes, etc.) unless there is a good reason for it. Rather than server as master and browser as worker, the connection should be treated as a contract where the browser is concerned with protecting the user's interest (privacy, usability) rather than slavishly obeying the server's whims.

rootw0rm 4y ago
so much this, i can't upvote you enough. i need very little of "core" browser functionality. i would use a browser that is mostly unable to fingerprint me for 90% of my browsing. what's left over I'd use Firefox for.
origin_path 4y ago
Totally agree with the first. The last one - isn't that already the case? The browser treats the server as hostile and often overrides what it wants to do with extensions. The issue with additional modularity would seem to be that things would become less hackable in general, because you'd have less insight into the internals of modules as there would be more variety and they might not be open source. How does ad blocking work if the core infrastructure doesn't know much about what's being rendered?
ksec 4y ago
In terms of Modular design, Webkit is pretty much it. The thing with modern browser is that we cant even Render an interactive HTML5 CRUD apps at 120fps at low latency with zero drop frames and jitter. Something many Simple Native Apps could do.

rootw0rm 4y ago

so much this, i can't upvote you enough. i need very little of "core" browser functionality. i would use a browser that is mostly unable to fingerprint me for 90% of my browsing. what's left over I'd use Firefox for.

origin_path 4y ago

Totally agree with the first. The last one - isn't that already the case? The browser treats the server as hostile and often overrides what it wants to do with extensions. The issue with additional modularity would seem to be that things would become less hackable in general, because you'd have less insight into the internals of modules as there would be more variety and they might not be open source. How does ad blocking work if the core infrastructure doesn't know much about what's being rendered?

ksec 4y ago

In terms of Modular design, Webkit is pretty much it. The thing with modern browser is that we cant even Render an interactive HTML5 CRUD apps at 120fps at low latency with zero drop frames and jitter. Something many Simple Native Apps could do.