3 ms·

Browsers don't have the same access as native apps, and shouldn't. There are permission prompts, privacy controls and access limits. For example the File System

Browsers don't have the same access as native apps, and shouldn't. There are permission prompts, privacy controls and access limits. For example the File System Access API is not unfettered access, it's limited to only files and folders manually selected by the user and nothing else. This is not at all "random access to your computer", which is in fact what traditional desktop apps tend to have.

cxr 4y ago
It becomes effectively "random" (arbitrary) when higher order effects take over. We saw this with ActiveX controls. It becomes a game of chicken that eventually leads to an imbalance where website operators always win.
illiarian 4y ago
> Browsers don't have the same access as native apps, and shouldn't. Indeed. That's why browser vendors (well, some of them) take a dim view of "oh just let them access anything, just pop a confirmation prompt in there" > There are permission prompts, privacy controls and access limits. And users are surely aware of those and can definitely understand where to find them, and what implications those have? Literally the entire history of computing tells us: no. > This is not at all "random access to your computer" It is. This is already done by MacOS with its incessant "app X wants to access files in Y". Even I, a programmer, and a power user, end up clicking "to hell with it, yes" more often than not. Especially if I'm in the middle of an important task.
- bartvk 4y ago
  > This is already done by MacOS with its incessant "app X wants to access files in Y". Of course this happens a lot after installing a new machine. Once I have my machine running however, I don't encounter this anymore. I think it has to do with the fact that I very infrequently install new applications.
  - illiarian 4y ago
    I've had this happen to me just twice in the past week. One was something to do with Zoom, and one I can't even remember what (I think an app I installed, but didn't run). In at least one of those cases I was like "you want my Downloads? Fine, go away" because I was in the middle of some task :)

cxr 4y ago

It becomes effectively "random" (arbitrary) when higher order effects take over. We saw this with ActiveX controls. It becomes a game of chicken that eventually leads to an imbalance where website operators always win.

illiarian 4y ago

> Browsers don't have the same access as native apps, and shouldn't. Indeed. That's why browser vendors (well, some of them) take a dim view of "oh just let them access anything, just pop a confirmation prompt in there" > There are permission prompts, privacy controls and access limits. And users are surely aware of those and can definitely understand where to find them, and what implications those have? Literally the entire history of computing tells us: no. > This is not at all "random access to your computer" It is. This is already done by MacOS with its incessant "app X wants to access files in Y". Even I, a programmer, and a power user, end up clicking "to hell with it, yes" more often than not. Especially if I'm in the middle of an important task.

bartvk 4y ago
> This is already done by MacOS with its incessant "app X wants to access files in Y". Of course this happens a lot after installing a new machine. Once I have my machine running however, I don't encounter this anymore. I think it has to do with the fact that I very infrequently install new applications.
- illiarian 4y ago
  I've had this happen to me just twice in the past week. One was something to do with Zoom, and one I can't even remember what (I think an app I installed, but didn't run). In at least one of those cases I was like "you want my Downloads? Fine, go away" because I was in the middle of some task :)