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Some stuff the EU does is fantastic and benefits EU citizens as well as the rest of the world, like enforcing a standard charger on phones. Some stuff is asini

Some stuff the EU does is fantastic and benefits EU citizens as well as the rest of the world, like enforcing a standard charger on phones. Some stuff is asinine in how ineffective and pointless it was, like enforcing Windows have a browser select screen, or these stupid cookie banners (which yes, are 100% the EUs fault). Or claiming the GDPR has extra-territorial jurisdiction. Like most governments it's a mix, but they seem better than most.

maccard 3y ago
The cookie banners are US tech company interpretations of "don't hoover up all the data unless you need it, and if you do, you need consent" You can be compliant without a cookie banner - don't collect the data or give a choice when you start collecting the data. > enforcing Windows have a browser select screen I think that giving a set of options on first install for preferences like browser is a great thing for the EU to enforce personally.
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  This is a good argument that we need better representatives who have some appreciation for how their idealistic regulations will be enacted in real life.
- PrimeMcFly 3y ago
  I was waiting for someone to make that excuse. No, the banners are solely the EUs doing. Their solution to the problem resulted in the banners, so they get the blame. > I think that giving a set of options on first install for preferences like browser is a great thing for the EU to enforce personally. It would have been great in the 90s/2000s. They did it about 10 years too late where everybody downloads whatever browser they want anyway. For most people that would be Chrome. The whole thing only exists because Opera couldn't compete and made a stink about it.
rootusrootus 3y ago
> enforcing a standard charger on phones. Given that the world was going to USB-C all on their own, I don't think it's fair to give credit to the EU for this one. Let's talk about it again in a decade when we're all still stuck on USB-C because going to something better would violate the law.
- PrimeMcFly 3y ago
  They enforced micro-USB first IIRC. And without them doing that it's unlikely manufacturers all would have switched to it. > Let's talk about it again in a decade when we're all still stuck on USB-C because going to something better would violate the law. Laws can be updated, quite quickly sometimes.
  - nvm0n2 3y ago
    They can only be updated to reference things that exist. But there's no point creating a new thing now, because it'd be automatically illegal. Escape hatch: the rest of the world isn't as stupid as the EU bureaucracy is, so there will still be innovation in power chargers (hopefully). But the principle is busted. Fixing tech in place via law is anti-progress.
    - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
      > But there's no point creating a new thing now, because it'd be automatically illegal. Come on. That's just silly. Nothing stopping manufacturers working together on a new standard and hiring lobbyists to amend whatever bill is needed. The EU bill doesn't stifle innovation at all. It stifles vendor lock-in and a bunch of other negative bullshit.
      - jmye 3y ago
        Why would I bother building something new that there’s no guarantee I can ever use, that provides no competitive advantage whatsoever, when I can just use the existing standard, no matter how outdated or inferior it might be? Legislating a specific tech standard is short-sighted and stupid, and you badly overestimate how quickly legislation can be updated, especially if there’s resistance.
dns_snek 3y ago
> like enforcing Windows have a browser select screen, As opposed to what Windows 11 is doing right now, where certain internal Windows programs (such as the Start menu) purposefully ignore the default browser setting and open links in Edge? Windows 11 is changing this in an upcoming release - for EU users only.
- PrimeMcFly 3y ago
  Ignoring the default browser setting is shitty behavior, but it's a different problem to solve and it doesn't warrant requiring a browser select screen.

maccard 3y ago

The cookie banners are US tech company interpretations of "don't hoover up all the data unless you need it, and if you do, you need consent" You can be compliant without a cookie banner - don't collect the data or give a choice when you start collecting the data. > enforcing Windows have a browser select screen I think that giving a set of options on first install for preferences like browser is a great thing for the EU to enforce personally.

rootusrootus 3y ago
This is a good argument that we need better representatives who have some appreciation for how their idealistic regulations will be enacted in real life.
PrimeMcFly 3y ago
I was waiting for someone to make that excuse. No, the banners are solely the EUs doing. Their solution to the problem resulted in the banners, so they get the blame. > I think that giving a set of options on first install for preferences like browser is a great thing for the EU to enforce personally. It would have been great in the 90s/2000s. They did it about 10 years too late where everybody downloads whatever browser they want anyway. For most people that would be Chrome. The whole thing only exists because Opera couldn't compete and made a stink about it.

rootusrootus 3y ago

> enforcing a standard charger on phones. Given that the world was going to USB-C all on their own, I don't think it's fair to give credit to the EU for this one. Let's talk about it again in a decade when we're all still stuck on USB-C because going to something better would violate the law.

PrimeMcFly 3y ago
They enforced micro-USB first IIRC. And without them doing that it's unlikely manufacturers all would have switched to it. > Let's talk about it again in a decade when we're all still stuck on USB-C because going to something better would violate the law. Laws can be updated, quite quickly sometimes.
- nvm0n2 3y ago
  They can only be updated to reference things that exist. But there's no point creating a new thing now, because it'd be automatically illegal. Escape hatch: the rest of the world isn't as stupid as the EU bureaucracy is, so there will still be innovation in power chargers (hopefully). But the principle is busted. Fixing tech in place via law is anti-progress.
  - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
    > But there's no point creating a new thing now, because it'd be automatically illegal. Come on. That's just silly. Nothing stopping manufacturers working together on a new standard and hiring lobbyists to amend whatever bill is needed. The EU bill doesn't stifle innovation at all. It stifles vendor lock-in and a bunch of other negative bullshit.
    - jmye 3y ago
      Why would I bother building something new that there’s no guarantee I can ever use, that provides no competitive advantage whatsoever, when I can just use the existing standard, no matter how outdated or inferior it might be? Legislating a specific tech standard is short-sighted and stupid, and you badly overestimate how quickly legislation can be updated, especially if there’s resistance.

dns_snek 3y ago

> like enforcing Windows have a browser select screen, As opposed to what Windows 11 is doing right now, where certain internal Windows programs (such as the Start menu) purposefully ignore the default browser setting and open links in Edge? Windows 11 is changing this in an upcoming release - for EU users only.

PrimeMcFly 3y ago
Ignoring the default browser setting is shitty behavior, but it's a different problem to solve and it doesn't warrant requiring a browser select screen.