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This proposal is to offer competition to web-based conversion websites. If users are willing and able to find Handbrake and download it, it can work for them. B

by pradn 3y ago

This proposal is to offer competition to web-based conversion websites. If users are willing and able to find Handbrake and download it, it can work for them. But everyday users are right to distrust software downloaded from the Internet. Many users are in environments where its not possible to download new software (schools, work places, universities). The browser has its disadvantages, but it is the most widely-deployed sandboxed execution environment providing incredibly easy distribution of software.

raincole 3y ago
I'm quite sure that the reason conversion websites are popular is Google. I don't know if they're just very good at SEO or search engines have a specific policy to favor web-based solution. If you search for "mov to mp4", Handbrake is NOWHERE to see. The 10th result for me is a Cloudflare article explaining what's the difference between mov and mp4. The ~20th result is a book called Business Funding For Dummies (no shit). Handbrake is after these. The legend says I'm still scrolling trying to find where it is. How is an average user supposed to know Handbrake or this FFmpeg WASM site?
autoexec 3y ago
> But everyday users are right to distrust software downloaded from the Internet. They're right to distrust apps that run in their browsers too, but that hasn't stopped anybody. These days everyone is scared to death of an .exe but will happily execute whatever random code a stranger on the internet comes up with if they only have to click on a link to run it on their devices. Warnings that WASM is a malware author's dream weren't enough (https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use-webassembly-to-hide-malware/ https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use...) and browser sandbox escapes happen all the time but nobody seems to care. I can't even just pick on WASM, JS isn't much better and even CSS/HTML alone is getting complex enough that it can be used maliciously.
- Dylan16807 3y ago
  > browser sandbox escapes happen all the time Far far rarer than downloading a virus. > WASM is a malware author's dream weren't enough (https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use-webassembly-to-hide-malware/ https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use...) Because it can run a crypto miner, really? Using it for obfuscation doesn't really change anything. A coder that wants to obfuscate things could already run their own interpreter and/or use asm.js.

by pradn 3y ago

raincole 3y ago

I'm quite sure that the reason conversion websites are popular is Google. I don't know if they're just very good at SEO or search engines have a specific policy to favor web-based solution. If you search for "mov to mp4", Handbrake is NOWHERE to see. The 10th result for me is a Cloudflare article explaining what's the difference between mov and mp4. The ~20th result is a book called Business Funding For Dummies (no shit). Handbrake is after these. The legend says I'm still scrolling trying to find where it is. How is an average user supposed to know Handbrake or this FFmpeg WASM site?

autoexec 3y ago

> But everyday users are right to distrust software downloaded from the Internet. They're right to distrust apps that run in their browsers too, but that hasn't stopped anybody. These days everyone is scared to death of an .exe but will happily execute whatever random code a stranger on the internet comes up with if they only have to click on a link to run it on their devices. Warnings that WASM is a malware author's dream weren't enough (https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use-webassembly-to-hide-malware/ https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use...) and browser sandbox escapes happen all the time but nobody seems to care. I can't even just pick on WASM, JS isn't much better and even CSS/HTML alone is getting complex enough that it can be used maliciously.

Dylan16807 3y ago
> browser sandbox escapes happen all the time Far far rarer than downloading a virus. > WASM is a malware author's dream weren't enough (https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use-webassembly-to-hide-malware/ https://www.crowdstrike.com/blog/ecriminals-increasingly-use...) Because it can run a crypto miner, really? Using it for obfuscation doesn't really change anything. A coder that wants to obfuscate things could already run their own interpreter and/or use asm.js.