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The most popular web browsers use open source, but none of Chrome, Edge, or Safari are open source web browsers. They are proprietary freeware.

AnthonyMouse 3y ago
The difference between Chrome and Chromium is that Chrome is marginally worse but largely identical. People mostly install Chrome instead of Chromium by accident because Google markets Chrome and they don't know that Chromium exists and the differences are things they don't strongly care about. But if Chrome ever started doing something they don't like and actually care about, anyone could instantly switch to Chromium and the only difference they'd notice is that it's not doing the thing they don't like anymore.
- eesmith 3y ago
  Sure, but that statement, while true, does not make Chromium one of 'the most popular web browsers.'
  - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
    Doesn't it? It's the same codebase as Chrome, and not in the sense that they used to be. They still are. Changes to one go into the other. And that code is open source, so anybody who doesn't like what Google is doing with it can create a fork, just like with any other open source project. Arguing that it isn't because the most popular distribution has some proprietary bits in it is like arguing that it isn't because the most popular operating system it runs on is Windows. It doesn't change the fact that if the browser defects against you, you can fork it.
    - eesmith 3y ago
      As you wrote, it is not the same code base. It "has some proprietary bits." People have forked it. Is ungoogled Chromium the same codebase as Chrome? What about the Vanadium? Brave? Edge? Opera? Darwin is (or "was" as it no longer really exists) not macOS either, even though changes in macOS went into Darwin.
      - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        The relevant distinction is, is it different enough to have to care? If Chrome suddenly adopts some offensive behavior, how much trouble is it to use Chromium instead? And it's easy. Whereas if you want to use Darwin instead of macOS, it will be missing some things you're immediately going to notice, like the macOS GUI.
        eesmith 3y ago
        No, it is not. For those who want to avoid Google altogether, switching to Chromium does not solve those issues. From https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/09/open_source_unbranded/ https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/09/open_source_unbranded... "there are 50 or so Google services that have been integrated in the Chromium code base." "The services are free but have commercial value by providing data that can be used to inform advertising and marketing algorithms, or in some cases, such as Google Pay, have more obvious benefit to the provider."
        AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        > switching to Chromium does not solve those issues. But it allows them to be solved. Then if you don't like Google services, you can remove them, as some have done: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungoogled-chromium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungoogled-chromium
        eesmith 3y ago
        Which I have already pointed out.
        AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        But then I'm not sure what your objection is.
        eesmith 3y ago

AnthonyMouse 3y ago

The difference between Chrome and Chromium is that Chrome is marginally worse but largely identical. People mostly install Chrome instead of Chromium by accident because Google markets Chrome and they don't know that Chromium exists and the differences are things they don't strongly care about. But if Chrome ever started doing something they don't like and actually care about, anyone could instantly switch to Chromium and the only difference they'd notice is that it's not doing the thing they don't like anymore.

eesmith 3y ago
Sure, but that statement, while true, does not make Chromium one of 'the most popular web browsers.'
- AnthonyMouse 3y ago
  Doesn't it? It's the same codebase as Chrome, and not in the sense that they used to be. They still are. Changes to one go into the other. And that code is open source, so anybody who doesn't like what Google is doing with it can create a fork, just like with any other open source project. Arguing that it isn't because the most popular distribution has some proprietary bits in it is like arguing that it isn't because the most popular operating system it runs on is Windows. It doesn't change the fact that if the browser defects against you, you can fork it.
  - eesmith 3y ago
    As you wrote, it is not the same code base. It "has some proprietary bits." People have forked it. Is ungoogled Chromium the same codebase as Chrome? What about the Vanadium? Brave? Edge? Opera? Darwin is (or "was" as it no longer really exists) not macOS either, even though changes in macOS went into Darwin.
    - AnthonyMouse 3y ago
      The relevant distinction is, is it different enough to have to care? If Chrome suddenly adopts some offensive behavior, how much trouble is it to use Chromium instead? And it's easy. Whereas if you want to use Darwin instead of macOS, it will be missing some things you're immediately going to notice, like the macOS GUI.
      - eesmith 3y ago
        No, it is not. For those who want to avoid Google altogether, switching to Chromium does not solve those issues. From https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/09/open_source_unbranded/ https://www.theregister.com/2020/06/09/open_source_unbranded... "there are 50 or so Google services that have been integrated in the Chromium code base." "The services are free but have commercial value by providing data that can be used to inform advertising and marketing algorithms, or in some cases, such as Google Pay, have more obvious benefit to the provider."
        AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        > switching to Chromium does not solve those issues. But it allows them to be solved. Then if you don't like Google services, you can remove them, as some have done: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungoogled-chromium https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ungoogled-chromium
        eesmith 3y ago
        Which I have already pointed out.
        AnthonyMouse 3y ago
        But then I'm not sure what your objection is.
        eesmith 3y ago