5 ms·

It is really unfortunate. My Firefox install lately added links to what could be considered not so nice sites for grandmas like amazon.com and hotels.com to th

It is really unfortunate. My Firefox install lately added links to what could be considered not so nice sites for grandmas like amazon.com and hotels.com to the start screen. It is quite clear they see it as their program not mine program. I dunno for how long I will stick to using the least worst alternative. To go for custom builds would be giving up on Mozilla. edit: Toned down language

winkelmann 2y ago
Yeah, it's annoying, but also nothing particularly new I believe. There seem to be two types of garbage links added by default: 1. "Sponsored shortcuts" that can be "easily" turned off in `about:preferences#home` 2. I guess "non-sponsored" shortcuts? I believe they pointed to Facebook, eBay, and something else (Pinterest maybe). Those have to be removed/"blocked" individually. I think they end up in `browser.newtabpage.blocked` after doing so. I don't like that this is a thing I have to do whenever I set up a new Firefox install. It's not often, to be fair, but it still sucks nonetheless.
- rightbyte 2y ago
  Ye that feels like trying to unmess a Windows install. I have like 6 Firefox installs I need to do this on. And then they add the next thing to block in 2 years. I think the old premade bookmarks are as far as you can go with these kind of things. Takes like 2s to remove and you know how instinctivly.
ziddoap 2y ago
>scam sites like amazon.com Since when is Amazon a scam site? I don't like em' either, but hyperbole doesn't help. For what it's worth, it can be removed in about 4 seconds.
- renewedrebecca 2y ago
  > For what it's worth, it can be removed in about 4 seconds. Sure, but why should anyone have to?
  - ziddoap 2y ago
    Look, I hate ads as much as the next person. But Firefox also needs to generate money somehow, right? A small advert to amazon/hotels/whatever that can be removed basically permanently with a small change in the settings is about the best balance I can think of. If you donate to Mozilla, I have more sympathy for you. Perhaps they could make it so that if you have a Firefox account linked to a donation that they remove this, or something.
    - happymellon 2y ago
      I have struggled to find methods as an individual to donate to Firefox.
      - _Algernon_ 2y ago
        https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/donate/ https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/donate/
        diggan 2y ago
        I'm fairly sure that's for donating to Mozilla, where the funds go who knows where (kidding, it goes to the executives and marketing). Is there anywhere I can donate to Firefox, specifically the development and the maintenance of the browser itself, and only the browser? Maybe donating directly to developers working on Firefox would be the best approach here.
        yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
        Nope! In fact, last I heard, donations to the Mozilla Foundation could not be used at all for the browser, which is developed by the Mozilla Corporation.
        e2le 2y ago
        That's for donations to the Mozilla foundation, they aren't used to fund development of Firefox. Mozilla corporation and Mozilla foundation are distinct entities.
- sevensor 2y ago
  Considering how hard it is to avoid dodgy counterfeit merchandise in certain product categories, that seems like an apt description.
  - DrBenCarson 2y ago
    https://www.onlyamazingseller.com/us.html https://www.onlyamazingseller.com/us.html
    - nosioptar 2y ago
      I've still received counterfeits that were sold and shipped by amazon.
      - avgd 2y ago
        Inventory commingling ruined any respect I had for them. They've done that for a long time but I still am beyond pissed by the trend they started of being a front for third party sellers, all French retailers copied them (darty, fnac, cdiscount etc) and searching for products sold by trustworthy entities on the internet is now a nightmare. Everyone imitates the market leader so it really feels as if competition doesn't exist as an alternative to amazon here. They're all as bad, and sometimes worse.
        nosioptar 2y ago
        I think the worst is when you spend extra to buy from someone that isn't amazon and the item shows up in an amazon box with an amazon receipt.
      - DrBenCarson 2y ago
        Damn, really? That’s very troubling
    - sevensor 2y ago
      I’m not clear on how this solves the problem. Counterfeits can be hard to detect. Counterfeit food, toiletries, and electronics can poison you or start a fire. And my redress is a generous return policy?
- buckle8017 2y ago
  Amazon has been a scam site for years. Counterfeit products sold by Amazon. Most reviews are purchased. Stolen product pages. Product pages where the reviews are for totally different products If you report any of these things to Amazon, they do nothing about it.
- rightbyte 2y ago
  That is debatable if that is hyperbole but I might be moving the discussion a bit too much off topic so ye maybe more neutral language would have been preferable.
- hayst4ck 2y ago
  Scam site was probably not very precise. They have enshittified, and they don't have a quality anti-abuse team so many items, while not directly fraudulent are fraud-u-lish. Commingled inventory means you can't expect the item you get to be the item you ordered because there is no supply chain integrity. Honestly, after typing that out, I don't think scam was as wrong as it first seemed. I frequently feel deceived when using amazon.
  - bigfatkitten 2y ago
    Amazon doesn't even particularly care whether the items they sell are even legal in the country where they sell them. FRS radios for example. Fine in the USA, not fine in Australia where those frequencies are used for public safety radio systems, and where they are illegal to possess because they don't comply with the applicable EMC standards.
    - fc417fc802 2y ago
      It's a bit off topic I guess, but I actually see that as a fringe benefit as opposed to a drawback. Other than some exceptional edge cases I'm opposed to item possession itself being illegal - it all comes down to usage. (To be clear, I'm not opposed to strict ID recording requirements in some not-quite-as-exceptional edge cases.)
    - kbelder 2y ago
      Honestly, I regard that as a plus.
      - bigfatkitten 2y ago
        Causing a mess for legitimate users of the radiofrequency spectrum, and exposing unwitting customers to prosecution is a plus? To be clear, you can buy equivalent products on UHF CB frequencies locally, that you can use without interfering with ambulance services for the same price. This is legislation that exists for a very good reason.
        2y ago
- account42 2y ago
  It's hardly hyperbole at this point: - Letting sellers replace listings with completely different products while keeping the ratings. - Not providing any way to filter dodgy chinese sellers that spam search results with duplicates of the same cheap shit. - Comingling inventory so that even if you take care to select a trustworthy seller you might get stuff from a dodgy one. And no, being able to remove the scam ads is not good enough.
manbart 2y ago
Use LibreWolf. It's just firebox rebuilt and released with better defaults (no suggestions/spying)

winkelmann 2y ago

Yeah, it's annoying, but also nothing particularly new I believe. There seem to be two types of garbage links added by default: 1. "Sponsored shortcuts" that can be "easily" turned off in `about:preferences#home` 2. I guess "non-sponsored" shortcuts? I believe they pointed to Facebook, eBay, and something else (Pinterest maybe). Those have to be removed/"blocked" individually. I think they end up in `browser.newtabpage.blocked` after doing so. I don't like that this is a thing I have to do whenever I set up a new Firefox install. It's not often, to be fair, but it still sucks nonetheless.

rightbyte 2y ago
Ye that feels like trying to unmess a Windows install. I have like 6 Firefox installs I need to do this on. And then they add the next thing to block in 2 years. I think the old premade bookmarks are as far as you can go with these kind of things. Takes like 2s to remove and you know how instinctivly.

ziddoap 2y ago

>scam sites like amazon.com Since when is Amazon a scam site? I don't like em' either, but hyperbole doesn't help. For what it's worth, it can be removed in about 4 seconds.

renewedrebecca 2y ago
> For what it's worth, it can be removed in about 4 seconds. Sure, but why should anyone have to?
- ziddoap 2y ago
  Look, I hate ads as much as the next person. But Firefox also needs to generate money somehow, right? A small advert to amazon/hotels/whatever that can be removed basically permanently with a small change in the settings is about the best balance I can think of. If you donate to Mozilla, I have more sympathy for you. Perhaps they could make it so that if you have a Firefox account linked to a donation that they remove this, or something.
  - happymellon 2y ago
    I have struggled to find methods as an individual to donate to Firefox.
    - _Algernon_ 2y ago
      https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/donate/ https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/donate/
      - diggan 2y ago
        I'm fairly sure that's for donating to Mozilla, where the funds go who knows where (kidding, it goes to the executives and marketing). Is there anywhere I can donate to Firefox, specifically the development and the maintenance of the browser itself, and only the browser? Maybe donating directly to developers working on Firefox would be the best approach here.
      - yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago
        Nope! In fact, last I heard, donations to the Mozilla Foundation could not be used at all for the browser, which is developed by the Mozilla Corporation.
      - e2le 2y ago
        That's for donations to the Mozilla foundation, they aren't used to fund development of Firefox. Mozilla corporation and Mozilla foundation are distinct entities.
sevensor 2y ago
Considering how hard it is to avoid dodgy counterfeit merchandise in certain product categories, that seems like an apt description.
- DrBenCarson 2y ago
  https://www.onlyamazingseller.com/us.html https://www.onlyamazingseller.com/us.html
  - nosioptar 2y ago
    I've still received counterfeits that were sold and shipped by amazon.
    - avgd 2y ago
      Inventory commingling ruined any respect I had for them. They've done that for a long time but I still am beyond pissed by the trend they started of being a front for third party sellers, all French retailers copied them (darty, fnac, cdiscount etc) and searching for products sold by trustworthy entities on the internet is now a nightmare. Everyone imitates the market leader so it really feels as if competition doesn't exist as an alternative to amazon here. They're all as bad, and sometimes worse.
      - nosioptar 2y ago
        I think the worst is when you spend extra to buy from someone that isn't amazon and the item shows up in an amazon box with an amazon receipt.
    - DrBenCarson 2y ago
      Damn, really? That’s very troubling
  - sevensor 2y ago
    I’m not clear on how this solves the problem. Counterfeits can be hard to detect. Counterfeit food, toiletries, and electronics can poison you or start a fire. And my redress is a generous return policy?
buckle8017 2y ago
Amazon has been a scam site for years. Counterfeit products sold by Amazon. Most reviews are purchased. Stolen product pages. Product pages where the reviews are for totally different products If you report any of these things to Amazon, they do nothing about it.
rightbyte 2y ago
That is debatable if that is hyperbole but I might be moving the discussion a bit too much off topic so ye maybe more neutral language would have been preferable.
hayst4ck 2y ago
Scam site was probably not very precise. They have enshittified, and they don't have a quality anti-abuse team so many items, while not directly fraudulent are fraud-u-lish. Commingled inventory means you can't expect the item you get to be the item you ordered because there is no supply chain integrity. Honestly, after typing that out, I don't think scam was as wrong as it first seemed. I frequently feel deceived when using amazon.
- bigfatkitten 2y ago
  Amazon doesn't even particularly care whether the items they sell are even legal in the country where they sell them. FRS radios for example. Fine in the USA, not fine in Australia where those frequencies are used for public safety radio systems, and where they are illegal to possess because they don't comply with the applicable EMC standards.
  - fc417fc802 2y ago
    It's a bit off topic I guess, but I actually see that as a fringe benefit as opposed to a drawback. Other than some exceptional edge cases I'm opposed to item possession itself being illegal - it all comes down to usage. (To be clear, I'm not opposed to strict ID recording requirements in some not-quite-as-exceptional edge cases.)
  - kbelder 2y ago
    Honestly, I regard that as a plus.
    - bigfatkitten 2y ago
      Causing a mess for legitimate users of the radiofrequency spectrum, and exposing unwitting customers to prosecution is a plus? To be clear, you can buy equivalent products on UHF CB frequencies locally, that you can use without interfering with ambulance services for the same price. This is legislation that exists for a very good reason.
      - 2y ago
account42 2y ago
It's hardly hyperbole at this point: - Letting sellers replace listings with completely different products while keeping the ratings. - Not providing any way to filter dodgy chinese sellers that spam search results with duplicates of the same cheap shit. - Comingling inventory so that even if you take care to select a trustworthy seller you might get stuff from a dodgy one. And no, being able to remove the scam ads is not good enough.

manbart 2y ago

Use LibreWolf. It's just firebox rebuilt and released with better defaults (no suggestions/spying)