4 ms·

I love how one company can do whatever they want. This is perfect.

by exabrial 1y ago

icedchai 1y ago
How do you think we got into this mess in the first place? First it was Netscape, then Microsoft, now Google.
- raincole 1y ago
  Yet, the web has been prospering for two decades in spite of the quasi-monopoly state of browsers. It's the living evidence that the dominant browser vendor doesn't has as much power as people imagine.
  - meindnoch 1y ago
    The web has been prospering?
    - raincole 1y ago
      "One of the most adopted technologies, the one that is permeating into even native desktop and mobile apps, is not prospering." - HN users, probably.
      - NanoCoaster 1y ago
        There's a difference between web technologies and "the web" as an amorphous philosophical construct. Web technologies, as you stated, are obviously doing just fine. I'd argue the latter isn't. To be more specific, the latter as it was envisioned (in a way that I, and I speculate, GP also still subscribe to) 20+ years ago.
      - account42 1y ago
        "The web" implies an interconnected ecosystem of websites. That the same tech has found adoption with walled gardens is irrelevant.
    - michaelt 1y ago
      Obviously not things like blogs, or things you’d find via search, or independent forums, or newspaper websites. They certainly aren’t prospering. But walled gardens like YouTube, Discord, ChatGPT and suchlike that are delivered via the browser are prospering. And as a cross platform GUI system, html is astonishingly popular.
      - immibis 1y ago
        (things which are not the web but happen to be delivered by the same protocols)
    - cluckindan 1y ago
      What is Google? Or Amazon? I’m sure you can come up with more examples of extremely high value business which would not have happened without the web.
      - presbyterian 1y ago
        I don't think we all necessarily agree that "high value businesses" is the same as "prospering". If you mean "prospering" as in "making some people rich", sure, but if you mean "being beneficial to society at large", it's certainly debatable.
  - icedchai 1y ago
    More like three decades, but I get your point. ;) I remember running Netscape 0.9 something back in 1994.
    - recursive 1y ago
      I remember when you could go down to Circuit City and buy a web browser for money. It came in a cardboard box. Shortly after the era you describe.
  - bogwog 1y ago
    > prospering Like 90%+ of internet traffic goes to a handful of sites owned by tech giants. Most of what's left is SEO garbage serving those same tech giants' ad networks.
bayindirh 1y ago
“Free markets and capitalism”. They give us superior, user centered, transparent products.
znpy 1y ago
But hey it’s totally not a monopoly!
spankalee 1y ago
Like how every other browser vendor is supportive and the issue was actually raised by Mozilla? See the agenda here: https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11131#issuecomment-2741018182 https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11131#issuecomment-274...

I love how one company can do whatever they want. This is perfect.

icedchai 1y ago

How do you think we got into this mess in the first place? First it was Netscape, then Microsoft, now Google.

raincole 1y ago
Yet, the web has been prospering for two decades in spite of the quasi-monopoly state of browsers. It's the living evidence that the dominant browser vendor doesn't has as much power as people imagine.
- meindnoch 1y ago
  The web has been prospering?
  - raincole 1y ago
    "One of the most adopted technologies, the one that is permeating into even native desktop and mobile apps, is not prospering." - HN users, probably.
    - NanoCoaster 1y ago
      There's a difference between web technologies and "the web" as an amorphous philosophical construct. Web technologies, as you stated, are obviously doing just fine. I'd argue the latter isn't. To be more specific, the latter as it was envisioned (in a way that I, and I speculate, GP also still subscribe to) 20+ years ago.
    - account42 1y ago
      "The web" implies an interconnected ecosystem of websites. That the same tech has found adoption with walled gardens is irrelevant.
  - michaelt 1y ago
    Obviously not things like blogs, or things you’d find via search, or independent forums, or newspaper websites. They certainly aren’t prospering. But walled gardens like YouTube, Discord, ChatGPT and suchlike that are delivered via the browser are prospering. And as a cross platform GUI system, html is astonishingly popular.
    - immibis 1y ago
      (things which are not the web but happen to be delivered by the same protocols)
  - cluckindan 1y ago
    What is Google? Or Amazon? I’m sure you can come up with more examples of extremely high value business which would not have happened without the web.
    - presbyterian 1y ago
      I don't think we all necessarily agree that "high value businesses" is the same as "prospering". If you mean "prospering" as in "making some people rich", sure, but if you mean "being beneficial to society at large", it's certainly debatable.
- icedchai 1y ago
  More like three decades, but I get your point. ;) I remember running Netscape 0.9 something back in 1994.
  - recursive 1y ago
    I remember when you could go down to Circuit City and buy a web browser for money. It came in a cardboard box. Shortly after the era you describe.
- bogwog 1y ago
  > prospering Like 90%+ of internet traffic goes to a handful of sites owned by tech giants. Most of what's left is SEO garbage serving those same tech giants' ad networks.

bayindirh 1y ago

“Free markets and capitalism”. They give us superior, user centered, transparent products.

znpy 1y ago

But hey it’s totally not a monopoly!

spankalee 1y ago

Like how every other browser vendor is supportive and the issue was actually raised by Mozilla? See the agenda here: https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11131#issuecomment-2741018182 https://github.com/whatwg/html/issues/11131#issuecomment-274...