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Google offering managed chrome as a service is a completely sensible thing. The problem is that they are nearly a browser monopoly, and making Google Workspace
by jchw 4mo ago
Google offering managed chrome as a service is a completely sensible thing. The problem is that they are nearly a browser monopoly, and making Google Workspace work in such a way with Google Chrome feels to me like anti-competitive practices. If we didn't have one giant megacorp that did both things, it would be different.
Of course, so far the only workable model for web browsers is having a giant megacorp fund their development and maintenance. Which is a huge issue, and we will do basically nothing about it.
(Don't get me wrong. I have high hopes for Ladybird and even Servo, but they may come too late if effectively-proprietary features force most users to stick to Chrome anyways.)
- insanitybit 4mo agoI'm not sure what the alternative is. Is there will from Firefox to support a "standard browser config", at which point GSuite could add support for managed Firefox config? If you want managed Firefox, Mozilla could offer that as well (they have something but it's different enough).
- spwa4 4mo agoThe alternative that we've used for the past 100+ years is to force such companies apart. Is Google Docs allowed to offer a "managed chrome" policy? Sure. Is Google Chrome allowed to be a browser? Absolutely! But if either side is close to a monopoly, both cannot be part of the same company, even if that means breaking an existing company up.
- insanitybit 4mo agoI think it's fine to advocate that Google should be split up but I don't think that CAA is a good example of a company abusing power.
- jchw 4mo agoThere's really nothing particularly wrong with the Chrome feature itself. There is a bit of a problem with the way it inherently results in browser vendor lock-in (regardless of whether it is a stated goal) with Google Workspace, which is by the same company. That's the main problem. I may be missing something because I feel like this specific point has been reiterated a few times in this thread but I haven't seen it actually rebuked directly.
- insanitybit 4mo agoThere is no Chrome feature here? We must be talking past each other, yes.
- jchw 4mo agoThe Chrome feature is the support for Endpoint Verification that is used by CAA. That is quite literally the reason for this HN post.
- insanitybit 4mo agoEndpoint Verification is not a Chrome feature, nor is CAA. Endpoint Verification is an extension, CAA is a GSuite feature.
- jchw 4mo agoLook man, this is absolutely getting into the semantics phase. I know you're not stupid, don't treat me like I am. Firstly, some Chrome features (like Chrome Remote Desktop) are delivered partly as extensions. This does not make them not features of Chrome. It makes them features that happen to be delivered in some part as extensions. Doesn't matter. Let's say Endpoint Verification is not a Chrome feature. Thankfully, we don't actually need that for our argument. The crux of this argument is simple: - Google Workspace depends on proprietary Chrome features, - Chrome has specific proprietary features designed to support Google Workspace (and other proprietary Google offerings.) What is the proprietary features I am referring to? Well, I'd just say "Endpoint Verification", but we can go a layer deeper. In order to implement Endpoint Verification, we need privileged, private extension APIs. These APIs are not for use with non-Google extensions, and Endpoint Verification uses enterprise.reportingPrivate. You can disagree that it is a problem that Google Chrome and Google Workspace are developing proprietary integrations with each-other, that's your prerogative, but I'm not humoring this gaslighting attempt.