Microsoft Edge is getting new features that may get you to switch browsers

[Wizwill]

One of the Bigs in the industry made the comment about 30 years ago that there is no privacy on the Internet. It was true then it's true now.

I've tried all the browsers out there and have gone back to Firefox with the duck duck extension. Not great but probably the best that can be expected in today's surveillance climate.

FYI, my tête-à-tête with the new chromium-based edge browser required a reload of my whole system to get rid of all the 'tendrils' it left behind. Add Microsoft's snooping to Google's snooping and you have a toxic brew!

 

[Fox God Records]

I was Firefox before there was a Firefox - back in the beforetime, when there was Netscape Navigator.

I switched to Chrome about six years ago, and I haven't looked back. I am not worried about theft of personal information because most of what I do online doesn't involve my real information anyway. My aliases, email addresses, date of birth, location... All fake. Send me an email and it bounces from one server to another, one account to another, and eventually splits into three. I get one of them.

I mention that so that I can say with clarity and certainty that I will never use a Microsoft browser to do anything more than download Chrome onto a new computer. I never have.

I think my distaste for all things MS browser stems from the first browser war when MS was trying to force its proprietary code on the burgeoning web. There were some standards back in the beforetimes, but MS was determined to go their own way. It pissed a LOT of people off.

And when I read this, I saw it again:
"But we believe that’s not enough. It’s time to expect more from our browsers – more control over our data and our family’s online information, new ways to organize our online research and more value back as we browse."

'Everybody else does it like THIS, but we're Microsoft and we're going to do it like THIS!'

Is there anything in this article that anybody is clamoring for? I admit that the Password Monitor is a nice touch (depending on how it's implemented), but vertical tabs? On a vertical monitor that's kind of nuts, isn't it? Is there great outcry for vertical tabs?

And another set of bookmarks? So... Bookmarks and then other bookmarks. Different bookmarks, separate from the original bookmarks. Because bookmarks are too difficult, let's add different ones. WHAT?

TL;DR: I'm old, and I won't use Edgium because Microsoft is stupid.

 

[gamoniac]

Never gonna happen. It's about trust and assured security. Microsoft can't offer those things with closed source software. So, No Thank You. Edge can fall to dust where it belongs.

Microsoft is not a closed source shop anymore. All its .net framework have been open source for years and available on Github (and more becoming so everyday). They have embraced Linux and even contributed to Linux source code and fixed bugs for a while. They sit between Apple and Linux in terms of openness, but long gone are the Microsoft of yesteryear. I find that most people still criticise MS but nowadays, I think it's up to the Linux folks to extend their open arms.

 

[Mike89]

I use 3 browsers. Firefox number 1, Pale Moon number 2, and Chrome number 3. Don't have any room left for Edge. No reason for me to go there.

 

[lazer]

When Edge gets the vast add ons that FF has, maybe responsible people will switch to it. but I really doubt if they will put on ad blockers.....
Of that is assuming that Edge works with out slowing down or crippling your compooter.

One I do use on my smartphone and is very fast is Opera Touch, really fast. Also on my computer I use Vilvadi, works nice and fast too.

 

[dangh]

Frefox, chromw and brave do all I need. I'm not going to use ms browser never again. From netscape navigator through firebird, ms browsers were always worst possible experience to the point I see no reason to try smth only because it is new.

 

[trparky]

One of the Bigs in the industry made the comment about 30 years ago that there is no privacy on the Internet. It was true then it's true now.

Yes, very much so. I don't have to like it, but I've accepted it. As for trying to hold onto a semblance of privacy, we're well past that point. The horse is out of the barn. The cat is out of bag. Forget it.

There are so many ways that you get monitored not only on the Internet but in real life as well. If you go to the store you're constantly monitored on camera. If you walk the streets you're also monitored on camera. If you stop at a stoplight, you're on camera. What are you going to do? Wear a disguise? Yeah... you're going to make yourself look even more suspicious.

If you use a bank account, your bank knows stuff about you. If you use a credit card, VISA and/or Mastercard knows stuff about you. If you have a rewards/savings card for a store that you go to, the store tracks what you buy and at what store. If you have a phone your carrier tracks where you're going. What are you going to do? Buy a burner? Oh yeah, go ahead... make yourself look even more guilty.

There are so many ways our privacy is gone that I could go on and on and on for practically forever. I don't worry about it anymore; I have too many other things in my life that I need to worry about than to worry about something that's been dead for twenty years.

I swear that people trying to hold onto their privacy like some people around here think that they should only makes them look even more guilty than if they just went on with their lives. It's call sticking out like a sore thumb. Better to act like nothing is wrong and to blend into the background noise of society to make yourself invisible. You become nothing more than a statistic, a number, a nobody.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I swear that people trying to hold onto their privacy like some people around here think that they should only makes them look even more guilty than if they just went on with their lives. It's call sticking out like a sore thumb.

You can call me a sore thumb if you wish. I will maintain the notion of keeping my files on my machine. And also maintain keeping those files private. I will also maintain the notion that if I share details with a website those details are for that website only. If I have a handshake with two different sites, that doesn't mean I am allowing those two sites to handshake. Not to mention the sites I've never visited. My details are of no importance to a site that I have no interest in.

 

[trparky]

I'm just putting forward the idea that if you try too hard to hold onto your privacy people will then start to wonder why you're doing that. People will wonder if you really do have something to hide which will then bring even more scrutiny upon you which is the exact opposite of what you're trying to do.

I propose the idea if that you become nothing more than background noise you then become nothing more than a statistic, you blend into the masses, etc.

 

[cliffordcooley]

I propose the idea if that you become nothing more than background noise you then become nothing more than a statistic, you blend into the masses, etc.

Which is why we are in this position. Not enough people making noise. The one making the most noise is certainly not the one with most to lose. The ones with the most to lose are following your example.

 

[ZedRM]

Microsoft is not a closed source shop anymore. All its .net framework have been open source for years and available on Github (and more becoming so everyday).

Context is important. We're talking about Edge, not DotNet. Much of Edge(Chromium) is closed source and all of Edge(non-Chromium) is closed.

 

[ZedRM]

If you are looking for trust and security from any of the major web browsers all I have to say is good luck.

No luck required.

It's disingenuous to single out Chrome Edge for that.

Not at all. Non-Chromium Edge is even more so.

I'd be more concerned about my mobile surfing habits than any desktop.

That seems foolish to me. But then again, I am just as tenacious about security on my phones/tablets.

 

[ZedRM]

Oh yeah I'm sure you audit the code of Firefox all the time. Kiddies...

Actually, Firefox code does get a public audit on a regular basis. It's how some of the unforeseen bugs & vulnerabilities are found. You were saying?

 

[fps4ever]

No luck required.

Not at all. Non-Chromium Edge is even more so.

That seems foolish to me. But then again, I am just as tenacious about security on my phones/tablets.

So you base it all on feelz and nothing to really back it up. Got it.

 

[lazer]

I'm just putting forward the idea that if you try too hard to hold onto your privacy people will then start to wonder why you're doing that. People will wonder if you really do have something to hide which will then bring even more scrutiny upon you which is the exact opposite of what you're trying to do.

I propose the idea if that you become nothing more than background noise you then become nothing more than a statistic, you blend into the masses, etc.

I do a bit of business and banking on line. I am also worried that use of a simple browser could complicate or screw me up or worse get hacked. So I use FF, been using it since it came out last century.....

 

[ZedRM]

I do a bit of business and banking on line. I am also worried that use of a simple browser could complicate or screw me up or worse get hacked. So I use FF, been using it since it came out last century.....

I wouldn't trust Edge with my banking info to save my life.

 

[ZedRM]

So you base it all on feelz and nothing to really back it up. Got it.

Did you think that was clever? It wasn't.

 

[taylor1277]

It is so easy to beat Chrome or Firefox. what I would love to see Microsoft do is to turn Edge into the actual cloud. Then I would like to see a phone book built-in. And a place to store my bookmarks and share them with others that I want to share them with. And also a map bookmark where I can access maps of places I want to go and places that I went to. It would be great to see a browser that turned itself into thee actual cloud. A place where I could store my photos, and documents also. So I can access all this on my Edge browser and my phone. And it would be cool to let others in under a guest password if they wanted to browse my photos or family wanted to see photos, or if the family wanted to send a photo, I could give them the address of my family photos, they could add but not take photos without my permission. now wouldn't that be cool?

 

[fps4ever]

Did you think that was clever? It wasn't.

Why yes I do. Seems you're still feeling it since your other post was deleted. Hating something is not proof. We get it you don't like MS.

 

[ZedRM]

Hating something is not proof. We get it you don't like MS.

Context is important, you've missed some. "Hate" and "Distrust" are two very different things. I don't "hate" Microsoft. However, I do not trust them. At all. They have and continue to earn that distrust. I am far from alone in that sentiment. The way to earn trust is to act in a trustworthy manner. Part of that would be to make the Edge source open for inspection and audit. Understand the difference?

 

[fps4ever]

Context is important, you've missed some. "Hate" and "Distrust" are two very different things. I don't "hate" Microsoft. However, I do not trust them. At all. They have and continue to earn that distrust. I am far from alone in that sentiment. The way to earn trust is to act in a trustworthy manner. Part of that would be to make the Edge source open for inspection and audit. Understand the difference?

My point is you can't trust any of the big browsers. If you think Firefox doesn't data mine your usage you would be incorrect. Looking at open source code to find security flaws or hidden code does nothing for data mining and tracking if they want it. They have all earned our distrust. Pointing out one over the other is disingenuous at best. Understand that difference? Which of these companies should we Trust, MS, Google, Apple, Cisco, Oracle, Verizon, AT&T, etc., etc.

 

[ZedRM]

My point is you can't trust any of the big browsers.

That's your opinion. Such is not supported by practical real world experience.

If you think Firefox doesn't data mine your usage you would be incorrect.

Firefox does collect programmatical telemetry, which can be disabled(and actually stays so). Firefox does NOT collect personally identifiable data. Microsoft does. Google does on a limited basis.

 

[fps4ever]

That's your opinion. Such is not supported by practical real world experience.

Firefox does collect programmatical telemetry, which can be disabled(and actually stays so). Firefox does NOT collect personally identifiable data. Microsoft does. Google does on a limited basis.

LOL you are kidding right? Ever heard of Firefox sync? It collects logins and passwords, history, bookmarks, open tabs, options and add ins. Whether you have syncing on or off they can collect it if they want too. Their browser, their servers their rules. They even offer user date for research and public use. If they have non sensitive data they also have sensitive data. For being so distrusting you certainly are very trusting.

 

[ZedRM]

Ever heard of Firefox sync?

Sure, I never use it. It's not required, you know, optional. However it's use is very controlled, all data is encrypted by the users login credentials and Mozilla never sees that data in an unencrypted state.

Whether you have syncing on or off they can collect it if they want too.

No that can't, such functionality isn't in the code.

Their browser, their servers their rules. They even offer user date for research and public use. If they have non sensitive data they also have sensitive data. For being so distrusting you certainly are very trusting.

It would seem you need to do more research as you have a very serious misunderstanding about how Mozilla conducts itself.

 

[fps4ever]

Sure, I never use it. It's not required, you know, optional. However it's use is very controlled, all data is encrypted by the users login credentials and Mozilla never sees that data in an unencrypted state.

No that can't, such functionality isn't in the code.

It would seem you need to do more research as you have a very serious misunderstanding about how Mozilla conducts itself.

LOL sure, I'm misunderstanding...just like Google's conduct was "don't be evil" at one time. If you ever worked work with encryption you'd know somebody always has the keys if need be. Chicken vs. egg thing. Yes, very controlled by Mozilla. Nobody said sync was mandatory, you missed the point there. You are a true believer!