Browsers: A Foreword
I have a browser-shaped problem. Although, it may be more fair to say that I have an organizational problem; less to do with the tools, and more to do with the wielder of the tools. But that's a bigger conversation for another time between me and my therapist.
It's distro hopping, but for browsers. I sometimes feel like Goldilocks. "This browser is too basic. This browser is literal spyware. This browser is made by fascists." You get the idea. When I do find a new browser, or an old one releases a new update, I dive into it head first to find out what cool new features they came up with. I remain in awe of my current obsession for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, excited to simply use the browser itself. Mind you, if I am being honest with myself, my goal is never to "improve my workflow" or "get my work done more easily" - I can function well enough in pretty much any modern browser. Options like Chrome would be harder to use for me, but it could be done. It's more of an obsessive toy for me, finding what new features or privacy shifts have been made.
I generally judge a browser by a few main criteria. In no particular order:
- Privacy
- Security
- Ad blocking ability
- Tab management features
- Speed and efficiency
- How good I feel about using it
Some of these criteria are pretty self-explanatory. Privacy and security are always important aspects to consider (privacy being the rules that determine who one's data is shared with, while security is the enforcement of said rules). Ad blocking compatibility is becoming more important in the coming months, with Google finally about to kill Manifest V2 under Chromium's asinine 70+% market share. Speed and efficiency are pretty obviously important features of a browser as well.
Tab management does not matter much to a lot of people. I have plenty of friends and colleagues that leave their browser closed unless they are actively using it. Then open a tab, search or do something, then close it immediately. I think those people are insane. Yes, even you reading this article. If you currently have fewer than 10 tabs open, I am both confused by and envious of your internet usage. My browser is always open, with tabs somewhat organized by topics such as work, social, homelab, and so on. At the time of writing, I have 14 tabs pinned and 141 other tabs open, with the oldest from about a week ago I think. On my phone, I have 89. And these are just the numbers from my primary browsers! Innovations like vertical tabs, tab groups, workspaces, and pinned tabs have changed my life for the better, and are important features to me when choosing a browser.
Additionally, that last criteria is a bit vague. "How good I feel about using it" could mean a lot of things. Broadly, I am talking about the developers behind the browser, and the direction they and their underlying technology push the internet as a whole in. For example, if a browser has an amazing UX and feature set, but the developer or owner behind it is a generally bad person, then I would be less inclined to use the browser.
I have been burning through browsers for years at this point, and I figured it would be good to get some of my thoughts and opinions written down and shared. Maybe this blog series will end up as me shouting into the void. Or maybe my blog posts here will help others make more informed decisions on the technology they used on a daily basis. Either way, I don't see myself settling down on a browser anytime soon, so I may as well blog about it in the meantime, right?