From e692fac70b6e27747c1c182e9cd46eac74c08e0c Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lewis Dale Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2024 10:08:41 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Post: the web doesnt want to be browser --- .../2/are-there-any-browsers-that-dont-suck.md | 17 +++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 17 insertions(+) create mode 100644 src/blog/posts/2024/2/are-there-any-browsers-that-dont-suck.md diff --git a/src/blog/posts/2024/2/are-there-any-browsers-that-dont-suck.md b/src/blog/posts/2024/2/are-there-any-browsers-that-dont-suck.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e120ef0 --- /dev/null +++ b/src/blog/posts/2024/2/are-there-any-browsers-that-dont-suck.md @@ -0,0 +1,17 @@ +--- +title: The web doesn't want to be browsed +tags: + - browsers + - tech + - rant +--- + +Arc Browser published a... [controversial update](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIeJF3kL5ng) this week. The TL;DR of it is that it's got a feature that will automatically open the top search result for you, rather than taking you to a search engine. + +I've seen a fair emount of criticism of this decision on social media, and I'm not hugely keen on the idea either. I like that Arc are trying to do something different, that's admirable, but this approach feels like it's further separating users from the actual web. + +One of the defining things about the progression of the web over the last 3 decades has been the gradual reduction in choice & discoverability. We went from lots of disparate, small-ish websites & communities for different topics, to most of the web being consolidated over 5 or 6 places. Discoverability is determined and restricted by algorithms (unless you pay up to get to the top). + +Now this is an extension of that, a further obfuscation of the web; now you don't even search, your browser picks what website it thinks is best for you. I don't think this is a good thing; it might be _faster_, but it won't be better in the long-run. I don't need my browser to be a huge productivity-boosting, do-everything-for-you magic box, I just need it to _browse the fucking web_. + +But apparently browser vendors disagree; the web doesn't want to be browsed, it must be consumed. \ No newline at end of file