From what I can tell the problem here is that it is not announced to the user when they install it that that is what they are doing as it is covered in t he EULA that you have to agree to when you install it.

GDPR will have an issue with it on that basis, that its install isnt in your face announced at the time.

The issue is that a web browser has no business doing that. What is Chrome? Is it a web browser, or something else? False advertising.

They can do whatever they want; I'm not crying to Mommy to come take Google's toys away, but the consumer needs to understand what they are using.

Most people will neither care nor notice. That's why discussions like this are completely meaningless, as anyone who cares just downloads a different browser, and those who do not care deserve the experience they have chosen.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-18, 16:53:

Is it a web browser, or something else? False advertising.

But what is a web browser? It doesn't just display webpages. It's an email client. It's a word processor. It's a spreadsheet editor. It's a video player. It's a photo album.
The definition of a "web browser" is no longer defined, so good luck trying to use that as a justification for what it should and shouldn't comprise of.

jmarsh wrote on 2026-05-18, 18:39:

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-18, 16:53:

Is it a web browser, or something else? False advertising.

But what is a web browser? It doesn't just display webpages. It's an email client. It's a word processor. It's a spreadsheet editor. It's a video player. It's a photo album.
The definition of a "web browser" is no longer defined, so good luck trying to use that as a justification for what it should and shouldn't comprise of.

Thanks for adding weight to my argument.

Ironically Seamonkey, considered the bloated obsolete cousin of Firefox for having an email client, a chat client, a word processorpage editor and an address book... appears averse to the sloppification

It's not too accurate to represent it as Chrome installing a 4 GB model to begin with. As per the docs, "The Prompt API uses the Gemini Nano model in Chrome. While the API is built into Chrome, the model is downloaded separately the first time an origin uses the API." Plus they list the conditions for the model being made available, like a minimum amount of free disk space, a certain kind of device, etc., and note that the exact model size may vary, and obviously will. So more accurate to say you get the model in some size if you visit a site or enable an extension that explicitly uses the API and your system is qualified to run it. If all you use Chrome for is Vogons you don't get the model, and if you don't like AI the next question is what's a website you're visiting using local AI features for.

leileilol wrote on 2026-05-18, 19:52:

Ironically Seamonkey, considered the bloated obsolete cousin of Firefox for having an email client, a chat client, a word processorpage editor and an address book... appears averse to the sloppification

seamonkey is a comunicator

leileilol wrote on 2026-05-18, 19:52:

Ironically Seamonkey, considered the bloated obsolete cousin of Firefox for having an email client, a chat client, a word processorpage editor and an address book... appears averse to the sloppification

seamonkey having email, browser, irc, html editor is awesome. I remember using it to create html pages because of its ability to preview. Frontpage express i think i used back in 98 then once that was discontinued i used mozillas suite which became seamonkey. I hate you microsoft for discontinuing frontpage

jmarsh wrote on 2026-05-18, 18:39:

It doesn't just display webpages. It's an email client. It's a word processor. It's a spreadsheet editor. It's a video player. It's a photo album.

No can opener or spork? I'm out.

Big Pink wrote on Yesterday, 17:48:

jmarsh wrote on 2026-05-18, 18:39:

It doesn't just display webpages. It's an email client. It's a word processor. It's a spreadsheet editor. It's a video player. It's a photo album.

No can opener or spork? I'm out.

if linus was swizz he would have named it the swiss army kernel heh. im running firefox but i feel alienated because i try to use chrome but then go to firefox and back and forth because im exploitable

Firefox keeps a database of your past search suggestions/autocompletes. That database can apparently grow very large (it was 4gb on my machine).

I want to like Seamonkey but it's slow

tcaud wrote on Today, 01:42:

Firefox keeps a database of your past search suggestions/autocompletes. That database can apparently grow very large (it was 4gb on my machine).

but if you delete history its gone though

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-18, 16:53:

They can do whatever they want; I'm not crying to Mommy to come take Google's toys away, but the consumer needs to understand what they are using.

Most people will neither care nor notice. That's why discussions like this are completely meaningless, as anyone who cares just downloads a different browser, and those who do not care deserve the experience they have chosen.

You are aware of it, we are - most of us are "most people" in other scenarios though - getting things we didnt think we were getting with some product or service, so i'm not so sure they "deserve the experience they have chosen" in such a black and white way. Everyone gets to be "most people" at various points, often a lot of points, in their lives - even if we personally don't like to admit it. That's how things that seem wrong come about anyway, inertia and understandable ignorance.

vvbee wrote on Yesterday, 03:55:

It's not too accurate to represent it as Chrome installing a 4 GB model to begin with. As per the docs, "The Prompt API uses the Gemini Nano model in Chrome. While the API is built into Chrome, the model is downloaded separately the first time an origin uses the API." Plus they list the conditions for the model being made available, like a minimum amount of free disk space, a certain kind of device, etc., and note that the exact model size may vary, and obviously will. So more accurate to say you get the model in some size if you visit a site or enable an extension that explicitly uses the API and your system is qualified to run it. If all you use Chrome for is Vogons you don't get the model, and if you don't like AI the next question is what's a website you're visiting using local AI features for.

an excellent choice of words, indeed "It's not too accurate to represent it as Chrome installing a 4 GB model to begin with" due to the given requisite conditions and noting these are likely to be met over some reasonable time period it is rather just reasonably "accurate to represent it as Chrome installing a 4 GB model" eventually.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-18, 16:53:

The issue is that a web browser has no business doing that. What is Chrome? Is it a web browser, or something else? False advertising.

They can do whatever they want; I'm not crying to Mommy to come take Google's toys away, but the consumer needs to understand what they are using.

Most people will neither care nor notice. That's why discussions like this are completely meaningless, as anyone who cares just downloads a different browser, and those who do not care deserve the experience they have chosen.

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-18, 19:32:

jmarsh wrote on 2026-05-18, 18:39:

keenmaster486 wrote on 2026-05-18, 16:53:

Is it a web browser, or something else? False advertising.

But what is a web browser? It doesn't just display webpages. It's an email client. It's a word processor. It's a spreadsheet editor. It's a video player. It's a photo album.
The definition of a "web browser" is no longer defined, so good luck trying to use that as a justification for what it should and shouldn't comprise of.

Thanks for adding weight to my argument.

Yeah I get the feeling you look as a browser as a windows into a website and only as a window into a website.
But it hasnt been that for a very long time. And the reason for that is that the vast majority of users of them wanted more functionality.

The browser wars were fought, the browsers you champion lost that was and for good reason.
This is a sign of the next evolution of the browser. You either keep up or lament over the loss of Netscape Navigator.