←back to thread

Mozilla to shut down Pocket and Fakespot

(support.mozilla.org)
1222 points phantomathkg | 7 comments | 22 May 25 16:30 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
Show context
segphault ◴[22 May 25 17:45 UTC] No.44064599[source]▶
I was a user for so long that I was on it before it even rebranded as Pocket. I finally gave up on it last year, mostly due to frustration with the terrible 2023 redesign of the mobile app. When Mozilla made the unfathomable decision to become an internet advertising company, I figured it was just a matter of time before they had to put Pocket out to pasture. A product that's designed to strip ads from content for readability doesn't align with their new direction.

I'd probably be applauding the decision to shut this down if I thought they were doing it to free up resources to increase their focus on the browser, but Mozilla seems to be institutionally committed to chasing its own demise, so I'm sure they will instead focus on AI integration and other stuff that nobody asked for.

Meanwhile, Firefox is still missing proper support for a bunch of modern web features like view transitions and CSS anchor points that are available in every other browser.

replies(20): >>44064677 #>>44065070 #>>44065265 #>>44065461 #>>44065781 #>>44065800 #>>44066084 #>>44066430 #>>44066456 #>>44066470 #>>44067023 #>>44067313 #>>44067943 #>>44067953 #>>44068655 #>>44069372 #>>44069898 #>>44070277 #>>44071607 #>>44074502 #
somethingor ◴[22 May 25 18:23 UTC] No.44065070[source]▶
> every other browser

You can just say Chromium

replies(2): >>44065210 #>>44067294 #
zymhan ◴[22 May 25 18:35 UTC] No.44065210[source]▶
Safari exists, and is quite popular.
replies(3): >>44065243 #>>44065637 #>>44065785 #
pjmlp ◴[22 May 25 19:26 UTC] No.44065785[source]▶
Safari is the only reason we don't rename (yet) Web as ChromeOS development platform.

Thanks everyone, especially all those Electron crap apps.

replies(4): >>44065938 #>>44066155 #>>44067588 #>>44068487 #
1. criddell ◴[22 May 25 19:38 UTC] No.44065938[source]▶
I think once Apple is forced to allow alternative browsers on the iPhone and iPad, Chrome/Chromium will have won the browser wars.

At least Google is a better steward of their browser than Microsoft was with IE6.

replies(3): >>44066666 #>>44067287 #>>44067333 #
2. NoMoreNicksLeft ◴[22 May 25 20:38 UTC] No.44066666[source]▶
>At least Google is a better steward of their browser than Microsoft was with IE6.

The only lesson Google took from the Microsoft browser monopoly was "make sure the browser doesn't suck ass". So, Chromium will continue to be technically competent, enough that they can lull people to sleep and mine their personal data in ways that should horrify us all. Whatever else Microsoft was, it wasn't a gigantic advertising company that wants to spam us with borderline-scam sales efforts.

replies(1): >>44075817 #
3. EasyMark ◴[22 May 25 21:29 UTC] No.44067287[source]▶
That's not going to happen in the USA. at least not in the next several years. I think as long as that's true Safari dominance on iOS will continue.
replies(1): >>44067615 #
4. cptskippy ◴[22 May 25 21:33 UTC] No.44067333[source]▶
Microsoft's goal was to make sure the browser didn't obviate Windows.

Google's goal is to push ads and you can see that with everything their doing. Manifest v3 castrates adblockers and their attempts to remove 3rd party cookies would stifle any competition in adtech.

5. epolanski ◴[22 May 25 22:01 UTC] No.44067615[source]▶
I don't think people even think about downloading browsers, swear the overwhelming majority of my irl friends only uses the default one on whatever phone, with rare exceptions.
replies(1): >>44069076 #
6. binkHN ◴[23 May 25 01:48 UTC] No.44069076{3}[source]▶
I agree. To a large extent, the only people you'll see putting Chrome on their iPhones are the people who are cross platform on their laptops.
7. MaxBarraclough ◴[23 May 25 19:29 UTC] No.44075817[source]▶
> Whatever else Microsoft was, it wasn't a gigantic advertising company that wants to spam us with borderline-scam sales efforts.

True at the time, but spam is now baked into Windows.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/windows-11-has-made-... (discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37208219 )