Brave Browser

[hebelwirkung]

[rant on] since *some* people dont have the discipline and / or ability to control their own kids and keep them off sites that they shouldnt be on, or out of content they shouldnt be watching... or even basic flipn discussions with their kids about appropriate age content! ... everybody has to suffer the broad base BS of "age restricted policing"!

In my opinion, all this is the epitome of "slapping everyone because some are failing to follow good guidelines"
[rant off].

I guess the thing with kids is that once they hear you think something's not for them yet, that's the stuff they're going to work flat out to get hold of as a matter of urgent priority. I agree that discussing age consent etc would be a good idea, and that in a proportion of families it isn't happening - it's just I'm not sure it would make an iota of difference. In this digital brave new world where it's all out there, it's all going to be seen one way or the other, isn't it.

Actually, I suspect that if the age restriction stuff is indeed a genuine attempt to prevent kids from accessing inappropriate contents, then this may or may not be because google is worried about the kids; I imagine mostly they are getting pressure from advertisers who push the official American doctrine that children must be "protected". Begs the question why, say, in Florida, it is now easier to ban books than guns, but that, for me, is also rant territory so I'll not go there right now

[CharlesV]

[I guess the thing with kids is that once they hear you think something's not for them yet, that's the stuff they're going to work flat out to get hold of as a matter of urgent priority. I agree that discussing age consent etc would be a good idea, and that in a proportion of families it isn't happening - it's just I'm not sure it would make an iota of difference. In this digital brave new world where it's all out there, it's all going to be seen one way or the other, isn't it.

Actually, I suspect that if the age restriction stuff is indeed a genuine attempt to prevent kids from accessing inappropriate contents, then this may or may not be because google is worried about the kids; I imagine mostly they are getting pressure from advertisers who push the official American doctrine that children must be "protected". Begs the question why, say, in Florida, it is now easier to ban books than guns, but that, for me, is also rant territory so I'll not go there right now

No kidding!! Well, I can pretty much guarantee that "Google" isnt worried about your kids! As Adrian said - its the laws and developing laws that are dictating how thing 'should be done'. (Which then leads directly into your point at which I have to ask "WHO is setting that 'law' and WHY?" (and yes, devolving into that entire Florida topic probably is better left undone :-) )

I know I am a techy, but I had two rules as my kids grew up 1) DO NOT play on sites that I deem 'bad' and 2) *I* will decide at what age your getting phones / computers and what amount of time will be spent on them. And, Im not a tyrant, but I felt (and still feel), that it is extremely important for kids to learn how to interact with kids and adults and I also believe that "developing minds" need time too do just that - and need their own stimulus and creative imagination and not fed to them.

And I had some serious safeguards on my routers and watched & learned what my kids did too! Shutting down those times when they attempted to get around and then discussing them with them. Fun times - not!... but as far as I am concerned required by a parent!

[hebelwirkung]

... have you seen "The Social Dilemma", https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11464826/, https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/.

Just watched the trailer, and made a note to catch hold of the whole docu. It's amazing how incredibly bright people keep warning us about this or that development, and then incredibly immoral people switch on their propaganda machine and tell us it'll all be just fine.

I still like and use Brave but I've recently decided to try Librewolf sometime - maybe not until MX-23.
I tend to compartmentalize my browsers for different usage and I've heard that VideoDownloadHelper is a good extension, so I may use that with Librewolf.

Freebie link: https://www.eff.org/pages/surveillance-self-defense

Librewolf is Firefox with added security features; I find it reliable and steady, and it doesn't take it upon itself to tell me what I may and may not see, read, or listen to, other than sometimes suggesting that malware or some such may be at work, or no https available, so would I like to not go to that site?

Video DownloadHelper is a fine extension, hardly ever needed but helpful in some situations. It's been going for years and was even available on Chrome and derivatives until google discovered that hey - there's another little opportunity to siphon off data, let's age restrict it! (And do they think that the only videos people ever watch is - gasp! - porn?)

Btw, that SSD link you supplied - now instead of restricting access to browser addons, google ought to force people to read that before they can even create a google account. Something tells me it ain't going to happen

[hebelwirkung]

I have to ask "WHO is setting that 'law' and WHY?" (and yes, devolving into that entire Florida topic probably is better left undone :-) )

The answer I could try to that question would also lead to something in the vein of "that entire Florida topic", so again, probably not the right place for that, specially because I'd probably get irrationally polemical in no time ...

... Im not a tyrant, but I felt (and still feel), that it is extremely important for kids to learn how to interact with kids and adults and I also believe that "developing minds" need time too do just that - and need their own stimulus and creative imagination and not fed to them.

And I had some serious safeguards on my routers and watched & learned what my kids did too! Shutting down those times when they attempted to get around and then discussing them with them. Fun times - not!... but as far as I am concerned required by a parent!

Not being a parent myself I can only guess at what struggles you've had to go through to try and let your kids have something like a childhood deserving of that term. I grew up in the analog area, with actual books and things, and boy, am I grateful! I was allowed my "own stimulus and creative imagination", and I'm sure it was easier then to develop a creative mind independent of what the outside world may have expected/wanted/permitted, than it is these days. And for parents it was probably easier then, too, because all they had to deal with was state/corporate propaganda on a manageable scale and the minds of their children, whereas today, there's that constant dystopian bombardment from everywhere and all these voices screaming for attention 24/7.

Now look where this has taken us just because google age restrict a browser addon ...

[CharlesV]

Now look where this has taken us just because google age restrict a browser addon ...

Ah.. the wonders of the internet :-) ... and how all things lead to ... well... all things

[hebelwirkung]

It's most likely the laws... "think of the children" kind of thingy, companies are either forced to impose age limits or do that to make sure they won't be targeted by new laws ("self-policing"), it's not their free choice. Nobody wants to add checks and complications if they don't have to.

Yes, actually I agree they don't want to add checks if they don't have to, except for one thing: If you can only download an addon after giving them vital stats like date of birth, location, nationality etc, it obviously won't hurt their relentless effort at grabbing as much data as they possibly can :-)

[hebelwirkung]

Ah.. the wonders of the internet :-) ... and how all things lead to ... well... all things

Well in this instance, from a little rant has grown a wealth of interesting comments, which it's been a pleasure to read and reply to

[MXRobo]

A little belated - I was digging my bazookas out of the garage - but yes CharlesV, that's why I snuck it in there; it may indicate that I have somewhat of an agenda, but at least EFF.org's agenda isn't extreme or radical and is fact based – IMHO.
++EDIT++ Some of the devs in "The Social Dilemma" were very restrictive on their children's access to the internet.
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Slightly off-topic?
The documentary isn't great - "The Social Dilemma", but it's worth watching, and these links may make me seem like a movie buff, but they're just links to possibly watch it – and other stuff.

Links for where to watch, who carries it, usually with paid subscriptions
https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/the-social-dilemma
https://reelgood.com/movie/the-social-dilemma-2020
https://watch.plex.tv/movie/the-social-dilemma
https://www.yidio.com/movie/the-social-dilemma/224020


Links to watch it, recommend for cordcutters, TVapp-cutters, and cheapskates.
https://fmovies.to/movie/the-social-dilemma-k37jw/1-1 Recommended for cheapskates
https://fmovies.name/ domains may change, year(s)
----------------------------
https://dosmovies.com/film/The_Social_Dilemma
https://www.documentaryarea.com/video/T ... l+Dilemma/ Recommended
https://movie-web.app/search/movie Has it, but often provides the wrong movie.

Cheers

[Stevo]

Other Chromium-based browser users have also objected to having to sign in, and with a little web searching, you should be able to discover how to manually download that extension's .crx file and where to place it so Brave finds it.

[CharlesV]

Ah.. the wonders of the internet :-) ... and how all things lead to ... well... all things

Well in this instance, from a little rant has grown a wealth of interesting comments, which it's been a pleasure to read and reply to

Ditto :-)