Technology Sucks#
I don’t think that’s a wild proclamation. I work in IT, and it’s been an eye opening experience learning exactly how bad it is out there.
So much modern software is bloated, leaks or steals your personal data under the guise of a lengthy “Terms of Service” that is totally inscrutable. It feels like every day more and more services are finding new ways to feed your entire online history it into energy guzzling LLM engines. Social media is a minefield of addictive interface design, information overload, useless features, and unchecked and legally questionable surveillance practices masquerading as tools that help you shop for knockoff shoes.
Why would any reasonable person tolerate this?
“Malware” in the traditional sense, is software that does something you don’t want it to, or is otherwise a totally miserable experience for end users. By that definition, I think it’s fair to call most modern software malware.
In response to this, I’ve spent the last 6 years of my life seeking out alternatives that I can feel comfortable using and promoting without sacrificing my values.
Privacy, flexibility, simplicity, and a distinct lack of AI#
These are the touchstones that have come to define my digital life. I’ve tried really hard to ditch anything that does not line up with those values, or, at the very least, mitigate their impact so that I can live with them.
The Big Picture#
Like a lot of bloggers who spend time in the tech space, I recently made a “Uses” page as a record of all of the tools I like and make use of. That page probably isn’t much use on its own, so I’m going to spend some time unpacking the parts that I think could be helpful to regular people.
To be clear, I’m no expert, but I’ll do my best to keep things clear, concise, and accessible.
With that in mind, I’ll start by talking about…
Firefox#
The bottom line#
Firefox is a free, open source browser developed by the Mozilla Foundation, a non-profit focused on creating Firefox and other web-based tools. Mozilla makes apps for iOS, OSx, Windows, Linux, and Android.
Why I Don’t Use….?#
Chrome? Safari? DuckDuckGo? Etc.
Mobile Extensions#
Firefox is the only browser for mobile phones that supports extensions, meaning that you can install ad-blockers. Ublock Origin, Privacy Badger, and Ghostery are must-haves on every browser I use.
Reading Mode#
Firefox has a Reading Mode that strips web pages down to only the essential page content so you can focus. This makes it so that you can hide any ads that don’t get caught by an ad-blocker. Sometimes, you can also skip past paywalled content.
Chrome Monopoly#
Chrome as a browser has a huge market share– roughly 80% of internet traffic comes from Chrome. In recent times, Google has been developing features that discourage websites from supporting any other browser. I’m concerned that this dynamic gives Google a hugely unfair ability to drive the direction of web development in the future so that it benifits their interests.
DuckDuckGo, Vivaldi, Brave, Microsoft Edge and many many more browsers are actaully based off of Chrome so using them instead of Chrome doesn’t really fix the issue for me.
The other issue for me is that Google has had a long history of tracking users, analyzing their behavior, and using it to drive targeted ad campaigns, and Chrome is no different. My concerns here are over privacy, so I try to avoid any and all Google products when I can.
Chrome Derivatives That Get It Right#
If you’re OK using Chrome derivatives, DuckDuckGo, Mullvad, and Vivaldi are all choices that I would recommend because they remove a lot of the code that tracks users and locks them into a dependency on Google.
Caveats#
Firefox isn’t perfect, and I’ll be the first to admit it. Mozilla is under fire for recent changes that they’ve made to their Terms of Service that seemingly give Mozilla the right to track user behavior and sell it to advertisers, much like how Chrome does.
So, instead of using Firefox directly, I use derivatives of Firefox that have been modified to remove Mozilla telemetry and change some of the base software to be more privacy friendly. In particular, I use LibreWolf, Waterfox, and Fennec (on my phone). The extensions for Firefox work for all of these other browsers, so its a 1:1 swap.
LibreWolf#
LibreWolf is a privacy and security hardened distribution of Firefox whose main selling point is that it doesn’t store any user data between sessions. It purposefully forgets where you’ve been, what you’ve done, and where you’ve logged in. This makes it a little more cumbersome to use if you want to log into your accounts, but that extra time is worth it to me.
As an added feature, it also presents itself to websites as if you are using Windows and Google Chrome. This is a security measure that makes it so that potential attackers wanting to exploit vulnerabilities of your computer think you’re using a completely different set of software.
LibreWolf also obscures your location, screen size, and other identifying markers to make your presence on any given website harder to pick out of the crowd.
The only downside is that it doesn’t have a mobile version.
WaterFox#
Waterfox is another privacy and security hardened distribution of Firefox that has stripped away the Mozilla telemetry while still staying true to the traditional browser experience. Your browsing history, cookies, and logins are all still there after each session.
Plus, WaterFox makes a mobile application, so you can have the same experience everywhere you go.
The makers of WaterFox have also made their own services to replace helpful features like synced browsing– that way you can start browsing on your laptop and pick back up where you left off on your phone.
Fennec#
Fennec is sort of like Waterfox, but it is only for mobile devices.
On Android, you can download it from F-Droid, an alternative, privacy conscious app store that doesn’t require a login or a Google account to use. If you’re looking to de-Google your Android device, this is the go-to choice.
