I've been thinking. Browsers these days all fucking suck and I think a big problem is that there's no real incentive for anyone to make something that will not make money one way or another.
The way they go about it these days is to sell user data, get payments from search engines etc.
But let us pretend that there was a browser that just fucking works, has all the customisation you need, doesn't collect data and doesn't force any search engines down your throat etc. Pretend it's the perfect browser. But to use it you'd have to pay say 10-15$ a year. Would you do it?
Now for the sake of discussion set aside all basic knee-jerks of software should be free etc. Give it a think, Sup Forums.
Lincoln Butler
>punchable weasel face >american flag but spells like it has an extra U chromosome >namefag GTFO G T F O
SAGE A G E
Daniel Price
Why should a company charging $10-15 a year be able to produce a better product than Google can? De-googled chromium variants solve the privacy issue.
What am I getting for my dollar that isnt already available as foss?
Daniel Wright
Because that worked so well for Opera
Daniel Hall
if it's free as free speech, it's ok
Ryder Nelson
Was this whole comment full of insults necessary?
Noah Watson
>Would you be willing to pay for a browser? No. I don't have any issues with the free browsers available today. If the paid versions offered something worth paying for (like a secure vpn) then I might consider it. But even then I can pay for my own vpn...they would have to offer something I couldn't get with other browsers.
>I think a big problem is that there's no real incentive for anyone to make something that will not make money one way or another. I don't agree. Making a secure web browser is hard. It is something you must constantly work at. When an exploit is discovered you can't wait to address it. For better or worse, people are motivated by money.
There is a lot of great FOSS out there. But something as complex as a web browser needs money to keep it safe and modern. A lot of folks use browsers like Pale Moon and Waterfox. But those browsers will never be popular because they don't offer features that non-turbo-nerds like.
So you need money.
>sell user data Unacceptable.
>get payments from search engines Acceptable for a lot of people (casuals).
>Ads When I first started using Opera, it had ads. Folks who use adblockers would never accept it. I wouldn't use it.
>pay for a browser It would have to offer something that I don't already have with free browsers or I could pay for on my own (vpn/vps).
It would be interesting to hear any ideas for things people might pay for in a browser. But I don't see it.
Jordan Gomez
i think opera tried once...and failed
James Thomas
Fuck that hurts
Easton Wood
the browsers don't suck, your computer is just a piece of shit.
Robert Harris
no
Angel White
...
Samuel Green
I wouldn't pay for a browser if it sucked my dick. Having to pay for it, especially a subscription, implies that there is a database with the names and billing info of EVERYONE who uses it. Such a database could be compromised and on the off chance you have features people can't get anywhere else, they'll just pirate your product to avoid giving you any information.
Matthew Moore
...
Nolan Walker
Guy looks like a loan shark
Joshua Smith
this hurts more than it should
Justin Smith
>Guy Umm...
Landon Myers
Firefox is already good enough for me.
Michael Jones
>to use it you'd have to pay say 10-15$ a year >Would you do it? Nope
Mason Lopez
Why not, user?
Eli Phillips
Because paying for your browser was a business model killed off by IE5 in 1999.
Why the fuck would you pay for a browser that can't possibly be better than a browser you can get for free?
Landon Lee
>doesn't collect data >you'd have to pay say 10-15$ a year Pick one. Closed source browser with subscription model that doesn't collect user data. That's too much trust to give.
Nathan Martin
hi buddy! Neat haircut! I value my GNU freedoms, and all software, should in fact be free! Consider that shirt for example. Did you pay for it? We need free shirts too. Consider making a free shirt company.
Gavin Johnson
Sounds pretty shit to me...
Normal people will be like "I can just download chrome for free"
Nobody will buy it.
Blake Baker
no
Aaron Scott
Show at least one word that OP misspelled.
Xavier Cooper
Hell no. We don't need another Opera.
Cameron Sanders
>Now for the sake of discussion set aside all basic knee-jerks of software should be free etc. SEE EYE EYY