Posted: 2022-12-20 (UTC+00:00)
Updated: 2022-12-20 (UTC+00:00)
+It's no secret that I'm an advocate of Chromium and will use it for the foreseeable future. It is
-a highly secure web browser which provides strong protection against malicious wesbites and the code
-they run, and, while I am not too interested in high performance, it is a very performant web
-browser, despite its security features.
-
-However, the intention of this blog post is not to promote Chromium for any reason, but rather show
-an issue with it; an issue which is larger than may be realised by web-surfing users. That issue is
-the large monopoly Chromium has in the web browser market;
-Chromium's market share is around 65%,
-making it the largest slice of the cake. The issue becomes even deeper and more problematic when you
-realise that the second-place web browser, Safari, has only an 18% market share.
-
-The main issue with this type of monopoly is the large amounts of power and influence it gives
-Chromium, which can lead to, and is leading to, excessive authority of how the web should work, and
-the standards which are implemented, which all other web browsers must comply with in order to have
-a fully working web.
-
-
In order to combat the Chromium monopoly, users typically go over to Chromium's classical rival,
-Firefox. However, Firefox is dying and has lost almost all of its userbase over the last 2-3 years;
-the reason for this is a tale of selfishness and greed, caused by Firefox's parent company to go off
-course and lose its original goal of providing a freedom-respecting, open web. Mozilla caused
-self-inflicted damage which it cannot recover from, and, to me, is already dead. The vultures are
-simply waiting for the final, small group of users to abandon the project before Firefox finally
-succumbs to its own demise; the demise it caused itself.
-
-If attempting to increase Firefox's market share to previous levels will be in vain, what is the
-solution? How can we prevent Chromium from completely taking over the web and dictating everything
-we do and how the web should be designed and used?
-To find the answer to these important but difficult questions, we must go to the alternatives which
-still have a fighting chance. Safari, developed by Apple, is based on WebKit, an engine completely
-independent of Chromium and Firefox.
-
-Just using a non-Chromium-based web browser is not enough; the choice must already have enough
-market share to still be relevant, and be capable of gaining new users. Safari, being preinstalled
-on Apple devices including iPhone and Mac, already has a great advantage over Firefox. Apple
-devices, especially iPhone, is abundant in streets everywhere on the planet. Safari is the default
-choice for Apple users and has a large market share simply because of how widespread it is.
-Exploiting this fact is the only way to gain more market share and take down Chromium before it is
-too late; the clock is ticking, and Apple are the only ones preventing Chromium from completely
-taking over the web. Backing Safari instead of Firefox will keep the WebKit market share from
-falling to a critically low percentage, making it impossible to make a comeback, as has happened to
-Firefox. Sometimes, directly supporting a political party is not the way to get them into power,
-supporting the second-place alternative is, in order to keep the one you don't want out of power,
-giving the party you do want in power an advantage. To win this war against the Chromium monopoly,
-we must be tactical, not emotional.
-
Supporting Safari is the first step in supporting WebKit and promoting usage of the independent
-web engine. Buying time while supporting and contributing to WebKit browser projects is the best and
-only chance anyone has at competing with Chromium, and preventing it from increasing its dominance
-to unstoppable levels, at which point there will be no return.
-
-
+
+
It's no secret that I'm an advocate of Chromium and will use it for the foreseeable future. It is
+ a highly secure web browser which provides strong protection against malicious wesbites and the code
+ they run, and, while I am not too interested in high performance, it is a very performant web
+ browser, despite its security features.
+
+ However, the intention of this blog post is not to promote Chromium for any reason, but rather show
+ an issue with it; an issue which is larger than may be realised by web-surfing users. That issue is
+ the large monopoly Chromium has in the web browser market;
+ Chromium's market share is around 65%,
+ making it the largest slice of the cake. The issue becomes even deeper and more problematic when you
+ realise that the second-place web browser, Safari, has only an 18% market share.
+
+ The main issue with this type of monopoly is the large amounts of power and influence it gives
+ Chromium, which can lead to, and is leading to, excessive authority of how the web should work, and
+ the standards which are implemented, which all other web browsers must comply with in order to have
+ a fully working web.
+
+
+
+
In order to combat the Chromium monopoly, users typically go over to Chromium's classical rival,
+ Firefox. However, Firefox is dying and has lost almost all of its userbase over the last 2-3 years;
+ the reason for this is a tale of selfishness and greed, caused by Firefox's parent company to go off
+ course and lose its original goal of providing a freedom-respecting, open web. Mozilla caused
+ self-inflicted damage which it cannot recover from, and, to me, is already dead. The vultures are
+ simply waiting for the final, small group of users to abandon the project before Firefox finally
+ succumbs to its own demise; the demise it caused itself.
+
+ If attempting to increase Firefox's market share to previous levels will be in vain, what is the
+ solution? How can we prevent Chromium from completely taking over the web and dictating everything
+ we do and how the web should be designed and used?
+ To find the answer to these important but difficult questions, we must go to the alternatives which
+ still have a fighting chance. Safari, developed by Apple, is based on WebKit, an engine completely
+ independent of Chromium and Firefox.
+
+ Just using a non-Chromium-based web browser is not enough; the choice must already have enough
+ market share to still be relevant, and be capable of gaining new users. Safari, being preinstalled
+ on Apple devices including iPhone and Mac, already has a great advantage over Firefox. Apple
+ devices, especially iPhone, is abundant in streets everywhere on the planet. Safari is the default
+ choice for Apple users and has a large market share simply because of how widespread it is.
+ Exploiting this fact is the only way to gain more market share and take down Chromium before it is
+ too late; the clock is ticking, and Apple are the only ones preventing Chromium from completely
+ taking over the web. Backing Safari instead of Firefox will keep the WebKit market share from
+ falling to a critically low percentage, making it impossible to make a comeback, as has happened to
+ Firefox. Sometimes, directly supporting a political party is not the way to get them into power,
+ supporting the second-place alternative is, in order to keep the one you don't want out of power,
+ giving the party you do want in power an advantage. To win this war against the Chromium monopoly,
+ we must be tactical, not emotional.
Supporting Safari is the first step in supporting WebKit and promoting usage of the independent
+ web engine. Buying time while supporting and contributing to WebKit browser projects is the best and
+ only chance anyone has at competing with Chromium, and preventing it from increasing its dominance
+ to unstoppable levels, at which point there will be no return.
+
+