Posted: 2022-12-20 (UTC+00:00)
Updated: 2023-11-11 (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.