In April 1994 I started working on the Opera browser with Geir Iversøy, my co-founder.
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Here is the point. Unlike most that have an opinion on this, I have actually built a browser from scratch. Did that with Opera. Realistically we could not do that today. Would require too much resources and take too long. Then we would have to deal with compatibility issues.
There are really only two other alternatives when it comes to code. Use Webkit or Gecko. That would be a larger risk and we would not be any less reliant on Apple or Google.
The way for us to have the most impact is to continue to build based on Chromium. Over time we will be able to have a bigger impact as well.
@jon @Ketakater @Vivaldi the problem with that choice is that when Google developers decide something isn't needed anymore, or shouldn't be supported in the first place (e.g., XSLT, JPEG XL) you are essentially forced to follow through with their decisions. That doesn't really help you make an impact.
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In April 1994 I started working on the Opera browser with Geir Iversøy, my co-founder. I worked at Opera for 17 years, leaving it after disagreeing with investors about the way forward. Two years later I co-founded @Vivaldi with Tatsuki Tomita and Anne Stavnes. This was in 2013.
For more than 30 years we have provided alternatives to Big Tech. First with Opera and now with Vivaldi. The focus has always been quite different from our competitors. More features, more privacy, more flexibility. Lately it has also meant the choice to avoid things like Crypto and Blockchain, avoid integrating AI and avoid integrating surveillance. This is not given. Most of our competitors are building in one or more of the above.
If you like what we are doing and our stand, feel free to download Vivaldi. If you are already with us, please tell your friends.
#Vivaldi #EU #Europa #Technology #Browser #Windows #Macos #Linux #Android #IOS #Automotive #Computer
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@jon @Ketakater @Vivaldi the problem with that choice is that when Google developers decide something isn't needed anymore, or shouldn't be supported in the first place (e.g., XSLT, JPEG XL) you are essentially forced to follow through with their decisions. That doesn't really help you make an impact.
It would not matter if we had our own code really. If we support a format that nobody else supports, it is not really helpful. Sites do not use stuff that the main browsers do not support. That is just how things work.
If there is something that Google adds or removes that we think is important to do differently we do. We spend a lot of time on that. Right now we are spending plenty of time keeping Gemini out of Vivaldi, as an example. We also remove a lot of other stuff and we add our own stuff, such as ad and tracker blockers and a lot more.
The most important thing for us is to grow. More people using Vivaldi means we have more power to influence where the Web heads. IMHO that is a good thing.
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It would not matter if we had our own code really. If we support a format that nobody else supports, it is not really helpful. Sites do not use stuff that the main browsers do not support. That is just how things work.
If there is something that Google adds or removes that we think is important to do differently we do. We spend a lot of time on that. Right now we are spending plenty of time keeping Gemini out of Vivaldi, as an example. We also remove a lot of other stuff and we add our own stuff, such as ad and tracker blockers and a lot more.
The most important thing for us is to grow. More people using Vivaldi means we have more power to influence where the Web heads. IMHO that is a good thing.
@jon @Ketakater @Vivaldi it's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem though. JPEG XL for example is starting to see some traction thanks to Apple decided to support it anyway and the availability of extensions for Chrome and Firefox to handle it, and now Firefox is finally looking into adding it in main (not just in nightly behind a default-off flag).
Also, since you don't report Vivaldi as such anymore IIRC, how are you going to show that more people are indeed using it?
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In April 1994 I started working on the Opera browser with Geir Iversøy, my co-founder. I worked at Opera for 17 years, leaving it after disagreeing with investors about the way forward. Two years later I co-founded @Vivaldi with Tatsuki Tomita and Anne Stavnes. This was in 2013.
For more than 30 years we have provided alternatives to Big Tech. First with Opera and now with Vivaldi. The focus has always been quite different from our competitors. More features, more privacy, more flexibility. Lately it has also meant the choice to avoid things like Crypto and Blockchain, avoid integrating AI and avoid integrating surveillance. This is not given. Most of our competitors are building in one or more of the above.
If you like what we are doing and our stand, feel free to download Vivaldi. If you are already with us, please tell your friends.
#Vivaldi #EU #Europa #Technology #Browser #Windows #Macos #Linux #Android #IOS #Automotive #Computer
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I think that is unlikely. Having built a browser from scratch, I do not see it as likely that a small project can be competitive enough. I would love to be wrong on that one, but we cannot bet the company on something like that.
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@Sebastian, there is one: the postinst script in the .deb will automatically add the repository (and the signing key) for you.
The names of the files added by that script depend on exactly which build you're using, but will look like /etc/apt/sources.list/vivaldi*.list and /usr/share/keyrings/vivaldi*.gpg.
(I found it surprising that it does this. It's something which should be done by local admin or by a tool such as extrepo, though it is definitely useful as an automatic update mechanism should the details change.)
@jon @Vivaldi, have you considered extrepo for handling adding/removing the repository info?
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Our goal is to to support Linux in the best way we can. This means we support Snap, DEB and RPM packages at this time. We even have made a Flatpak, but it is still unofficial as we need the Flatpak team to work with us on some issues before we can make it official.
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@Ketakater @TritTriton @jon @Vivaldi
Then Google would be in breach of the Chromium licence. Now, since Google enjoys practical immunity that doesn't matter much, but it would be irrational of Google, since the Chromium codebase is what makes them control Microsoft's browser offering too. It would be strategically shooting themselves in the foot. (Not something which always has dissuaded corporations, but...) Anyway, that would lead to browser makers banding together to maintain Chromium. Remember, Chromium was forked from a community project in the first place.
My two eurocents is that in addition to the above note of the Vivaldi team ripping out some malfeatures, nothing is black and white. If you use Firefox, you are using a code base funded by Google too, since more than 80% of Mozilla corp's income comes from Google. If you want to support the open web by using a non-Google browser, it makes no sense using a browser from the controlled opposition. And then, if you want to use sites like your bank or popular media, then you're left with practically nothing.
To me, Vivaldi is a pragmatic and better solution than running e.g. Firefox these days. It's not perfect, it doesn't pass every purity test, but it's a good browser and the team seems to have their hearts in the right place.
@Lemmus @Ketakater @TritTriton @jon @Vivaldi, it's a good thing that we have the likes of Vivaldi, Librewolf, Palemoon…
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@Ketakater @TritTriton @jon @Vivaldi (too) powerful corporations are a threat to any government. I'm not worried about that part
@WildEnte @Ketakater @TritTriton @jon @Vivaldi the state and corporations are one and the same in a fascist state. Which is the current reality of things, or near indistinguishably close.
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Our goal is to to support Linux in the best way we can. This means we support Snap, DEB and RPM packages at this time. We even have made a Flatpak, but it is still unofficial as we need the Flatpak team to work with us on some issues before we can make it official.
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In April 1994 I started working on the Opera browser with Geir Iversøy, my co-founder. I worked at Opera for 17 years, leaving it after disagreeing with investors about the way forward. Two years later I co-founded @Vivaldi with Tatsuki Tomita and Anne Stavnes. This was in 2013.
For more than 30 years we have provided alternatives to Big Tech. First with Opera and now with Vivaldi. The focus has always been quite different from our competitors. More features, more privacy, more flexibility. Lately it has also meant the choice to avoid things like Crypto and Blockchain, avoid integrating AI and avoid integrating surveillance. This is not given. Most of our competitors are building in one or more of the above.
If you like what we are doing and our stand, feel free to download Vivaldi. If you are already with us, please tell your friends.
#Vivaldi #EU #Europa #Technology #Browser #Windows #Macos #Linux #Android #IOS #Automotive #Computer
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