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+---
+slug: firefox-redux
+title: "Firefox Redux"
+date: "2023-12-02T17:53:53-04:00"
+---
+This weekend I installed [Firefox Nightly][] from [Mozilla's APT
+repository][apt-repo] and then switched my desktop browser from
+Chrome to [Firefox][].  Thoughts so far...
+
+### Pros
+
+- [uBlock Origin][] and other useful extensions will continue to
+  work past June 2024.
+- Importing bookmarks, credentials, and history was seamless.
+- Tab switching and omnibar searches are faster than Chrome.
+- [Firefox Sync][] and [Firefox View][] are great; I prefer them to
+  their Chrome equivalents.
+- Better interface customization.
+- Better bookmark management.
+- Better [PDF][] reader.
+
+### Cons
+
+- No tab groups.  There are several tab management extensions, but none
+  are as elegant as tab groups.
+- Occasional [screen tearing][] on complex pages.
+- Chrome has smoother scrolling.
+
+I also worry about [Mozilla][] as an organization; a substantial portion
+of their revenue comes from their contract with Google and they have
+made some questionable business decisions in the last couple of years.
+
+### Why?
+
+[Manifest V3][eff-manifest-v3] was the final straw; it is a
+[thinly-veiled attempt to hobble ad blockers][ars-manifest-v3].  Before
+that there was [AMP][], [FLOC][], [Web Environment Integrity][wei],
+[Privacy Sandbox][], and probably a dozen other anti-competitive and
+user-hostile changes I have forgotten about (see also:
+[enshittification][]).
+
+I switched from [Firefox][] to Chrome a decade ago because of the
+minimalist interface and better performance.  Neither reason applies
+today; the Chrome interface has become cluttered and [Firefox][]
+performance has improved substantially.
+
+In retrospect it was probably unwise for us to give an effective browser
+monopoly to an advertising company.
+
+### Other De-Googling Recommendations
+
+1. Search engine: [Duck Duck Go][].  Fast, good results, spartan
+   interface, [useful shortcuts][duckduckgo-bangs], doesn't feed
+   your search history to Google.
+2. Mobile: [Firefox for Android][firefox-android].  Fast, great
+   interface, supports [uBlock Origin][].  I've used it for years on my
+   phone and tablet.
+
+
+[ublock origin]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBlock_Origin
+  "Free and open source browser extension for content filtering and ad blocking."
+[firefox]: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/
+  "Mozilla Firefox"
+[mozilla]: https://www.mozilla.org/
+  "Mozilla"
+[firefox-android]: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browsers/mobile/android/
+  "Firefox for Android"
+[firefox sync]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefox_Sync
+  "Firefox Sync"
+[firefox view]: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-set-tab-pickup-firefox-view
+  "Firefox View"
+[enshittification]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enshittification
+  "enshittification"
+[eff-manifest-v3]: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2021/12/chrome-users-beware-manifest-v3-deceitful-and-threatening
+  "Chrome Users Beware: Manifest V3 Deceitful and Threatening (EFF)"
+[ars-manifest-v3]: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/11/google-chrome-will-limit-ad-blockers-starting-june-2024/
+  "Google Chrome will limit ad blockers starting June 2024 (Ars Technica)"
+[ars-slower-extension-updates]: https://arstechnica.com/google/2023/12/chromes-next-weapon-in-the-war-on-ad-blockers-slower-extension-updates/
+  "Chrome’s next weapon in the War on Ad Blockers: Slower extension updates (Ars Technica)"
+[tab containers]: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/containers
+  "Multi-Account containers extension for Firefox."
+[apt-repo]: https://blog.nightly.mozilla.org/2023/10/30/introducing-mozillas-firefox-nightly-deb-packages-for-debian-based-linux-distributions/
+  "APT repository for Firefox Nightly packages."
+[amp]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerated_Mobile_Pages#Reception
+  "Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)"
+[floc]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federated_Learning_of_Cohorts
+  "Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLOC)"
+[privacy sandbox]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy_Sandbox
+  "Privacy Sandbox"
+[wei]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Environment_Integrity
+  "Web Environment Integrity"
+[doublespeak]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doublespeak
+[firefox nightly]: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/channel/desktop/#nightly
+  "Firefox Nightly."
+[screen tearing]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_tearing
+  "Rendering artifact where information from multiple frames is shown in a single draw."
+[duck duck go]: https://duckduckgo.com/
+  "Fast and private search engine."
+[duckduckgo-bangs]: https://duckduckgo.com/bangs
+  "Duck Duck Go bang shortcuts."
+[pdf]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDF
+  "Portable Document Format (PDF)"