1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
|
+++
title = "Ladybird is a thing now"
author = ["Michał Sapka"]
date = 2024-07-03T16:36:00+02:00
categories = ["blog"]
draft = false
weight = 2001
image_dir = "blog/images"
image_max_width = 600
abstract = "I am cautionary optimistic"
+++
**This is not a post about social issues. Those are a thing for different time**
[Just a few days ago](/blog/2024/leaving-firefix-behind/) I published a post about me leaving Firefox behind.
One of the alternatives I've mentioned was [Ladybird.](https://ladybird.org/)
And a lot has changed since then.
Ladybird started as a part of Serenity OS, but recently the main dev left the OS part and decided to fully focus on the browser.
And now he has a million dollars secured for development.
He even hired (HIRED!) full-time developers.
Hell has frozen over; there is a viable way out of Mozilla/Google duopoly.
I _am_ excited, but there are three things that makes me worry.
It's not that they have money, or that the money comes from a billionaire.
They are attacking a moving target, and Google can break the web faster than the can try to fix it.
Any help is welcome.
But they use Discord!
And Microsoft GitHub!
Ladybird is to be the viable alternative to things breaking the web, but they have decided that using the same forces is OK?
And even ignoring ethics, having all knowledge in a Discord is a risky game.
I can find solutions to a million issues in BSD because they use mailing lists—a medium that is open, resilient, and publicly searchable.
None of this applies to Discord.
But hey, Microsoft GitHub is the standard, right?
I'd love if they used a suitable alternative, but it's the easiest way for folks to participate.
Every developer has a Microsoft GitHub account, so why not?
Well, just _forcing_ people to pass their private data to Microsoft and Discord is a huge red flag.
Tracking business is web's biggest problem, and _not_ using a browser made for AD targeting is one of the reasons I'll try Ladybird on day 1.
But to participate in the community, one needs to feed that machine?
Furthermore, their new web page is pretty terrible.
It looks like every startup hungry for more VC bucks.
They even have a new, forgettable logo.
Pretty considerable downgrade if you ask me.
{{< image class="centered" alt="A blue, minimalist on the left. An ladybird on top shaded earth on the right." file="ladybird-new-old.png" >}}
New, boring to the left.
Cool, classic to the right.
What the hell does it even represent now?
{{< /image >}}
And they used a GenAI picture on their site.
You can find a free picture of a generic laptop within 15 mins, but someone decided that it has to be GenAI?
And this raises more questions for me.
Serenity OS has a policy of zero external dependencies.
Ladybird project has no such policy, so they will use 3rd party code.
Will it GenAI it?
If so — I'm out.
The moment someone mentions that Ladybird uses Microsoft Copilot anything, I'm removing all interest in the project.
Browser is too complex, too important tool to be full of bullshit code.
But for now, I am optimistic.
I'll follow the development (well, the part outside closed Discord) and I'll happily use it.
---
This post is the 100th text have I published this year.
Party!
|
