Brave Browser 2018-07-21

Kind of recently I was yaking with someone who was telling me that Brave Browser is good. I was a bit skeptical that anyone had come up with a usable browser that wasn't junk, but since I have clearly been experiencing browser disappointment, I figured I'd give it a shot. Turns out Brave doesn't run on XP.

Surely plenty of wankers reading that would bark about how XP is dead and that I don't know what the fuck I am talking about. Well, XP is only dead because you choose to give up on it. There is no technical reason XP couldn't be just fine right now. If XP is dead it is your fault. So, I setup a Linux box and tried out Brave.

Here's what I found:

• 473MB install on 64bit Linux (which is ridiculous)
• skinned interface does not use system theme
• can't remove default extensions: 1password, bitwarden, dashlane, honey, lastpass, metamask, pdfviewer, save to pocket, torrent viewer
• no way to disable cookies and provide exception list
• no way to add custom adblock list
• no adblock element hiding utility for quickly adding adblock rules
• no way to show close buttons on tabs without hover
• no bookmarks button without showing entire bookmarks toolbar
• can't left justify url bar
• can't customize the UI in any way [issue since Jan 30, 2017]
• no way to add custom search engine [issue since Aug 9, 2016]
• no url keywords
• no way to remove unwanted search engines [told feature is coming 2017-10-01]
• no way to show/validate DNSSEC/TLSA
• no application specific proxy setting [issue since Sep 6, 2016]

Frankly, Brave Browser is as much of a disappointment as the other dozens of browsers I have tried and hated. They also seem to push the same kinds of junk (such as Pocket and acceptable ads) on users that other browser developers do. Why would I want to use a browser that specifically has the problems that other developers such as Mozilla and eyeo are taking shit for?

Just sayin'.