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CIRCLE WITH A DOT

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  3. Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs.

Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs.

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  • kimcrawley@zeroes.caK kimcrawley@zeroes.ca

    @cstross Please consider Vivaldi instead, they are strongly anti Gen AI. Firefox cannot be trusted, Mozilla loves Gen AI and their "killswitch" is a con. For Firefox rendering, I use LibreWolf instead. LibreWolf is also anti Gen AI.

    And please check your email and check out https://stopgenai.com

    cstross@wandering.shopC This user is from outside of this forum
    cstross@wandering.shopC This user is from outside of this forum
    cstross@wandering.shop
    wrote last edited by
    #21

    @kimcrawley I'm considering Waterfox. Big issue is I have a *lot* of open tabs there (FF is my primary browser) on multiple machines. Moving one browser in a day has used up all my spoons.

    kimcrawley@zeroes.caK andres4ny@social.ridetrans.itA 2 Replies Last reply
    0
    • dr_bombay@mstdn.socialD dr_bombay@mstdn.social

      @cstross question: how did you transfer all your open tabs and extensions? I think that’s what is holding me back…

      cstross@wandering.shopC This user is from outside of this forum
      cstross@wandering.shopC This user is from outside of this forum
      cstross@wandering.shop
      wrote last edited by
      #22

      @Dr_Bombay Manually, with some effort!

      philbetts@mastodon.socialP wellsitegeo@masto.aiW 2 Replies Last reply
      0
      • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

        @kimcrawley I'm considering Waterfox. Big issue is I have a *lot* of open tabs there (FF is my primary browser) on multiple machines. Moving one browser in a day has used up all my spoons.

        kimcrawley@zeroes.caK This user is from outside of this forum
        kimcrawley@zeroes.caK This user is from outside of this forum
        kimcrawley@zeroes.ca
        wrote last edited by
        #23

        @cstross I understand completely. I'm not familiar with Waterfox, but my assumption is they are likely good.

        I think you're a really cool science fiction writer, and I emailed you about Stop Gen AI this morning.

        Link Preview Image
        Stop Gen AI – Mutual Aid and Political Activism

        favicon

        (stopgenai.com)

        1 Reply Last reply
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        • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

          Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

          Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

          dckim@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
          dckim@mastodon.socialD This user is from outside of this forum
          dckim@mastodon.social
          wrote last edited by
          #24

          @cstross it really is a hassle for a lot of people, and if you have left it, the thing will be constantly eating into your processing speed... in a very big way. It would essentially dominate your machine.

          This really is sinister. The company has reached a stage in their development process where they have nothing new to train the model on.

          So now they need to train it directly from you, on your machine.

          It's all that's left for reach.

          wellsitegeo@masto.aiW 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

            Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

            Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

            F This user is from outside of this forum
            F This user is from outside of this forum
            firebreathingduck@social.vivaldi.net
            wrote last edited by
            #25

            @cstross

            Thanks for posting this. I have Chrome installed everywhere as a backup browser. Time to find a new backup.

            wellsitegeo@masto.aiW 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

              Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

              Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

              paradegrotesque@mastodon.sdf.orgP This user is from outside of this forum
              paradegrotesque@mastodon.sdf.orgP This user is from outside of this forum
              paradegrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org
              wrote last edited by
              #26

              @cstross

              This could be helpful:

              Willow (@salixlucida@mastodon.sdf.org)

              De-Google: https://helium.computer/ De-Mozilla (Firefox surreptitiously "phones home", plus Mozilla wants to make Firefox an "AI browser"): https://zen-browser.app/

              favicon

              Mastodon @ SDF (mastodon.sdf.org)

              cstross@wandering.shopC 1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • paradegrotesque@mastodon.sdf.orgP paradegrotesque@mastodon.sdf.org

                @cstross

                This could be helpful:

                Willow (@salixlucida@mastodon.sdf.org)

                De-Google: https://helium.computer/ De-Mozilla (Firefox surreptitiously "phones home", plus Mozilla wants to make Firefox an "AI browser"): https://zen-browser.app/

                favicon

                Mastodon @ SDF (mastodon.sdf.org)

                cstross@wandering.shopC This user is from outside of this forum
                cstross@wandering.shopC This user is from outside of this forum
                cstross@wandering.shop
                wrote last edited by
                #27

                @ParadeGrotesque @salixlucida No, it's the *opposite* of helpful.

                tseitr@mastodon.sdf.orgT 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                  Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

                  Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

                  mwl@io.mwl.ioM This user is from outside of this forum
                  mwl@io.mwl.ioM This user is from outside of this forum
                  mwl@io.mwl.io
                  wrote last edited by
                  #28

                  @cstross I had planned to do some writing today but nooo, I'm following your example.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                    Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

                    Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

                    netraven@hear-me.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
                    netraven@hear-me.socialN This user is from outside of this forum
                    netraven@hear-me.social
                    wrote last edited by
                    #29

                    @cstross I likr waterfox.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                      @Dr_Bombay Manually, with some effort!

                      philbetts@mastodon.socialP This user is from outside of this forum
                      philbetts@mastodon.socialP This user is from outside of this forum
                      philbetts@mastodon.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #30

                      @cstross @Dr_Bombay open tabs you should be able to use OneTab across both, then export and import.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                        @JustinMac84 Actually it's 1.5Gb for the browser ... and another 5Gb for a sodding local AI model I didn't ask for *which is non-removable and Chrome re-downloads it if you delete it*. Hence nuking the app completely.

                        wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                        wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                        wellsitegeo@masto.ai
                        wrote last edited by
                        #31

                        @cstross @JustinMac84
                        "Another great victory for Marketing."

                        Coming soon - Alphabet Inc renamed Phyrrus Inc.

                        wellsitegeo@masto.aiW 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                          Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

                          Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

                          illuminatus@mstdn.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                          illuminatus@mstdn.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                          illuminatus@mstdn.social
                          wrote last edited by
                          #32

                          @cstross On one hand, I didn't update my CPU earlier when I should/could, and I am still running my PC from 2012. OTOH, Chrome can't bloat on my hard disk because it can't update. LOL.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                            @Dr_Bombay Manually, with some effort!

                            wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                            wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                            wellsitegeo@masto.ai
                            wrote last edited by
                            #33

                            @cstross @Dr_Bombay Hmmm. Most browsers have a "list of open tabs" function, which *implies* (big 7 letters!) a file containing that list (dynamically generated).

                            Which if you could find it would be half the battle.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • dckim@mastodon.socialD dckim@mastodon.social

                              @cstross it really is a hassle for a lot of people, and if you have left it, the thing will be constantly eating into your processing speed... in a very big way. It would essentially dominate your machine.

                              This really is sinister. The company has reached a stage in their development process where they have nothing new to train the model on.

                              So now they need to train it directly from you, on your machine.

                              It's all that's left for reach.

                              wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                              wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                              wellsitegeo@masto.ai
                              wrote last edited by
                              #34

                              @dckim @cstross
                              5GB is *very* small for a training set. Small fractions of a percent. So how are they divvying up that task (à la SETI@home) and sending digested data back?

                              Now you've got me thinking. How much compute has Google (Alphabet) "donated" to BOINC - the generalisation of task distribution that grew off the back of SETI@home?

                              dckim@mastodon.socialD 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • F firebreathingduck@social.vivaldi.net

                                @cstross

                                Thanks for posting this. I have Chrome installed everywhere as a backup browser. Time to find a new backup.

                                wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                                wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                                wellsitegeo@masto.ai
                                wrote last edited by
                                #35

                                @firebreathingduck @cstross
                                I went through that process a few months ago, and settled on Opera.
                                Which is pushing it's diseased AI willy in my face all too often.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • wellsitegeo@masto.aiW wellsitegeo@masto.ai

                                  @cstross @JustinMac84
                                  "Another great victory for Marketing."

                                  Coming soon - Alphabet Inc renamed Phyrrus Inc.

                                  wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                                  wellsitegeo@masto.aiW This user is from outside of this forum
                                  wellsitegeo@masto.ai
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #36

                                  @cstross @JustinMac84

                                  Sorry, Pyrrus.
                                  It's immortality, of a sort.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                                    Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

                                    Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

                                    imalcolm@mastodon.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                                    imalcolm@mastodon.socialI This user is from outside of this forum
                                    imalcolm@mastodon.social
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #37

                                    @cstross

                                    Good move, but can imagine it was quite the pain...

                                    Having to use Chrome on my employer's Win machine has inoculated me experientially, so that my Macs at home have never had Chrome installed on them.

                                    (Safari for my main, and Firefox as a backup, plus it has a few privacy-related extensions I find handy that Safari doesn't, though I'm thinking of trying out Waterfox sometime as well.)

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                                      Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

                                      Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

                                      dbat@mastodon.gamedev.placeD This user is from outside of this forum
                                      dbat@mastodon.gamedev.placeD This user is from outside of this forum
                                      dbat@mastodon.gamedev.place
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #38

                                      @cstross If Charlie-SCIENCE-FUCKING-FICTION says it, you know it's on! Kick Chrome to the Churb!

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                                        @kimcrawley I'm considering Waterfox. Big issue is I have a *lot* of open tabs there (FF is my primary browser) on multiple machines. Moving one browser in a day has used up all my spoons.

                                        andres4ny@social.ridetrans.itA This user is from outside of this forum
                                        andres4ny@social.ridetrans.itA This user is from outside of this forum
                                        andres4ny@social.ridetrans.it
                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #39

                                        @cstross @kimcrawley I have an old laptop that is still running an older version of debian because i haven't had the patience and time to go through some 4000 open ff tabs. It's been several years now, and it just sits there. By the time I finally go through it, I figure many of the pages will be 404s and the job will be much easier, but still...

                                        [To anyone else reading, I'm not asking for solutions - I know there are ways to export tabs, none of them are satisfactory for what I want.]

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • cstross@wandering.shopC cstross@wandering.shop

                                          Welp, it's taken me a few days to get round to it, but I have just now deleted Chrome (and it's associated LLM malware downloads) from ALL my Macs. Fucker was taking up 6.5Gb of space on my Macbook Neo. Utterly unacceptable bullshit on a machine that starts with 256Gb of storage, even if I *wanted* the AI features (I don't).

                                          Took a while because I had to transfer all my extensions and continuously open tabs across into Safari (I mainly use Firefox, but some sites render badly in FF.)

                                          mhedney@mapstodon.spaceM This user is from outside of this forum
                                          mhedney@mapstodon.spaceM This user is from outside of this forum
                                          mhedney@mapstodon.space
                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #40

                                          @cstross to deinstall chrome on macOS, is it really as simple as dragging the app into the trash? (As I did) Does one also need to go and explicitly root out the LLM crap too?

                                          kenswinson@indieweb.socialK cstross@wandering.shopC 2 Replies Last reply
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