
Google moves closer to letting Chrome web apps edit your files - leeoniya
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/google-moves-closer-to-letting-chrome-web-apps-edit-your-files-despite-warning-it-could-be-abused-in-terrible-ways/
======
andrerm
> Consent by the user

Like Android permissions hell?

Why do Google do this kind of things? Can't they see it's not worth it? How
could my 12 years old daughter understand that her farm, barbie or chicken
whatever don't need access to read and write her files?

~~~
kerng
Google pushes these concepts because they want Chromium to be the operation
system that will replace Linux/Windows/Mac. Something like Chrome - Total
Control Edition.

Why, I dont know - but in the 90s people said Microsoft was after world
domination. Similar reasons might apply.

------
btown
This could be one of the hardest and most gamechanging UX challenges since
email. Because if they get the security model right and allow _informed_ user
consent for an app to access a folder it shares with others... then it's a
quick step towards POSIX and mmap APIs for WebAssembly. Then the web literally
has parity with operating systems.

~~~
apostacy
I used to be so enthusiastic about stuff like this. Sadly, I don't think this
will be cool at all.

I don't think this will ever reach parity with desktop operating systems,
because they don't want us using desktop operating systems at all. I would not
be at all surprised if the only code that has access to this is signed by
Google and maybe hosted on their servers.

------
comex
I like this.

Currently, webapps can read files from disk using an upload dialog and write
them to disk by triggering a download, but this is clumsy enough that it only
really works as an import/export feature. Webapps are essentially forced to
have their "native" document storage be an online service, usually bespoke to
that specific app.

Files on my disk are files under my control. I can back them up myself, pay
for their storage myself (rather than be subject to inflated cloud rates), and
easily bring them to other web or native apps. Files hosted on my account on
some website are... less so. If you're lucky, the storage costs are
reasonable. If you're lucky, there's an API. Often there isn't.

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nallerooth
Given the problems in the past with extensions being sold and exploited by the
new owners, this could get really ugly.

Of course it could also be very useful, but I'm going to wear my tinfoil hat
until proven wrong.

------
namanaggarwal
it's not great but not terrible

------
rdiddly
"This is fine."

