Also please don't use bad fonts. Someone posted the following article the other day and the font drove me so nuts that I had to resort editing the CSS code to make it readable.
I wish I could set reader mode as the default experience. Then, I’d click on something to load the full experience when I know/think it’s needed (and perhaps have my browser remember that choice).
Currently, I can only enable reader mode after my browser has loaded all the shit I don’t want loaded.
Yeah, I know there are extensions for this. I was talking about what I wish for--browsers blocking all the extraneous requests by default and just showing me the page content alone in reader view without downloading all the additional crap.
It's worth considering that one of the many, many wonderful things about the modern internet and modern browsers is that you don't have to sit and wait passively for someone to deliver the experience you want to you. You have everything you need to make Firefox or Chromium do it for you!
Then you can share it with others, and they can have the automagic, fresh-from-the-box, on-by-default experience you would like.
I've been doing this internet thing for nearly 25 years now. I'm not ignorant of all the things I can do on the "modern" internet or browsers. I'm not waiting around passively for someone to deliver experiences I want--I build software, ffs.
I made a simple statement about what I wish browsers did by default. That means no extensions. That means that--unless I'm going to fork a browser to build it myself--building yet another extension to do these things in a sea of extensions that do these things still doesn't change what I wish browsers offered by default. You're now the 3rd person who has appeared to misunderstand the intent of my comment(s).
I fully understood your comment, your point, and your desire. I was attempting to encourage you (and anyone less experienced reading along at home) to push the world that exists in the direction of the world you want, rather than imply any ignorance on your part.
It's far, far too easy for people to treat technology as artifacts handed down from the gods that can only be passively accepted.
> It's far, far too easy for people to treat technology as artifacts handed down from the gods that can only be passively accepted.
Too true. I usually phrase the same sentiment as bemoaning how people treat tech as if it's some magical black box into which they cannot peer & tinker.
Of course, I feel that same way about other things, such as automobile engines. I know it isn't a magical black box, but it may as well be.
Yet, to my mind there's a marked difference between viewing something as a magic black box that cannot be understood and an artifact that isn't understood. The former is an permanent state of affairs. The latter may wind up being permanent, but it can be fixed with effort.
As long as we're making wishes, I'd like my browser--by default--to track down and give a hard slap to all the folks that have ever done any obnoxious stuff with a web page, up to and including Sir Tim. One slap per offending page. I have already prepared my own face for punishment.
If your over-featured site is still readable with lynx, your cheeks shall be spared.
Some visitors want an experience. Others just want information. It is very rare that both types may be satisfied on the same site. If you find that you can build such sites, please report to your nearest zoo, to register for the endangered species breeding program.
Edit: Awww, so close. Sadly, I can see Safari still loads all the crap. So I'd still have to disable/enable JS manually, and have other blocking in place for the extraneous requests that don't belong in a reader view. Maybe one day.
Yeah, NoScript isn't news to me. I'm talking about what I wish a browser would do--out of the box, by default, zero config and third-party add-ons required.
Most people don't give a single shit about your font choice unless it is egregiously unreadable, but the people who do care are especially strident about it.
I tend to prefer leaving it up to their browser default when possible, on the assumption that the few people who really care have customized their browser and don't want me to override it and nobody else will appreciate my refined sensibilities in font selection.
Yes, I am using Chrome on Windows. Thank you for the Firefox suggestion! I didn't realize it was built in now and you can use a serif font. I guess it's back to Firefox!
https://blog.bugsnag.com/bug-day-race-condition-therac-25/
I really wish "reading mode" was a prominent feature in desktop browsers.