Published 2025-09-03
tag(s): #overblown-minor-annoyances #linux #failures
I have used a lot of different browsers over the years.
The one I have the fondest memories of is Opera. Not whatever that is now, but Opera with the
Presto rendering engine and all the amazing customization options.[1]
When Opera died, I moved back to Firefox. Eventually Vivaldi was released, by the same guys who made Opera Presto. I was an early adopter, and happy about it. But since Vivaldi is using the same underlying technology as Chrome, and over time I started caring about Free Software and monopolies yadda yadda, I switched back to Firefox.
Here is the deal. A friend mentioned Vivaldi in passing in some group chat a few days ago, and since I've been tempted to go back to it.
Firefox hasn't been doing exactly a great job as stewards of the only viable Chromium alternative, and the fact that their fate is so tied to Google, maybe more than Chromium's (ridiculous as that might sound) doesn't give me great confidence...
Also, Firefox in iOS is pretty meh. Yeah, Apple's partially at fault for sure. Still.
Now, here's the deal. Right now, instead of downloading Vivaldi and reviving my original Sync account, I am here...because...laziness?
That's all there is to it. I could download Vivaldi, but then I think of all the
things I have to migrate...
Ohhh, brief digression: how come Firefox puts all the bookmarks you create from the phone in a
separate folder and you can't change it to use a shared folder for desktop and phone. That is
some BULLSHIT.
...as I was saying, other than bookmarks and some history, there isn't that much to
migrate. I use BitWarden as my password manager, so really my FF account doesn't have a lot.
(Although, likely I am missing something else)
And the truth is, annoying as FF is...it is just there? It gets in the way in minor things,
but doesn't really bother me that much, so the incentive to change out of enthusiasm for
trying something new dissipates.
Lately, I actually use EWW a lot, for small web stuff. And Firefox only for "big" sites.
Is this what growing old is? Something works mostly the way you want it to, so you
put up with it?
That explains why my wife is still around, putting up with me. =P
And is that why I don't try any new Emacs packages? Because what I have works, and I don't
feel like adding anything to the mix? Like, anything that would complicate my current setup is
an annoyance.[2]
Anyway, maybe this weekend I will write a post about how I moved back to Vivaldi. For now I
will just turn off the laptop and head back to the Steam Deck to play some more
Bloodstained.
Aren't Metroidvania games a wonderful thing?