Re: Helping ensure privacy + security

So . . . the argument is basically that "some websites might break with this field changed" regardless of how it is changed.

So we can expect the next release of Firefox to prevent users from altering the User Agent string, then? After all, changing that to a different value (or null) can and will break many websites.

I use this example as an extreme case to show the logically inconsistent stance taken. Users want the ability to limit information or otherwise alter the behavior of their browser. Chris' plugin, the "FireGloves" plugin, and many others do this.

What I am seeing is a lack of a technical argument for why the defeaturing took place. It's simply because one person doesn't think people should do this . . . really? There are thousands of plugin users that disagree.

As for sites breaking - as with the User Agent string - that's between the user and the extension developer. Maybe something else will need to be added. But this is such a niche area at the moment, the "nanny mode" mindset should be thrown out, and users should be expected as competent and aware of the risks.

This kind of behavior is what led to Gnome 3 having such a massive fork and split of the userbase.