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0 pointsjefftk4y ago0 comments

A dark pattern is trying to trick the user, with hard to find close, boxes, pre-checked subscriptions, or other misleading user interface patterns. Looking through your linked comment, I don't see any examples of these? Details:

The first point there is changing the API for their add-ons, which they did for performance, maintainability, and security reasons. No dark pattern there.

On Firefox Suggest (points 2 and 3), are you saying it is a dark pattern because their messaging when you enable the feature is not clear about what's happening? What's wrong with the messaging and how would you like it to be better?

With ads on the new tab page, I don't see what is a dark pattern about it? Or are you just saying that you don't like ads and wish Firefox would find another source of revenue?

With the Mr. Robot extension (points 5 and 6), I think it was a dumb choice, but again I don't see how it's a dark pattern?

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technobabbler4y ago

I'd argue that presenting partner extensions as though they were a user-friendly feature is a dark pattern in and of itself. "Check out this shiny new feature you'll love!" Oh wait, it's just more Firefox spam. Stop wasting my time.

If the semantics bother you, feel free to call it something else... an anti-feature, perhaps.

Every time I open Firefox it's different, and annoying in some new way. It's really gone downhill in the last decade.

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