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Google, Mozilla, and Opera React To Microsoft's Embrace of Chromium (venturebeat.com)

With the news earlier today that Microsoft is embracing Chromium for Edge browser development on the desktop, VentureBeat decided to see what the other browser companies had to say about the decision. From the report: Google largely sees Microsoft's decision as a good thing, which is not exactly a surprise given that the company created the Chromium open source project. "Chrome has been a champion of the open web since inception and we welcome Microsoft to the community of Chromium contributors. We look forward to working with Microsoft and the web standards community to advance the open web, support user choice, and deliver great browsing experiences."

Mozilla meanwhile sees Microsoft's move as further validation that users should switch to Firefox. "This just increases the importance of Mozilla's role as the only independent choice. We are not going to concede that Google's implementation of the web is the only option consumers should have. That's why we built Firefox in the first place and why we will always fight for a truly open web." Mozilla regularly points out it develops the only independent browser -- meaning it's not tied to a tech company that has priorities which often don't align with the web. Apple (Safari), Google (Chrome), and Microsoft (Edge) all have their own corporate interests.

Opera thinks Microsoft is making a smart move, because it did the same thing six years ago. "We noticed that Microsoft seems very much to be following in Opera's footsteps. Switching to Chromium is part of a strategy Opera successfully adopted in 2012. This strategy has proved fruitful for Opera, allowing us to focus on bringing unique features to our products. As for the impact on the Chromium ecosystem, we are yet to see how it will turn out, but we hope this will be a positive move for the future of the web."

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  1. What is Chromium? by Iwastheone · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    https://www.howtogeek.com/2028...

    "Chromium is an open-source browser project that forms the basis for the Chrome web browser. But let’s take a little deeper look at what that means.

    When Google first introduced Chrome back in 2008, they also released the Chromium source code on which Chrome was based as an open-source project. That open-source code is maintained by the Chromium Project, while Chrome itself is maintained by Google.

    The biggest difference between the two browsers is that, while Chrome is based on Chromium, Google also adds a number of proprietary features to Chrome like automatic updates and support for additional video formats. Google also took a similar approach with the Chromium OS, which is an open-source project that forms the basis for their own Chrome OS—the operating system that runs on Chromebooks....."

    It can be dangerous...

    Chromium is an open-source web browser project. Although Chromium project itself is legitimate, it is often misused as a platform for malicious web browsers categorized as adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP). ... Clicking these ads is risky and may lead to high-risk adware or malware infections.Feb 20, 2018 How to uninstall Rogue Chromium Browsers - Virus removal instructions...

    What is Chromium? Chromium is an open-source web browser project. Although Chromium project itself is legitimate, it is often misused as a platform for malicious web browsers categorized as adware and potentially unwanted programs (PUP). Most infiltrate systems without users’ permission. In addition, these apps continually track Internet browsing activity, generate intrusive advertisements, and cause unwanted browser redirects.

    https://www.pcrisk.com/removal...