When I found out there is a chromium browser that blocks ads, I tried to contain my excitement and keep my expectations to the lower half of the scales!
After trying it for couple of hours, it became the default browser in my desktop, laptop and phone (windows and android).
I obviously wanted to sync settings across devices. This is the point where I was expecting to start typing all my info and create an account. I didn’t have to.
- No sign up with a centralized entity?
- No annoying fill in your data, go through the fields in red and captcha?
Before I even realize it; I was a fan.
Reading a bit more about Brave, I found out they use Solana, which is the only network I am currently interested (and invested) in.
Following few months of using Brave and Qwant search engine, I find out there is a Brave search. And a very convenient way to utilize any search engine in the url input textbox (:g :q :br).
I now am, not just a fan, but a supporter. Once you use it, you will know what I mean. I really don’t feel explaining it using written form, but 3 euros a month in order to have the results of your search and not having to scroll 3 pages of “sponsored” links… is a no brainer!
There are 2 things I would like they address though:
-
The built in wallet of Brave is pretty much useless. It can be used to hold currency, which is basic functions of a wallet. But you cannot use it to pay! (connect to a site using your brave wallet and commit a transaction).
To clarify further: my previous statement is incorrect with regards to virtual wallets. Holding currency is a function of the blockchain. The wallet is just an interface, which can be used to approve transactions. However, excluding the missing basic wallet functionality, there are plenty of defects and it lacks many features required to even consider it a serious product. So, until Brave wallet becomes something like Solflare, it is useless to me.
(Solflare, not Phantom: I will never accept a "crypto "wallet that displays transactions in “fiat” - lol) -
BAT! And unfortunately a large number of posts is about BAT and how people can’t get their coin. Really? We are given the opportunity to break the chains of slavery, which are forced upon us, by centralized entities; but people wana go back to being cows, because they are used being milked
Don’t get me wrong: I agree and like the “get paid for reading our ads” concept. But it can never work with personalized ads, as it directly contradicts the “no tracking aspect”. This is exactly why the data collection and ads personalization has been outsourced to centralized entities (i.e. gemini).
In short:
- If I can have non-personalized ads
- that I can click on
- and as a result I can receive BAT
- in my “properly” implemented Brave wallet
- while maintaining the current search paradigm
…then the path to the Brave new world would have been paved in marble!