#antifeatures — Public Fediverse posts

I'm rebuilding #zedless from the ground up. Editing the source code directly made it impossible to keep up with upstream due to the hundreds of merge conflicts I would encounter with every update. Now I'm switching to AST editing with #astgrep and #treesitter.

The patch code is available at https://github.com/zedless-editor/zedless-patches. In its current state, it can build Zed v0.225.10 with reduced telemetry, no auto updates, and some of the proprietary AI integrations removed.

The plan is to get rid of all telemetry and nuisances such as upsell popups, as well as all online functionality that is specifically tied to a particular provider, leaving you with an editor that stays out of your way and doesn't rely on any services you couldn't host yourself.

#texteditors #zed #spyware #antifeatures #foss

"If it were to be put into effect, the developer registration decree will end the F-Droid project and other free/open source app distribution sources as we know them today," said Prud'hommeaux.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/29/googles_dev_registration_plan_will

Over the last 12 years, F-Droid has been my only source of Android apps I could confidently trust not to be full of antifeatures. This is a big step backwards.

#FDroid #antifeatures #Android #Google #FOSS

This is something we should all be pondering: Big tech has most of my email, because it has *all* of yours: https://mako.cc/copyrighteous/google-has-most-of-my-email-because-it-has-all-of-yours #AntiFeatures #SurveillanceCapitalism

It's been a long, slow slide, so it's not always obvious how much #Mozilla has abandoned the primacy of the #user's wants over the companies #spying on and #advertising to us.

But I'm pretty sure we passed a #knee in the curve not long ago. How do I know?

Because now, every time I get a "a new version of #Firefox is available, click to #update" dialog, I shudder in dread, and after applying the update I go through the entire preferences/settings to double-check that they haven't added any more user-hostile #antifeatures garbage (cryptocurrency, blockchain, "#privacy-preserving ad #surveillance", "AI", on and on the garbage they've tried cramming into Firefox).

Users shouldn't dread simple #software updates. At least not open-source users.

But here we are.

#OpenSource #AdWare

edit: corrected typo

@lgeurts Better yet, get a differernt #web #browser, like @Waterfox that removes many of these #privacy #leaking #antifeatures.

Hey @fdroidorg, how about we replace the "Non-Free Network Services" flag with two more specific Anti-Feature flags; "Non-Changeable Network Services" and "Proprietary Network Services";

https://forum.f-droid.org/t/propsosal-split-non-free-network-services-into-separate-flags-for-changeability-and-code-license/

#SoftwareFreedom #Android #FDroid #AntiFeatures #NetworkServices

How long until someone is arrested based on planted "Recall" screenshots / "evidence"?

Lots of code out there already to _read_ Recall databases etc, is there any to _write_ to it yet?

#recall #microsoft #antiFeatures

I have compiled a set of filters for #uBlockOrigin for anyone that uses #Bing to hide the annoying "AI"-related antifeatures. Please note the "AI"-generated "stories" can't be fully hidden as they'll cause the page to not fully load and #Firefox to partially lock up. This filter list is copyright-free as it's not a creative work. You can use this on Firefox for #Android if you didn't know it had real adblock.

https://codeberg.org/DrewNaylor/MyGists/src/branch/main/ublock-origin-filters/bing-annoyance-anti-ai-filter.txt

#AI #Microsoft #antifeature #antifeatures #uBlock #adblock

#AntiFeatures not shown repository / app version specific #FDroid #FDroidIssue #FDroidAntiFeatures
https://gitlab.com/fdroid/fdroidclient/-/issues/2715

@hrefna

> Unsafe

The most unsafe part about #fediverse is master-don dominates with its #antiFeatures.

M'don is not much decentralised as many assume (see #CDNs). We just had a little rant about it.

We cannot protect fedizens, without protecting instances themselves. Adoption of I2P and/or at least proposals like #GlutPlug to help decentralise #contentDelivery will protect instances, but such discussions are nowhere.

Case in point, even slow-moving #bitcoin has #I2P support now.

#privacy

@seldo Nice to see that Microsoft continues to 'push back the frontiers' of #antifeatures with their relentless brand of 'innovation' (indistinguishable from 'enshittification').

HOT PRIVACY TIP for #TorBrowser.

Tired of accidentally #searching from the URL bar.

Enter the 'about:config' page and change 'keyword.enabled' to 'false'.

We are supposed to believe that someone at #Mozilla thought, '#keyword' was an adequate description of the "feature".

#antiFeatures #privacy #search #searchFromTheURLBar #urlBar #ux #duckDuckGo #firefox

An even more easy way to detect a likely #botFarm abuser, is if they have only been on fedi since around #nov22 and attract hundreds or thousands of likes and boosts.

On fedi that is really not natural.

We do hate that we must say this but the fact is #Mastodon and #MastodonDevs really let the ball slip when they implemented a bunch of #antiFeatures that fediverse was intended never to have.

#theNov22s

@LionsPhil @nicuveo
Re #hashtags. We have a pinned toot about it, it's that important.

On fedi, use #milkshakeDuck, not simply 'milkshake duck'.

In addition to being able to import toots, there *does* need to be a way to do #booleanSearch for #hashtags.

eg. Either/or: #icecream #icecreme #gelato #gelati
Addition: #icecream #icecreme +#fediArt
Subtraction: #btc -#nft

It seems #MastodonDevs are more interested in shadowban functions and #antiFeatures like the #botFarmTimeline, tho.

How many instances are preparing to block m'don.social and m'don.online over the #antiFeatures, spam and centralisation?

We came across an fellow #I2Peer recently who says they will be blocking them and our sense is they are not the only ones. It's disappointing that a need to block has emerged, but we completely understand and maybe it'll result in a return to a more useable #fediverse for the blockers.

#mildDisappointment

@Mastodon
For those thinking of forking Mastodon, please do so in a safe environment such as on the #InvisibleInternetProtocol (#I2P).

- Consider removing the 'Explore' timeline (*cough* botfarm timeline)
- Consider #makeJavascriptOptional
- Consider not showing like and boost counts until a person actively opens the toot thread.
- Consider not implementing the #antifeatures mentioned above.

In wartime, artists are the first to be targetted. Please #useI2P and live.

We remember asking for #QT on fedi, not in so few letters, but we did ask.

Someone explanted that fedi was different. People found #QTs to be abusive on the #dotcons. We thought about that and basically instantly realised that our past #behaviour may have been less civil.

We adjusted.

I do not believe in yeilding to them (and many bots) who have descended upon Fedi, and specifically it seems, #Mastodon servers, in the past couple months.

They should learn like we did.

#antiFeatures

@joeo10

Dunno.

> Appears on the scene to take control of fedi at some might say a very sensitive and opportune time,
> Gets a disproportionate amount of funds to develop fedi software,
> continues to not enforce #AGPLv3Compliance against #HellaDoge.com,
> Magically comes to support #antiFeatures like forced #javascript, Explore Tab, showing interaction counts, etc
> #JoinMastodon.com is CloudFlare,
> But says 'no' to #ventureCapital out of #SiliconValley.

Hmm.
@Gargron

I pay for access to the NYTimes. I like to read it on my phone, in a web browser.

For every single article I read, it gives me this damn notification asking me to install and use their proprietary app. And every single time, I click "No Thanks." It's getting old. I wish they'd chill.

#antifeatures #nytimes

I was giving a computing ethics lecture about #FOSS and #antifeatures around 2014. Lots of folks there had never even heard of #FDroid. Maybe it's still not well-known?

F-Droid is a repository and platform for FOSS on Android. Their app can manage your other apps, much like you do with the Google Play Store.

When I need an Android app for something, I always check F-Droid first, just because the apps are trustworthy.

@fdroidorg

I'll reply with a few of my favorite apps on F-Droid... 🧵

If #Mozilla had less funding, #Firefox might be a more stable #webBrowser.

Part of the reason we find it unstable is because by the time we understand the latest #antiFeatures, and how to easily remove, disable, recompile them out. They are already deploying a new zeroDay.

Its intolerable.

#UBIFixesThis #bitcoinFixesThis

@PaulaToThePeople
Is the above CC in any way? If so we might use it on the (#)fediFlyer we produce.

Our next FediFlyer will likely be Pleroma/Epicyon-focused.

Mastodon appears to be adopting darkPatterns and #numberGoUp-style #antiFeatures.