Why? Mozilla isn’t a threat to open web like Google has shown that they are and they certainly can use all the support they can get.

On mobile I’m using DDG as primary browser.

Don’t get me wrong, DDG’s app is a massive step up in privacy, but it’s hardly a browser, it’s simply a WebView frontend. You’re pretty much still using Chrome.

Google’s proposed “Web Integrity API” browser-DRM was probably the biggest attack on the open web since its conception. I don’t think they have fully given up on that idea and they’ll likely sneak it in more gradually and slowly. Manifest v3 is just a small baby step in this direction of taking away user control.

Also, isn’t that against EU laws?

Very likely, but the final verdict is still out on that one, as far as I know. There are several other services and sites that offer similar opt-out of tracking and ads for money schemes (albeit not as ludicrously expensive).

I believe that’s both against the spirit and any reasonable interpretation of the law, but I don’t think it has been fully tested in court.

“Our presidential election is not really democracy […]"

Well, duh!

Eh, that’s more likely due to the lower user-base and general activity than a genuine difference in behavior. At least I hope so, since I have seen some truly atrocious takes on Lemmy that haven’t received nearly enough downvotes.

I’m using an Ad-, Tracking- etc blocker in all my devices, so I’m not too worried about using Google or Bing when I do.

But I’m hosting my own instance of SearchXNG and that’s often simply the most powerful and flexible search engine.

Same here.

Same on Lemmy, minus the “masses” part, maybe.

Boost is the one I’m looking forward to with by far the most excitement. It was my favorite Reddit client. While I’d be happy enough with Sync, it was always 2nd to Boost for me and this launch and the extremely premium pricing haven’t left me with the best first expression.

I also have the feeling that ljdawson will be the first to cut their losses if the client doesn’t perform as expected on this platform, which makes me extra hesitant to dish out for 22€ or 115€ lifetime payments.

I used several Reddit apps over the years, mostly Relay, Sync, Dash (rip) and Boost. Boost and Sync were my favorites in the end, with a slight preference for Boost (per subreddit view settings and a much better gallery view being the core reasons).

I bought them all and even subscribed to Sync Ultra several times since its inception. I’ll subscribe to Sync for Lemmy as well, at least until Boost comes out - my ad-filter is preventing the ads from loading anyway and I’ll feel better subscribing.

But I will break with my rule to purchase the ad-free version of any app if it’s available on this occasion. 22€ is simply too much to gamble on an app with an uncertain future and a flaky history. ljdawson already paused work on Sync on at least one occasion and is almost certainly going to do it again if this financial gamble isn’t working out.

Boost still works for me like nothing ever happened, NSFW posts and all. But I can’t wait for Boost for Lemmy.

Wow, you weren’t kidding. That’s literally more than 10 times what I paid for the original Sync for Reddit Pro (standalone, without the ad- and tracking framework).

That’s “I want to technically offer a one-time-payment option, but don’t want people to actually use it”-pricing, especially since it doesn’t come with any of the additional subscription features.

I just went from “cool, this will probably be my new home” to “I can’t wait to see what Boost has to offer”.

As someone who bought the premium version of pretty much every single 3rd Party Reddit client (and just about every app I use that allows for ad-removal), this might be the first one I’ll skip.

Are you planning a separate “Sync Pro” app without the app-framework? Like it used to be?

I sure hope it will, but there’s no guarantee. This is still a much smaller and quiet different audience than Reddit’s and this might not be worth the effort for ljdawson in the long run. Heck, there were times when he paused development of the Reddit client despite its far larger reach.

I’m honestly a little shocked by the amount of open hostility he got all over the Fediverse for simply offering a premium/ad-supported/closed-source-client.

I’m a little hesitant to pull the trigger on this one, 15€ is just a tad over the pain threshold for an app with an unknown future and there’s still Boost to look forward to - I’m waiting to see Boost’s pricing first.

Sync Pro is back now. At a bit of a premium, though, 15€ IAP.

You do you. People who have used Sync in the past know what you’re missing out on.

Not complaining, but 15€ for ad-removal without the sync-ultra-features is a bit steeper than I expected.

I understand that the smaller user base probably requires higher prices, but that’s a number that made me reluctant to pull the trigger.

I’m subscribing to Ultra anyway, but with Sync for Reddit, I always enjoyed the option to fall back to “Pro,” if I let my subscription lapse. I was going to pounce right away on Sync for Lemmy Pro, but now I’m not so sure.

Literally my two favorite (former) Reddit clients by a wide margin. This makes me happy.