Before I go into reviewing this I should put out there that even though as of this writing I’m 33 years old I actually started up on the web very young. I was surfing the web when Windows 95 first came out when I was about 9 years old. However my first browser was NOT Internet Explorer. I started with Netscape Navigator. If memory serves it was when my father was using Compuserve 56K Dial Up when that had first come about. The PC in question was an early Gateway build with a full CRT and a ball mouse. I would eventually go from this to browsing on a Dreamcast for a while until I had effectively my own PC on early 2000s cable broadband. I shifted to Mozilla in 2004, tried Chrome for a short amount of time between 2015 to 2016, before settling on Brave when it was fully released. I had to deal a little with Opera on college Macs because they gave very little choice there.
Point is, I have my share of experience with different forms of surfing the web on a plethora of devices and will be pulling from that experience when going over the various aspects of the Dissenter Web Browser and giving you information to decide whether you should go for it or not. I will also let you know what they likely built their browser on and why that might be a weakness overall. Don’t take this wrong – I see the necessity of this browser and am currently using it to write this review in WordPress for good measure. So with all that in mind Let’s Hammer This In.
First thing I notice is the obvious build similarities to both Chrome and Brave. That’s because its built upon the Chromium open source software provided to programmers by Google that’s based in C/C++, JavaScript, and Python. This is a strength to Brave as its creator is the original developer of JavaScript and can implement secrets in his code to block hacks Google sneaked in to try to counter his browser. I don’t know of anyone with any similar experience on the Dissenter project with Mr. Torba though I wouldn’t be surprised if he has talked with the Brave Team. However since Google is doing everything they can to block Dissenter’s extension on other platforms it would be safe to say that they have to constantly code around these blocks of the application. This means a more annoying update structure overall.
So what difference is there between Brave with the Dissenter Extension and Dissenter itself? Primarily the ‘Rewards’ system. Brave has a built in cryptocurrency wallet system meant to work with Etherium and similar coins. You have to set that system up separately with Dissenter. Another weakness is there isn’t an android variant set up yet while there is one with Brave. That’s been within this past month of me testing it so it should be around the corner, sometime within this summer I would think. Another thing that surprises me is that the browser doesn’t have a way to use your Gab account as your specific profile for the browser like chrome seems to with your Google account. I can understand why Brave still has issues reaching a unified account set up between PC and android but considering how they are advertising the linking of Dissenter with Gab I can not comprehend how this is not a standard yet for them.
Does this mean I don’t like Dissenter as a browser? No, it is very simple and user friendly and has some legacy functions I like such as a homepage button. I also like fact that the dissenter extension is always easily accessible and doesn’t have something constantly trying to shut it down. It merely has the same problems that BitChute has plaguing it for the time being, which is a lack of mobile functionality, though considering the iron grip Google has over the android OS it is my opinion that soon Dissenter will also have to become its own OS. It would be ironic if in the interest of freeing people’s ability to speak and breaking up Google as a monopolistic endeavor, Torba ends up building the first true cross-platform OS with full gaming functionality. I won’t hold my breath though since they have to work the kinks out of Dissenter first.
The potential is there. It just needs time to cook. If a completely parallel ecosystem forms from this then so be it. Considering Microsoft’s plans to try to turn Windows into a subscription service, it might become a necessity for the future of computing. A cross between a Unix/Linux build with some Android infrastructure set up around x86 compatibility might be an interesting attempt for an OS to make, Though in the long run that might be the only way Dissenter as a browser becomes ubiquitous. Until then it will likely be a simple curiosity for many. I wish the Dissenter team luck in perfecting their browser. They are going to need it! With that said Please Remember To Game Freely!
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