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A comment on Firefox removed Yandex search option.

Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by ogurechny on Monday March 14, 2022 @10:57AM (#30673187)
My submission was flagged because of the phrase “golden shower”, huh. Copying it here:

https://hg.mozilla.org/releases/mozilla-release/shortlog/35f...

Basically, Firefox 98.0.1 is a point release only concerned with removing Yandex search for users in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkey, and switching them all to Google by default. Some old promotions from mail.ru and ok.ru were blocked, too, but these have been dead as a doornail and irrelevant.

Note the smoking gun: regular Google links were used in configuration file on 11 March, and then were switched to firefox-tagged (sponsored) ones on 13 March (“part 2”). Why couldn't Mozilla switch Yandex search users to regular Yandex links the same way if they reportedly had “troubles” with their agreement, which supposedly would be the best for the users, and best for Mozilla, apparently? Imagine their wet faces when they beg on their knees for more after successful extension of Google's sponsorship agreement onto 4 big countries, and you'll know why.

The changelog for 98.0.1 is currently absent. The changelog for 98 has a vague note about search engines. The relevant code-related bugs have zero explanations. Bug 1748923 is private. The UI that alerts the user about the removed search engine was introduced two weeks ago (and had it text changed to be more vague). There is a specific (and vague) help article about the switch:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/search-engine-removal

However, the first signs were noticed about a month ago (in Russian):

https://www.opennet.ru/opennews/art.shtml?num=56721

As usual with Mozilla, there were bugs. Users of previous version of Firefox that automatically update the list of search engines but have no UI to warn them about the changes got it removed silently.

I personally don't use Yandex, its results for IT-related English language queries have been quite shitty, in all honesty, for many years, most likely because of the supposed full-on focus on keeping the existing (mostly non-English-speaking) users. However, it's another nice example of treating people like swine by those who have even a tiny bit of power over them. Oh, we're used to that, thank you very much.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by ogurechny on Monday March 14, 2022 @11:16AM (#30673413)
It wouldn't be a problem if there was a clear statement from Mozilla, or from Yandex. However, both declined to comment (as of now) because, obviously, the talk might give the users the revelation they have been sold and resold like cattle. So because of the corporate handling of the matter now we have a shitstorm among common computer users because something has seriously changed with their “internet”.

I've been installing Firefox with useful extensions on all computers of friends and relatives (if only because it's not fucking Google Chrome Cage), and now they got a shovelful of shit straight from Mozilla.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by ogurechny on Monday March 14, 2022 @11:42AM (#30673752)
It also affected Firefox ESR (unless, I guess, there is a custom policy for search engines). Because, you know, system administrators simply love self-destructing software.

Tomorrow they will disable mouse input, and tell everyone that those who need it should've had a specific rule.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by kragen on Monday March 14, 2022 @05:06PM (#30678321)
I've found datasheets on Yandex I couldn't find anywhere else because of the SEO spam.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by RobertMiller on Monday March 14, 2022 @03:48PM (#30677301)
I've found niche uses for Yandex; translation specifically, which can do OCR on images you upload to it. Google translate won't do that, last I checked. If anybody knows of an alternative, I'd like to hear about it.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by jtriangle on Monday March 14, 2022 @06:25PM (#30679272)
Their reverse image search is also often more useful than anyone else. Google in particular has gone downhill as of late, not entirely sure why. My gut says that their indexes were purged at some point.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by AdvancedCarrot on Monday March 14, 2022 @10:37PM (#30681124)
To be fair I've found that yandex's reverse image search has declined in quality too.

I don't think it's a matter of indexes being purged so much as a deliberate crippling of the service to make it less useful to potential bad actors.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by CamperBob2 on Monday March 14, 2022 @04:41PM (#30677970)
Not too long ago, Yandex's Latin translation feature was leaps and bounds ahead of Google's. Just as one anecdata point.

You can still access Yandex in Firefox, it just won't show up as a supported provider choice.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by verdverm on Monday March 14, 2022 @04:09PM (#30677579)
The Google Translate app has OCR and translation overlay, both live and static. Pretty slick imho
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by RobertMiller on Monday March 14, 2022 @04:20PM (#30677721)
I'm aware of that, but it's not suitable for me. I'm looking for this functionality on my real computer, not my phone.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by namibj on Tuesday March 15, 2022 @01:11AM (#30681881)
Google Lens may be accessible via the web-version of Google Photos. I know that has OCR functionality with at least easily-accessible translations (iirc not overlayed on the image, though).

Not sure if Google Lens is accessible outside of the app, though.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by alphabetting on Tuesday March 15, 2022 @01:34AM (#30681972)
it's one click away in Chrome on any image

example here from a letter written by an Estonian elementary school kid

https://lens.google.com/search?p=ASQ0Rg3fjG6zLfDe_EcGm4W9cTi...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by charcircuit on Monday March 14, 2022 @04:09PM (#30677577)
Google translate's mobile app supports it along with realtime translation from your phone's camera.
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by baud147258 on Monday March 14, 2022 @08:18PM (#30680219)
what option exists to have that functionality on a computer?
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by alphabetting on Tuesday March 15, 2022 @01:36AM (#30681986)
you can right click in Chrome on any image for Google lens

https://lens.google.com/search?p=ASQ0Rg3fjG6zLfDe_EcGm4W9cTi...

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Firefox removed Yandex search option by ksec on Monday March 14, 2022 @11:13AM (#30673378)
>My submission was flagged because of the phrase “golden shower”,

In 99.9% of cases HN dont accept editorialised headline. Although I have no idea why this current post is also flagged as well. Firefox removed Yandex is a perfectly valid description. May be it should get rid of the latter part.

[ Parent | on HN ]