Google Ends Support for Lynx Browser
I wonder to what extent visually disabled internet users are affected by this, since I can imagine at least some of them using lynx with an on-screen reader for a terminal emulator.
Suggest changing title to something along lines of "Tell HN: Accessing google in lynx now shows unsupported"
Maybe, like in 2019 when a similar submission got traction, you'll be able to get it restored.
(I am no longer able to use Google with Lynx https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21626995)
I don't feel it's particularly controversial to think that Javascript shouldn't be a requirement to use the internet. This is one step towards making that the case.
Seems like they are cracking down on people who use Google without JavaScript.
This is more about requiring JavaScript that blocking specific browsers. I think all the new LLM labs (plus all the tools offering SEO services for LLM-based search and answer engines) finally reached a limit of scraping that Google no longer can sustain.
The most efficient way to search is to read the text. Waiting for images to download and then admire them cannot improve that. It looks like Google has lost relevance and is telling us, again.
Seems like elinks is affected too...bummer!
I noticed this the other day as I (previously) used an old Firefox UA to get a more simple, streamlined legacy interface. I don't know why they did this.
Internet Explorer versions below 11 are getting the message too. Impacting those who use legacy Windows versions.
whoogle search is affected now.
maybe this is a knee-jerk reaction but I don't see any good reason for this. At it's core Google's job is to take an input and list outputs. The marketshare of people using lynx is small enough that whatever advertising or ai extras they want to squeeze in won't be meaningfully impacted by not working on lynx.
Edit: corrected spelling error
I wonder if an Invidious or Nitter-like solution will be coming soon, as no doubt me and countless others, although still a minority, are now truly motivated to do something about it.
These bastards have truly ruined what's left of the open Internet. Google, FUCK YOU!
yet another use for https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45181535
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Is Google exempted from the ADA?
Related discussion earlier this year:
Google begins requiring JavaScript for Google Search
I just tested changing user agents in Chrome - setting UA to a random string like "fff" gets a search page, but setting it to "Links" or "Lynx" gets "Your browser isn't supported anymore" - which is to say, this doesn't look accidental, but more like these UAs are specifically being blocked.
EDIT: Forging user agent in Links (with links -http.fake-user-agent) gets a usable homepage, but the results page just sends you to a turn-on-your-javascript page.