9621 Agnes Crossing, Lake Suzanneview, New Mexico Island 84604-9295.
Google can’t seem to get the internet to make the transition from Manifest v2 to v3. Bugs play an important role, but so does limited developer interest. They
Google can’t seem to get the internet to make the transition from Manifest v2 to v3. Bugs play an important role, but so does limited developer interest. They fear that v3 will be too restrictive and, among other things, shorten the functionality of ad blockers.
Before the end of March, Google would release a new timeline for rolling out Manifest v3 to Chromium. The company announced this in December last year after the original schedule for this was thrown overboard. Calendar lovers will have noticed that March is officially over. However, it remains to wait for a new roadmap. Clarification is planned for an indefinite future date.
This is good news for ad blockers and a little embarrassing for Google. In 2018, the company launched a plan to update its API for Chromium extensions. The current set of APIs is called Manifest v2 and would no longer be appropriate. For example, Google fears that the API gives developers too much freedom to abuse Chromium and use up unnecessary CPU or memory. Manifest v3 should be a more modern alternative.
Manifest v3 is now available, but it’s riddled with bugs and incompleteness. Therefore, Google Manifest v2 must not be disabled. Apparently it is taking much longer than expected to bring v3 to a reasonable level, so extension developers can continue to happily rely on v2. Currently about 128,000 extensions would work with Manifest v2 and only 34,000 with Manifest v3.
That’s not very surprising. Manifest v3 remains primarily a Google project, which is definitely not happening at the request of the wider community of developers or users. On the contrary: the new API would give developers less powerful tools and, among other things, would seriously affect the operation of ad blockers. Google thrives on ads, so launching a “better” API that makes ad blocking easier can still feel like a conflict of interest.
For its part, Google promises not to disable Manifest v2 until Manifest v3 is fully complete, and even then to issue a warning at least half a year before the date in question. This warning has not yet been issued.
Source: IT Daily
As an experienced journalist and author, Mary has been reporting on the latest news and trends for over 5 years. With a passion for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, Mary has earned a reputation as a trusted voice in the world of journalism. Her writing style is insightful, engaging and thought-provoking, as she takes a deep dive into the most pressing issues of our time.
