Facebook buying Opera?

Facebook buying Opera?

Facebook to acquire browser maker Opera? Maybe. Here’s what we know.

I concur as do many.

Originally posted by Pesala:

Originally posted by Slamdex:

Are you trolling? I'm not talking about stats,

No I am not trolling. I am talking about your behaviour on this forum. Instead of just attacking everyone, try to add something useful to the conversation.

Originally posted by Slamdex:

You are just trying to change the subject because I caught you trying to weasel out of your attempt at a red herring.

You haven't "busted" anyone. I made it quite obvious what I was talking about. If you haven't got anything useful to add, just troll off somewhere else. If you have something useful to add about the difference between important distinction between user numbers and browser stats, please enlighten us, but if you cannot be civil, please don't bother because we won't be listening.

900 million mobile phones with Opera Loaded on them doesn't mean anything if 800 million of those users just use the phones for phone calls, and don't browse any web sites, or do browser some web sites, but only for ten minutes a day, while desktop users are browsing with Opera for 12 hours or more a day.

Originally posted by Pesala:

No I am not trolling. I am talking about your behaviour on this forum.

No, you must be trolling because you lied about what I wrote:

"We have yet to see any numbers or stats from you that might support your claims that Opera's market share is not minuscule compared to Chrome and Firefox."

This is a lie. I didn't make any claims about market share.

Originally posted by Pesala:

Originally posted by Slamdex:

You are just trying to change the subject because I caught you trying to weasel out of your attempt at a red herring.

You haven't "busted" anyone. I made it quite obvious what I was talking about. If you haven't got anything useful to add, just troll off somewhere else. If you have something useful to add about the difference between important distinction between user numbers and browser stats, please enlighten us, but if you cannot be civil, please don't bother because we won't be listening.

900 million mobile phones with Opera Loaded on them doesn't mean anything if 800 million of those users just use the phones for phone calls, and don't browse any web sites, or do browser some web sites, but only for ten minutes a day, while desktop users are browsing with Opera for 12 hours or more a day.

Pesala: is there any way to place a member on Ignore in these forums (by that I mean that his/her posts would no longer be visible to me)? I think it's evident to most reading this thread that a certain poster has some "issues" as it were as a result of which it would be helpful for some of us to simply have his posts and responses no longer visible.

@leushino

Yes, You have to go to the members (the one to be ignored) about page and click the 'block' button.

It works pretty well, But i do get a little nosey now and then.

Originally posted by blackbird71:

Originally posted by DANBUZU:

Why all the hate on Facebook? What kind of crime are they committing for God's sake!

Personally, I don't hate Facebook, but I am a realist. I do understand something about Facebook: as with many other companies, it exists for one purpose alone... making money for its owners/stockholders. But the way Facebook does that is by selling ad-space and through the sale of mined/collated user personal data. Facebook users generally think of themselves as its customers, which is how Facebook presents it. In reality, the users are merely the source of the raw material (user personal data) that's harvested and sold to Facebook's REAL customers (advertisers, market research outfits, and others) for marketing, user-tracking, or targeting of specific ads toward specific users. This also includes tracking a user as he browses across Facebook affiliated websites all over the Internet, as well as by leaking his personal information regardless of his own privacy settings if his data happens to be referenced on his "friends" pages which might have lesser privacy settings. This sale of user personal data is not currently a crime, at least in any venue of which I'm aware... but that may change in months to come as users increasingly become concerned about personal data compromise and laws come into existence as a result. Facebook's historical lack of forthrightness about details of its use of user personal data and its long-demonstrated laxity in giving users fully-informed guidance and controls for protecting their privacy at their site are matters of public record.

Those of us who are very privacy conscious are extremely concerned that companies like Facebook who view user data only as a harvestable resource might gain influence (or even control) over the design and inner workings of a web browser like Opera that has traditionally been a bastion of protecting a user's privacy. Put in simple terms, we simply don't trust Facebook to not turn the Opera browser, sooner or later, into an engine that's set up for harvesting even more user data, exactly in the manner the Facebook social site presently does. There is no sign in Facebook's history (or Zuckerberg's past comments) that users would be viewed as anything other than personal data crops to be harvested by Facebook. Those users who aren't concerned over personal privacy see little if any problem with Facebook itself, or with it possibly taking over Opera. However, I would venture the opinion that most Opera Desktop users are solidly in the privacy-conscious category, since that is a primary reason many of them use Opera. Responses in this thread and in others elsewhere on the Internet seems to strongly bear that out.

Well said bros

Originally posted by LinuxMint7:

@leushino

Yes, You have to go to the members (the one to be ignored) about page and click the 'block' button.

It works pretty well, But i do get a little nosey now and then.

Perfect. Thanks very much for the information.

Originally posted by ThomasHelzle:

I can only agree with most people here - the day Facebook would buy Opera would be the day where a love affair of many many years would end.There is no way that Facebook wouldn't compromise what Opera stands for.

Agreed.

Originally posted by DANBUZU:

Originally posted by blackbird71:

Originally posted by DANBUZU:

Why all the hate on Facebook? What kind of crime are they committing for God's sake!

Personally, I don't hate Facebook, but I am a realist. I do understand something about Facebook: as with many other companies, it exists for one purpose alone... making money for its owners/stockholders. But the way Facebook does that is by selling ad-space and through the sale of mined/collated user personal data. Facebook users generally think of themselves as its customers, which is how Facebook presents it. In reality, the users are merely the source of the raw material (user personal data) that's harvested and sold to Facebook's REAL customers (advertisers, market research outfits, and others) for marketing, user-tracking, or targeting of specific ads toward specific users. This also includes tracking a user as he browses across Facebook affiliated websites all over the Internet, as well as by leaking his personal information regardless of his own privacy settings if his data happens to be referenced on his "friends" pages which might have lesser privacy settings. This sale of user personal data is not currently a crime, at least in any venue of which I'm aware... but that may change in months to come as users increasingly become concerned about personal data compromise and laws come into existence as a result. Facebook's historical lack of forthrightness about details of its use of user personal data and its long-demonstrated laxity in giving users fully-informed guidance and controls for protecting their privacy at their site are matters of public record.

Those of us who are very privacy conscious are extremely concerned that companies like Facebook who view user data only as a harvestable resource might gain influence (or even control) over the design and inner workings of a web browser like Opera that has traditionally been a bastion of protecting a user's privacy. Put in simple terms, we simply don't trust Facebook to not turn the Opera browser, sooner or later, into an engine that's set up for harvesting even more user data, exactly in the manner the Facebook social site presently does. There is no sign in Facebook's history (or Zuckerberg's past comments) that users would be viewed as anything other than personal data crops to be harvested by Facebook. Those users who aren't concerned over personal privacy see little if any problem with Facebook itself, or with it possibly taking over Opera. However, I would venture the opinion that most Opera Desktop users are solidly in the privacy-conscious category, since that is a primary reason many of them use Opera. Responses in this thread and in others elsewhere on the Internet seems to strongly bear that out.

Well said bros

I second the approval of Danbuzu's post. In effect, members of FB are not the customers but rather the product being sold to the real customers (i.e. advertisers). And I would have my suspicions that FB's acquisition would not be to the benefit of our privacy nor the enhancement of the browser. I'm not convinced, however, that FB has its sight set on the desktop browser nor that the entire rumor has any real substance to it. I suppose time will tell.

Has anyone attempted to raise this question on Opera's facebook page?
https://www.facebook.com/Opera

I did and I believe they have deleted it - twice, but it might just be that facebook is behaving a little flaky recently.

Is anyone else able to post this news there?

Originally posted by garywalsh:

I did and I believe they have deleted it - twice

And was to be expected, And rightly so. This is all still speculation and rumors, And that is something Opera (or Facebook) are not in the position to comment on at this moment in time. So save your breath (or fingers) till they are. And when that time comes, I'm sure they will be one of the first to make a comment. Till then, We wait...

Originally posted by leushino:

I think it's evident to most reading this thread that a certain poster has some "issues" as it were as a result of which it would be helpful for some of us to simply have his posts and responses no longer visible.

I, and a few others, have noticed this a while ago about the specific user. His posts usually follow the same argumentative form; uncivilized and with a condescending tone. They are mostly inflammatory in nature, without any purpose other than to belittle the previous user's post. Just pay no attention to him. It's easier than you think.

As for the Facebook rumor, it is just a rumor at this point. However, if such a deal ever goes through I will do as others have said earlier in the thread and migrate to another browser for privacy reasons. I have already setup Firefox and my sync accounts so that I can immediately leave Opera at any moment without a problem. I really do not want it to come to this. I hope this story is eventually cleared up.

I like Opra too much!!!

Originally posted by Pesala:

If you have something useful to add about the difference between important distinction between user numbers and browser stats, please enlighten us

You don't know the difference between stats and actual numbers?

Stats are irrelevant. Heck, leushino's post didn't even mention comparisons with other browsers:

"As for Opera possibly losing 90% of its user base... that's purely speculative and the truth is... its user base is so miniscule"

I replied, informing him that Opera has nearly 300 million active users, and asked if he thinks 300 million is "miniscule."

After using since Opera 4.0 I will have to give up Opera IF they sell out to Facebook....(FB the most worthless and invasion of privacy site, for people without a life, there is)!!

For what it's worth just to add in, on Next,some of the themes are now Yandex themes.
Plot thickening anyone, and Opera remaining tight lipped on allowing a user buyout too.
Why?
Seven years of using and promoting Opera and the company still can't even pretend to care about the mass of opinion albeit against a theoretical takeover!
That's why you get the problems chaps

Originally posted by norton2001:

For what it's worth just to add in, on Next,some of the themes are now Yandex themes.

I'm not following you. Could you elaborate a bit? Thanks.

On trying the last Opera Next snapshot a few days ago I was flicking through the themes available from the appearance tab (as opposed to skins).
Some are actually quite good, but I kept coming up with a number with a Yandex prefix which seemed to tie in a bit with the mass rumouring going on.
Could only be because Opera's big in Russia, but it was trying another perspective.
All of this silence and continual speculation can't be doing Opera's position much good, should really be some word from Opera itself asap.
Could I add that there's a new Firefox snapshot tomorrow, but they'll probably be more open about it.
Sorry, Opera's a really brilliant piece of software (and Firefox is too), but neither would be Jack without their loyal users, and how you interact with them is paramount to your survival.

Ah... thanks, Norton. Now I understand what you originally posted. There's not much more to be said on this rumor other than to wait patiently for Opera or Facebook to confirm or deny it. Speculation is pretty much useless (but interesting).

So if Facebook has a user base of nearly 1 billion, one would think that would be a nice boost for any browser if it were to be prioritised by Facebook.
As stated many times in this thread `corporate law does not tolerate insider trading'
Whatever happens in the future cannot be predicted by individuals with no say in the mechanisms of major corporations.

It could be great for Opera and Opera users if a takeover occurred, who knows, either way Opera is a part of web-history and will continue to be so.

Only time will tell the story.

I personally don't really care as I have and am getting great use out of a free web browser and the option to use other browsers has and will always be an option.

These are changing times, especially for internet related concepts and what a brilliant job Opera developers have done to constantly keep up with all the movements so far.

Merging hardware and software and re-grouping of products will see Microsoft, IBM, Apple and intel lose there once massive dominance in the computer industy.

2012 - 2020 what does it hold in store . . .

Well said, an embarrassment of riches and much to be happy about.
Wish Opera stays independent, because I think Next rocks hugely

Originally posted by DuncanWilliams:

So if Facebook has a user base of nearly 1 billion, one would think that would be a nice boost for any browser if it were to be prioritised by Facebook.
As stated many times in this thread `corporate law does not tolerate insider trading'
Whatever happens in the future cannot be predicted by individuals with no say in the mechanisms of major corporations.

It could be great for Opera and Opera users if a takeover occurred, who knows, either way Opera is a part of web-history and will continue to be so.

Only time will tell the story.

Indeed... time will tell. It's rather premature for many to be threatening to abandon Opera when all we have on the table is an unsubstantiated rumor. And it's also a bit presumptuous to dictate to Opera what we will and will not tolerate, given the fact that we do not pay for the use of the product (I'm speaking now of the desktop platform). Furthermore, we have no idea how Facebook would incorporate Opera into its operation. Privacy is hugely important to most consumers and sadly privacy is something about which FB has a cavalier attitude. I would hope that FB would take this into consideration if and when it attempts a buy-out.

Hi all,
first time poster from Brazil here. I've been following Opera browser's development since late '98, which is since its version 3.5. At this time it was a paid browser and Presto engine was not yet available for it. Yes, I paid for Opera browser at that time most of my friend used a cracked version, lol and I don't regret for supporting its development at this point

First of all I never used Opera browser for security reasons. Why? I don't trust the Privacy Terms? No! I don't trust code that I am not able to visualize and audit myself. It is somewhat unacceptable for me to blindly trust code that is using the "security through obscurity" way. Browser lightweight, and quality is not an object of duscussion for me (Opera is still one of the lightest popular browsers and one of the most complete). IMO those here who are so scared of what is going to happen if Opera becomes part of FB's portfolio are just connecting to the reality once again. Let's welcome them to planet Earth. If FB gets it, there are many realistic scenarios like stopping development of desktop browser at one time or another, like adding some tracking and spyware code to it and everything that FB decides to do with it. Opera and FB are for profit organizations and it is they are free to do whatever they like with their products. I mean they are NOT working for public interest, but for the interest of thare shareholders. No matter how beautiful one corporation could look, it remains a soulless corporation with limited liability. Open source projects are the real one to be working for public interest, thus being sponsored by public or voluntarly developed. And if one day one open source developments gets discontinued by its author, another developer could continue last dev's work as far as license stays unchanged.

Second, I've been a fanboy of any browser. In fact my browser is the most hated piece of software on my machine. I currently have Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Chromium and Midori installed and use all of them concurently, though I am not developing web sites. I never loved any of these. Some of them have one usefull feature, other has another usefull feature. I like Unite and Notes of Opera browser, I like Webdeveloper add-on of Mozilla Firefox, I'm using cookies management of Midori, sandboxed Flash with Chromium etc.

Third, if Opera goes FB Opera it is as easy for me to remove it as typing "emerge --unmerge opera" in my Gentoo shell prompt and waiting for a few seconds for portage to finish removing it. My children will not die because one of my web browsers got pwned by an evil corp. My web browser is not my life So... why not think twice before writing "ZOMG, sky is falling because of Opera being merged with FB"?

P.S. Please forgive my broken English. I am brazilian and most of us speak Portuguese here better than English

Originally posted by norton2001:

Plot thickening anyone, and Opera remaining tight lipped on allowing a user buyout too.

What is a user buyout? Are you suggesting that users come up with more than one billion dollars to buy Opera?

Seven years of using and promoting Opera and the company still can't even pretend to care about the mass of opinion albeit against a theoretical takeover!

Are you not paying attention at all? They can't comment on these rumors because of the law!

That's why you get the problems chaps

What problems? Opera is making more money than ever.

Originally posted by trabalhador:

No! I don't trust code that I am not able to visualize and audit myself. It is somewhat unacceptable for me to blindly trust code that is using the "security through obscurity" way.

So you only use browsers you have compiled for yourself, and only after carefully reading all the code?

Because, remember, you don't know that the code they are releasing is exactly the same as in that compiled Firefox version from mozilla.com!

Originally posted by Slamdex:

So you only use browsers you have compiled for yourself

Ehm..

Originally posted by trabalhador:

in my Gentoo shell prompt

Originally posted by coyomoyo:

Originally posted by Slamdex:

So you only use browsers you have compiled for yourself

Ehm..

Originally posted by trabalhador:

in my Gentoo shell prompt

I guess he's hardcore.

bleh, it is the end of the world

after opera, the deluge

Facebook likely has enough money to attempt a hostile takeover even if Opera is reluctant. If it succeeds I would switch to Firefox, like many others will.

I am surprised at the reports I have been reading about a possible Facebook buyout of Opera Software.As a supporter of FOSS Opera has been a bit of an indulgence for me, but I have always found Opera to be a superb browser (since v3 days) I adopted it as my primary browser in the late 90‘s on Mac, Linux & Windows..

I did have a Facebook account for a few years but I have removed it ‘best you can’ years ago and it is dormant. But let’s face it, people without Facebook accounts are ‘on’ Facebook somewhere in a photo or mentioned in a post.

I don’t pretend to understand the business dealings of Opera or Facebook. But I had always thought the ethos of Opera was miles apart from Facebook. I use Ghostery and ad-blocking with Opera so I guess I am privacy conscious and I feel the rumoured Facebook deal would give me cause for concern.

However, there are other browsers I can use so it’s an easily solved problem, its just regret-able and an inconvenience. Should the growing stories have any substance. I eagerly await an official statement from Opera.

I dont like this idea mainly because I'm a My.Opera user which is somewhat of a facebook competitor and facebook bought Opera what would that mean for the my.opera community? It makes me wish there was a way to download all my photo albums easily.... is there some sort of script out there that will allow this? cuz I wanna make sure all my stuff is backed up.

All this kerfuffle over a rumor. Fellow Opera users, relax and enjoy your browser. The threats to leave Opera and go to another browser are not only premature but sort of juvenile. We have no way of knowing what is going on behind closed doors but we can be assured that any decisions (if any) that will be made will be for the survival and health of the company (and its directors and shareholders). If you have no dog in the race (i.e. money involved) then you really have little say one way or the other. Someone mentioned many posts ago that he would gladly pay to keep Opera "free" as he termed it. I countered with: pay how much? All of us combined would not have the financial clout to match Facebook's should it decide it wants Opera. And bear in mind that Facebook brings to the table nearly a billion users many of whom might be persuaded to adopt a new FB-approved browser to easily replace us.

It seems to me, at least at this juncture, that the mobile platform is the one FB has its eye on meaning that we desktop users are raising a lot of fuss about nothing. But time will tell so why not give this story a rest and get on with enjoying our favorite browser?

'Plot thickening anyone, and Opera remaining tight lipped on allowing a user buyout too.'

If everyone who uses Opera contributed say £5, it would be as much as some suggested values of the Opera ASA and would be an alternative source of income to a takeover.
Just thinking out loud, so could be a user buyout
Damn sight better than Facebook

Dear Opera

I for one have been using Opera for years, on windows, linux, and android and will say it is by far the best browser out to date. However if this is true about facebook, then I for one am dropping Opera like a sack of...... which it will surly become if this happens. Also I like the user buyout idea but I think that might be just to awesome to come to reality. anyway PLEASE STOP IT

Originally posted by norton2001:

'Plot thickening anyone, and Opera remaining tight lipped on allowing a user buyout too.'

If everyone who uses Opera contributed say £5, it would be as much as some suggested values of the Opera ASA and would be an alternative source of income to a takeover.
Just thinking out loud, so could be a user buyout
Damn sight better than Facebook

Everyone is not going to contribute 5 pounds. Many will leave simply because there are other free alternative browsers. There is no way to match any buy-out from Facebook if that is, in fact, what is in the future (and we haven't determined that). And the threats of some disgruntled users walking to another browser are really not that important given the fact that they'll likely gain more users than lose them. Really... this is all about money. There are no truly free rides on the internet. Folks believe that Facebook is free. It's not. We are the product and they sell our information to advertisers. I suppose it needs to be re-emphasized that Opera will do what is best for its shareholders. That's understandable.

Originally posted by trabalhador:

P.S. Please forgive my broken English. I am brazilian and most of us speak Portuguese here better than English

I didn't read your Entire post, but I think you did very well.

Originally posted by leushino:

All this kerfuffle over a rumor. Fellow Opera users, relax and enjoy your browser. The threats to leave
Opera and go to another browser are not only premature but sort of juvenile. We have no way of knowing what is going on
behind closed doors but we can be assured that any decisions (if any) that will be made will be for the survival and health
of the company (and its directors and shareholders).

I agree, mostly.

As for people already talking about switching to a different (primary) browser being "juvenile", well, I think that might be
just a bit harsh - but I understand.
It's natural to expect that people will chatter, gossip and speculate, and this is probably a very appropriate place for that.

A decision of some sort will certainly follow.
Let's just hope that it does not include anything that we might consider foolish and that greed does not affect the process in
any significant way.

Originally posted by VegaTheTerrible:

and facebook bought Opera what would that mean for the my.opera community?

It's my concern, too. I guess ...

1. go on
2. move MYO accounts to FB accounts
3. close it down, it may be only user blogs and leave the community blog for promoting their new products.

In the 2nd or 3rd case (cost savings), while we're talking like this, I doubt some of Opera staff who are responsible to our blogs will probably have to move their department or (worst case - reducing the number of employees) lose their jobs. Although it's normal when 2 companies merge together, but I hope the company will take care of them.

Originally posted by VegaTheTerrible:

It makes me wish there was a way to download all my photo albums easily....

Personally, I've decided to bring only my favourite stories and pictures, and leave the others "Gone with the Wind". And there're a few ways to make it easier, but I Ihink it's not the time because it's unclear, so we have to wait for their official announcement. However, they have to give us some time to pack our baggage and move. Perhaps Opera staff will tell us how to move in their thread.


I run my own business, I'm also a stock investor plus political problems in my country. There's a lot of information that I should be concerned. Although I don't want to, but I have to switch to FF.


I intend to stay here until the last day but as Mr.DuncanWilliams mentioned above, if FB has nearly 1,000 million users while MYO has nearly 10 million users, what will happen to us ... ?







.
.
.
I think they don't even care.

I'm concerned as well. If you're looking to the Opera-Stock prize over the last year you'll notice an increase within the last six months. Is there someone collecting stocks? I don't know. I'm not an stock expert.

Another indication is the silence of the companies in charge. I think only denying is allowed. Otherwise the you get in trouble because you modify the stock marked. And since we hear nothing I fear something 's going on in the state of Denmark Norway...

Please -- please prove me wrong! I would miss that great browser. I think I'm using it since somewhere 2000. Connected to the Internet via my parents' ISDN line :-)

And if you ask why:
I don't trust FB. The privacy was never on the ToDo list of them. Every new feature they implemented which had some bad impact to your privacy was/is enabled by default. They even track not members. A nice feature is the Face recognition. Right you can disable it but I have the feeling (I can't prove it and it could even be wrong) that the face recognition feature is on all time to build up their database. OK, others can/will do that too. But that's nothing you can do about it. But supporting that plus feeding it freely with additional data. No thanks.

Also what can you do with such data? How do they make money? Since that's what they have to do. Not only to keep the servers humming. Especially since they are responsible to the stock owners? They have too much information to send you privatized Ads and live from that. I can't answer that.


A somewhat concerned
Rongar

It's amazing how Opera's changed over the last year, shelving odd bits, bits not working anymore, Opera Link becoming useless, bookmarklet's stopping working.
Very sad.
Opera used to be supported by a huge and friendly fanbase, now everyone talks about feeling ignored whilst the company courts new money for it's shareholders. A lot of us have tried to make support Opera for many years,but...
Yep I would contribute to be a stakeholder in Opera to stave off Facebook,but Firefox Aurora seems so much better than Opera Next ever will be, and if Opera don't care, I'm not sure I do anymore.

Relax. There are far too many posters to this thread (or is it just a few who assume different profiles since at least a dozen are first-time posters???) are being a bit overly dramatic about a rumor. Until there is confirmation or denial from either Opera or Facebook, consider the rumor to be unsubstantiated baloney. And should the rumor prove to be otherwise (i.e. real), then still don't toss out the baby with the bathwater. Find out how a potential buy-out would affect Opera's browser before predicting all sort of dire consequences for users, for Opera's shareholders and for the pursuit of life and liberty! (LOL... well... I got a little carried away there)

Originally posted by leushino:

Relax. There are far too many posters to this thread (or is it just a few who assume different profiles since at least a dozen are first-time posters???)

I've been thinking the exact same thing, Especially when they seem to appear out of nowhere.

Originally posted by leushino:

(LOL... well... I got a little carried away there)

No more than most of the complainers and negative posters in this thread.

Nice to see a sensible and level headed post, Pity more of the posters in this thread don't think more like you.

Originally posted by trabalhador:

First of all I never used Opera browser for security reasons. Why? I don't trust the Privacy Terms? No! I don't trust code that I am not able to visualize and audit myself. It is somewhat unacceptable for me to blindly trust code that is using the "security through obscurity" way. ... Opera and FB are for profit organizations and it is they are free to do whatever they like with their products. I mean they are NOT working for public interest, but for the interest of thare shareholders. No matter how beautiful one corporation could look, it remains a soulless corporation with limited liability. Open source projects are the real one to be working for public interest, thus being sponsored by public or voluntarly developed. And if one day one open source developments gets discontinued by its author, another developer could continue last dev's work as far as license stays unchanged. ...
Third, if Opera goes FB Opera it is as easy for me to remove it as typing "emerge --unmerge opera" in my Gentoo shell prompt and waiting for a few seconds for portage to finish removing it. My children will not die because one of my web browsers got pwned by an evil corp. My web browser is not my life So... why not think twice before writing "ZOMG, sky is falling because of Opera being merged with FB"?

Basically what you are saying is:
1) if user doesn't read and understand source code of programs you use before compiling them yourself, you are having a security risk -- everyone with common sense disagrees with this, including FOSS devs
2) open source projects are non-profit and solely for public good, while closed source is evil by definition -- despite likes of IBM, Google and Novell making milliards with FOSS every year you claim this, despite the fact that Google is using "public good technology" to create spybot browser which literally tracks every keystroke of the user
3) profit seekers collaborating is only natural -- I agree as the entire Mozilla Foundation is practically funded by Google
4) preferring something over something else is stupid -- normal people would like to have a word with you about this one

Originally posted by Slamdex:

So you only use browsers you have compiled for yourself, and only after carefully reading all the code?

Because, remember, you don't know that the code they are releasing is exactly the same as in that compiled Firefox version from mozilla.com!

He would have to start with the OS, not the browser. But wait, the compiler might have a flaw itself.

Originally posted by coyomoyo:

Originally posted by Slamdex:

So you only use browsers you have compiled for yourself

Ehm..

Originally posted by trabalhador:

in my Gentoo shell prompt

So he reads the whole source code every time he upgrades?

Originally posted by Rongar:

Another indication is the silence of the companies in charge. I think only denying is allowed. Otherwise the you get in trouble because you modify the stock marked.

Pay attention. Confirming or denying this would be illegal. If you deny all false rumors, what happens when a real one shows up? That's right. If you confirm or deny anything, you will in reality confirm and deny anything that you weren't supposed to disclose as well.

Use your brain please.

Originally posted by Slamdex:

So he reads the whole source code every time he upgrades?

Maybe?

Originally posted by Slamdex:

Pay attention. Confirming or denying this would be illegal. If you deny all false rumors, what happens when a real one shows up? That's right. If you confirm or deny anything, you will in reality confirm and deny anything that you weren't supposed to disclose as well.

Use your brain please.

So you keep saying, in various insulting ways, but it isn't true. A quick look online turns up a number of examples of companies denying take-over rumours.
Here's two.
http://www.germanpulse.com/2012/05/14/german-tv-maker-loewe-denies-rumor-of-apple-takeover/
http://www.scancomark.se/Companies/SAS-denies-takeover-rumours.html

Up to that point:

Originally posted by Slamdex:

Use your brain please.

I thought there could be a nice discussion...

Originally posted by leushino:

Relax. There are far too many posters to this thread (or is it just a few who assume different profiles since at least a dozen are first-time posters???) are being a bit overly dramatic about a rumor. Until there is confirmation or denial from either Opera or Facebook, consider the rumor to be unsubstantiated baloney. And should the rumor prove to be otherwise (i.e. real), then still don't toss out the baby with the bathwater. Find out how a potential buy-out would affect Opera's browser before predicting all sort of dire consequences for users, for Opera's shareholders and for the pursuit of life and liberty! (LOL... well... I got a little carried away there)

Actually, I think this sums things up far better than my last post!
Have a good weekend everyone.
Through all the above bear baiting I quite forgot all the great fun browsing with Opera.

Kind regards
Norton 2001

There's still hope! Opera Co-Founder Says No to Facebook and Moves to US?

Let's keep our fingers crossed.