[mindcrime]

Browsers already have a permission model - sites have to ask to access the webcam or microphone or location or show notifications.

True enough. And it does get tiring having to click "no" all the time on those notification dialogs.

But again, this is a very nascent idea. I've spent more time thinking about in the last 20 minutes than I had in aggregate before today. I'm not convinced that there isn't a way to make something like this work, but the details are a bit fuzzy. Of course it's also possible that it's just a dead-end from the start. But it sure feels like there needs to be some way to distinguish "apps" and "regular content" and the way browsers handle each.

[icebraining]

I don't think it's a bad idea, my main objection is seeing it as a technical problem. It's not - making a more basic browser is a solved problem. What you really need to solve is the economics problem; specifically, the two-sided market of users and publishers. Users have an incentive to use it, but what incentive do website makers have to join?

Google - for good or ill - was able to push AMP because they have the power to reward the sites that complied. You need something similar.

[nercht12]

> Users have an incentive to use it, but what incentive do website makers have to join?

I would suggest default layouts chosen/optimized for users. Users would be able to view different forms of content based on the website's suggested format, which is stored by default in the browser. This way, online markets/stores/shops and even ad-systems could be designed such that the user would already be able to view such content in a way that makes them want to click. From a business perspective, this means no more need for client-side analytics, no more browser marketing analysis team, no more front-end web designer, no more need to bother users with invading privacy just to get that key little piece of info. That saves tons of money! Heck - without even sending data to the server, the browser could be designed to bring up content most interesting to the user.

As for ads, these could be presented in an appropriate manner, maybe listed in a sidebar, but in any case, in a way that people would prefer viewing them. I don't think people hate ads, but I do think modern ad techniques suck, and most people would be happy to view ads if presented in the right context and in the right way. Why not let the user pick the how?

(In case you're worried about the lost jobs, those people can shift to the app-side of the web.)