More browser-inclusive site

Site Feedback and Other Questions
1

This site uses Discourse, which has added code to profile and identify the browser you are using. If you are not using one of the following (or a derivative), you are prevented from logging in to this forum:

  • Microsoft Edge
  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Apple Safari

This wouldn't bother me if it was a technical issue. But it's not. Upon disabling this script, the site works as it should. Which means the site has a browser-detect script which is profiling my browser and simply refusing to offer the proper site if it sees I'm not using a browser that Discourse has decided to like.

I would like to ask whomever runs this forum to disable browser profiling scripts so that people who don't use browsers specifically approved by Discourse can still use the site without resorting to hacks to disable this profiling.

2

I'm not sure that is the case. A quick google would seem to suggest the lack of support for other (or 'legacy') browsers is due to them not supporting certain features which are now used in Discourse. Which is arguably a technical issue.

3

If I was doing more than just defeating OpenWrt's browser check, I'd agree with you. Some browsers have to manually tweak the scripts as the browser loads them to correct for incompatibilities or lack of ECMAScript support. Now that might be justifiable. But I'm doing none of that and the site works perfectly.

It's an ongoing issue, since every Discourse update changes their browser detection scheme and I have to adjust for it. It's exhausting.

4

I ran into this issue myself since my preferred browser is Safari on my daily driver is a 2009 Mac Pro with Mojave. Unfortunately, this version of Safari is no longer supported by Discourse for whatever techncial reaons they have identified. I've since been using Chrome browser for this purpose on my Mac Pro.

There are multiple discussions on this topic in general -- here's one.

Fundamentally, though, the browser requirements is not something that OpenWrt's forums can bypass or otherwise affect as long as the site uses Discourse as the forum software (there are no site settings/config options for browser compatibility/restrictions). And I'll guess that changing forum software platforms is probably not a viable or desirable option.

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