Interview Matthew

22 Nov 2019

Non-expert

Matthew is a designer familiar and comfortable with working on and working to put things on the Web. He has many concerns about privacy and doing the right thing with his web browsing but like many, sometimes forgets or lets it fall by the wayside.

Key findings

• Splits browser use between a home and a work browser
• Looking at structure of URL, or if clicked something and has tracking stuff in it conscious of
• If not HTTPS very conscious of that
• Sometimes have a splurge about privacy and take precautions and then forget about it for a while
• Like to see the URL for sure and if didn’t would be slightly worried
• Like to see the hierarchy of information and doesn’t want the browser to be just delivering the page
• He thinks everything is where it should and fine be in terms of how you see security and location

Interview notes

• Split browser use for a few years Chrome with work because of Google Docs with work and Gmail and prototyping web stuff in browser
• Profiles in Chrome
• Feels like its relatively sensible and separate from iCloud stuff where everything is syncing
• Don’t use Google for any personal things anymore
• Safari personal browsing
• Times when feel limited that need to be using loads of stuff and trying things out like DuckDuckGo app on iPhone
• Use for viewing things, saving in reading lists and buying things
• Safari mobile and limited apps on iPhone
• Been meaning to use Brave but haven’t
• Installed a lot of browsers but didn’t use them
• VPNs a lot of the time and private browsing since pay for Nord
• When using Chrome tabs setup for work things, save tabs and just close it all down
• Leave things running in the browser, but then think it’s running ‘hot’ and then save to bookmarks which can be 10 years old and unsorted
• Used to use Delicious way back when, then Pinboard for a while but forget all the time
• Music, shopping and general things
• Search google to go places or click links in emails
• Mainly just in the bar but every now and again on Googles web site
• Often look at URLs
• Looking at structure of URL, or if clicked something and has tracking stuff in it conscious of
• If not HTTPS very conscious of that as well
• Sometimes have a splurge about privacy and take precautions and then forget about it for a while
• LinkedIn not installed on phone and taking more control but just in browser on mobile - trying to dissuade using the app
• Do type in URLs a lot of times but just root domains
• Pay attention to the structure of the URL since worked on projects that it matters a lot (Guardian) - for instance with search related things and how it should be structured
• Like to see the URL for sure
• If didn’t see it would be slightly worried
• Like to see the hierarchy of information - don’t want the browser to be just delivering the page
• Always pay attention to the padlock in Safari and Read Later and Reader view
• Sometimes going to click the URL sometimes clicks shows certificate instead which is fine
• Recently got HTTPS for the blog, but not forcing it yet - MediaTemple bought it
• Think everything is where it should be in terms of how you see security and location and that
• Fine with how a URL is as a location
• Structure is how it is on a URL for along time but does’t have to stay that way forever
• P2P means pirating things since Limewire days and used it loads but didn’t really understand how it would work - it seemed like you were getting into people’s hard drives
• Can see outside of pirating things, and wanted total privacy when working on a project and sharing it would probably be good
• Don’t know enough about how it works to say what could do with it
• Principles seem to be just like someone creating a project and sharing files in it
• More people involved with it makes it go faster but that’s about it
• It’s got a bad name
• Can contact again in the future