Without the Facebook integration, the browser has no additional features over other, more-polished browsers. After restarting, testing the browser without signing in to Facebook was disappointing. A forced program close did not work and the only way to move past the menu was to authorize the permissions or force a shutdown of the whole computer system. The menu appears to allow these to be declined, but when attempted, the menu simply reloads and repeats infinitely. In addition, the program asks for all of your personal Facebook information, which can be detailed.

This lack of user control is concerning for those with any interest in privacy. Essentially, RockMelt for Mac seeks authorization to control almost all of the user's Facebook features and permissions. Once it's entered, the next setup dialog box presents troublesome privacy concerns. Initially, you are prompted to enter Facebook log-in information before the program begins. RockMelt for Mac attempts to combine a Web browser with Facebook, but privacy concerns and poor functionality make this a problematic application.Īvailable as freeware, the program downloads quickly. And with HTML5, the social networking sites have nearly everything they need to enhance the browsing experience, at least for the moment.Integrating Facebook into other applications has been the focus of developers in recent years. It’s not our job to find innovative ways of accessing them. However, it’s up to the social networking sites to find innovative ways of using our browsers. Yes, social networking is the way of the future.

Enhancing the “window”, or building-in “innovative new features” to the window is actually annoying. It’s a really basic thing, and the best Web browsers are those that are fast and out of the way, like Google Chrome–which has been rewarded by a massive boost in popularity. Here’s the deal: A Web browser is just a window onto the Internet. Sure, these two services are popular, but the history of the Internet has been one of giants toppling when something better comes along. Its makers are pinning its hopes on the whole concept of social networking as it exists at this very moment (e.g., sharing interesting stuff), and it’s also banking on the future success of Facebook and Twitter. This is the fundamental failing with RockMelt (which I want to call “RockSalt”).

Free rockmelt browser download