What is the story of Vivaldi ?

[iqaluit]

Yes, what is the detailed story of Vivaldi!
Are there any veterans willing to tell its story to newcomers? Are there any veterans who have been walking with Vivaldi since the beginning? Why and how did the split happen during Opera times? How did it develop from scratch and become one of the most customizable browsers in the market? Where did the idea of integrating a mail client come from as well as calendar and feeds ? What is the story of Vivaldi forum and its veterans, mods, bug hunters and ambassadors ?
Since we have just wished Vivaldi its happy 10th, then sure there would be members who would like to share a vivaldi story or two with us, the curious ones.

[TravellinBob]

All that would probably need a book written! I'd but it for sure!

[mib2berlin]

@iqaluit
Hi, in short words, the former Opera creator leave Opera and create Vivaldi, many of the old Opera developers and stuff change to Vivaldi and work now since ten Years to create the most customizable browser on the planet.

If you leaved Opera but love Opera GX design, no problem:

I hope other users are not as lazy as I am and collect some links to blogs about the evolution of Vivaldi.

[WildEnte]

@iqaluit in a nutshell:

Jon v. Tetzchner and Geir Ivarsøy founded Opera as a spin-off of the norwegian telecom Telenor in 1995. Opera was a fantastic browser with its own rendering engine Presto, set up to be an internet Suite with email and chat integrated, and was one of the primary innovators in the browser realm. To support the growth, they brought investors on board but their profit driven vision didn't align too well with the user oriented vision of Jon (Geir had sadly passed away).

Jon stepped down as CEO of Opera in 2010 and left a year later. Under his leadership, Opera had developed a vibrant community 'my.opera.com', which ended abruptly when Opera decided to do a full restart: they ditched their own Presto rendering engine to jump on the Chromium train (and 'reduced' the number of devs in the process), and they closed the my.opera.com community portal - this is about 2014. Things got even worse with Opera when they were acquired by a chinese consortium in 2016.

In 2014 Jon and a few former companions founded Vivaldi, first setting up the Vivaldi community forum (with import for my.opera blogs, which I and some others here used) and released the first beta of the Vivaldi browser shortly after. Since Opera didn't release the code for the Presto engine, and maintaining ones own engine is freakishly hard, they had to choose between existig open source engines and opted for Chromium.

Since then, they are building the browser with the same original vision they had for Opera, but this time making sure not to bring in outside investors.

[ingolftopf]

@TravellinBob
Hello,
I would like to write you a private message, but you have disabled this function.

This is the default setting, you have to activate it separately.

[iqaluit]

@WildEnte thanks for the testimony.
How about Presto ? What happened to it? Who had developed it in the first place ?

[ingolftopf]

@iqaluit
The old “Opera”, the current Vivaldi.
It was bought by the Chinese company that bought Opera and then discontinued.

[iqaluit]

@ingolftopf Presto was owned by Vivaldi and Vivaldi discontinued it correct ? Too bad. I never used it but heard wonderful stuff about it.... and May Geir rest in peace, my condolences!

[x-15a2]

@iqaluit No, Vivaldi never owned, and never had access to the Presto rendering engine. Presto was owned and ditched by Opera.

[iqaluit]

@x-15a2 Thanks for clarifying

[TravellinBob]

@ingolftopf OK. Could you confirm where the Setting is and I'll enable it. TBH didn't realise there was one! ;-))

[ingolftopf]

@TravellinBob
Please go to your profile
️ Settings
️ Privacy
️ "Only allow chat messages from users I
follow."
Please uncheck the box there.

[Pesala]

This is what Grok tells me.

What is the story of Vivaldi browser?

The Vivaldi browser has a unique story that intertwines with the personal journey of its co-founder, Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, who previously co-founded Opera Software. Here's how Vivaldi came to be:

Background:

Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner was one of the original founders of Opera Software in 1995. Opera became known for its innovative features and customization options, catering especially to power users.

Creation of Vivaldi:

Frustration with Modern Browsers: After leaving Opera in 2011, von Tetzchner observed a trend where browsers were becoming more streamlined but less customizable. He felt that there was a gap in the market for a browser that catered to users desiring more control over their browsing experience.
Launch of Vivaldi: In 2015, Vivaldi Technologies was founded, and in April 2016, they released Vivaldi 1.0. The browser was named after the Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, reflecting the company's desire to create something unique and melodious in the browser space.

Key Features and Philosophy:

Customization: From the start, Vivaldi emphasized extensive customization. Features include tab stacking, tab tiling, custom mouse gestures, and a highly modifiable user interface.
Privacy and User Control: Vivaldi has positioned itself against the trend of centralized services by not selling user data and offering built-in tracker and ad blockers.
Speed Dial and Notes: Vivaldi introduced or enhanced features like Speed Dial for quick access to favorite sites and integrated note-taking within the browser.
Chromium Base: Like many modern browsers, Vivaldi uses the Chromium engine, ensuring compatibility with web standards while adding its proprietary features on top.

Development and Community Engagement:

Open Development: Vivaldi has maintained an open dialogue with its user base, often incorporating user suggestions into new features. This community-driven approach has been central to its development process.
Regular Updates: The browser has seen regular updates, introducing features like split-screen, web panels, and even more advanced customization options over time.

Market Position:

Niche but Growing: While Vivaldi doesn't compete in the same league as Google Chrome or Firefox in terms of market share, it has carved out a dedicated niche among users who want a more personalized browsing experience.
Cross-Platform: Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, Vivaldi aims to provide a consistent experience across devices.

Current Status:

As of my last update, Vivaldi continues to evolve, adding features that cater to tech-savvy users while maintaining its commitment to privacy and customization. It's particularly popular among those who remember and miss the more customizable aspects of older browsers like early versions of Opera.

This story of Vivaldi reflects a passion for innovation in a browser market often criticized for lacking diversity in user control and privacy considerations.

[ingolftopf]

@Pesala
Oh, very detailed, thank you very much.

I had to save this straight away.

[disu1950]

@mib2berlin

well it was good choic3 since chineze took Opera..
before many yrs i like opera gx .. was nice...
but today their mobile opera app not so good...
vivaldi did good job, like compiled opera+firefox+chrom+bravee in into one..
.
i like it that app its similar like desktop ...
that firefox no way screen can stay desktop view..
dont like firefox cuz of that... xDD

[TravellinBob]

@TravellinBob OK, done.

[ingolftopf]

@TravellinBob
Thank you

If you like, maybe you can leave it like this.

[ThePfromtheO]

@Pesala Thanks for the post, this made me allow ads from Vivaldi's partners in order to support it!

[ThePfromtheO]

@ThePfromtheO @Pesala But, I'm too fond of my current search engine to move to another one that supports Vivaldi.