[tor-talk] TBB font size concern for many users

[Joe Btfsplk <joebtfsplk@xxxxxxx>]

People having excellent sight naturally don't think about reading small 
print books or web pages.
But a lot of the general population has a problem with this.

Because of possible browser fingerprinting issues & / or anonymity 
leaks, TBB users are discouraged from
- changing default settings in TBB (like font name or the Default Font 
size / minimum size).
- using addons / extensions - (here, to enlarge fonts) that might 
compromise anonymity.

Points taken.  Where does that leave users NEEDING larger than default  
/ minimum  font size?
My guess - people w/ these problems just change fonts / sizes by various 
means, unaware of implications, or just no other choice.

For instance, using default font settings - TBB 3.5 - English, Windows - 
apparent font size on 
https://www.torproject.org/docs/faq.html.en#WhatIsTor is approx. 
equivalent to 9 pt (I think).
Even w/ Windows DPI increased to 110 vs. default 96.  For many, the 
equivalent of 9 pt is pretty small - even for a book.
Some pages use *very* small or hard to read font, if users keep the 
default TBB setting, "allow pages to use their own fonts...."

For some, the default font STYLE - Times New Roman - (in TBB - English), 
may be less readable than others.

Fonts other than Times New Roman are often recommended for better 
general readability & for sight or other "reading problems."
Other reading problems exist besides eyesight / small font; I don't have 
them, but they exist.

This general issue is problematic for many non-Tor users & overcoming it 
is a *technical* issue; in TBB, it involves anonymity - even security / 
freedom (get caught using Tor in the wrong place, for instance).

What are the *recommended* options for users w/ these issues, that won't 
increase browser uniqueness or possibly compromise anonymity?

For web sites (or others) looking at font style / sizes in TBB, what 
effect does using the keyboard & mouse to increase font size (e.g., Ctrl 
+ scroll)  have on fingerprinting?
Using THAT or similar method, can they still see the font size is 
different than default?

Just a question - I don't have a perfect answer:  what if default font 
size was increased (some) - or *possibly* other changes - would it put 
hardship on normally sighted users?  Would it cause them equivalent 
problems that small or harder to read font causes users w/ sight or 
reading problems?

If changing default font or size, by ANY known method may still cause 
concern, then developing an extension that plays nice w/ TBB isn't the 
answer.
Thanks.
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