I've been using Opera as my browser for the last 10+ years. I've seen new features come and other features go.

But since 2020, I don't know which update, you are seriously annoying me.

Every week some random messenger crap pops up on the sidebar.
A ) I'm not using the sidebar so I have it disabled
and B ) I'm not using any messenger.

So why does it keep re-enabling itself without asking me?
There's a reason I set my configuration the way I want it.
Stop trying to be Microsoft who "knows what's best for their users."

Just let me use my own browser the way I want to in peace.
Else I'll be leaving Opera behind for good.

I've been using Opera for 10+ years now.
I've seen new features come, other features go.

There were many decisions I considered right, but also many that make no sense to me.
It feels like the devs treat Opera more like their playground than an actual publicly available, with Chrome competing browser.

I like new features as much as the next guy, but maybe ask your userbase before you decide something for them.

As things stand, since 2020 Opera is essentially trying to be Microsoft. Even business computers come pre-loaded with ads.
And of course "Microsoft knows what best for their users. The users are dumb." Don't be Microsoft.

If this keeps going, I'm leaving Opera behind for good.
As things stand right now, you have nothing to offer over the competition anyway. Most people neither care about the social media integration nor about the included VPN. You're not as trusted a company as Mozilla. Who in their right mind would use Opera VPN? Noone knows how secure it really is.

Other than the speed being limited by whatever your internet provider set (aka what you are paying him for),
there are 2 possibilities:

You have a VPN running and that slows down your internet (Opera has a VPN built in, don't know if you have that enabled)

Or.. this is more general speed of the browser and not the internet: You have too many bookmarks so opera actually takes 4-5 seconds longer to load pages.

I've been using Opera as my browser for the last 10+ years. I've seen new features come and other features go.

But since 2020, I don't know which update, you are seriously annoying me.

Every week some random messenger crap pops up on the sidebar.
A ) I'm not using the sidebar so I have it disabled
and B ) I'm not using any messenger.

So why does it keep re-enabling itself without asking me?
There's a reason I set my configuration the way I want it.
Stop trying to be Microsoft who "knows what's best for their users."

Just let me use my own browser the way I want to in peace.
Else I'll be leaving Opera behind for good.