Probably more thinking of Mozilla replacing default search with Yahoo, without asking the user.
Not all that long ago there was a thread here about 'why those bloody end users don't keep their systems up-to-date'. Well, there you have it: because they never just get the fixes, they also get all kinds of other junk rammed down their throats, if such an upgrade does not break their systems entirely. And so the end-users get wise and stop updating their systems, resulting in systems that are then wide open to malicious parties.
I feel that I'm pretty tech savvy and in spite of that I've got a hard time clicking the 'upgrade' button next to my browser for that exact reason, it's a toss-up if it will actually do something useful for me or if it will cause me no end of misery to try to restore the situation back to working after a failed update.
I'd need a couple of extra hands to count the number of times where an update to an otherwise perfectly functioning system caused it to break and in some cases that in turn led to a complete re-install.
In tech we even have a meme for that: "If it isn't obviously broken, don't fix it!".
How do HN folks manage the inevitable change in and monetization of popular and useful products?
I'm having serious heartburn consuming updated products (e.g. Win 10 and FireFox). It seems that the forced dichotomy is Control, Ease of use, Features within 3 years: Pick two. I had been really happy with my customized FireFox and locked down Windows 7 from the control and usefulness standpoint but FF has been taking liberties that parent notes and Windows has a "new direction" than the standalone value they provided with Win 7. Now it feels like they're yanking the rug out, and constantly evaluating the large amount of technology I rely on is tiring.
This is a really hard and uncomfortable thing after years of convenience along the same lines of going back to CDs after using mp3s but it's worth it.
The UI is essentially put in CD, wait, have music, and sync phones occasionally.
What is your current setup that you're happy with?
As for everything else, browser is Firefox still (ick) and the only services I use are an IMAP box and domain.
I gave up music on my phone, contact sync, email on my phone, navigation, everything. A simpler life seems to be better for me.
If any search engine should be the default, at least pick the best or the most privacy friendly. Yahoo is neither. On top of that it is just a relay to Microsoft Bing.
How hard is it to just ask the user which search engine they would like to use on install?
All else being the same, I don't see how supporting a global search monoculture controlled by a direct competitor would have been in the best interests of the Web or of Mozilla.
And I'm not exactly a google fanboy, to put it mildly.
At the time we landed this change, we also tweaked the search box to increase the visibility of alternative engines and make it easier to switch your default. Hopefully that mitigated some of the pain for you.
We're in a weird place. We have to make enough money to fund the engineering that keeps Firefox competitive, but we also have to stay true to our non-profit mission and ownership. Balancing those two interests is difficult, and we're not always going to get it right. For when we don't, I'm sorry.
That I completely acknowledge and there is absolutely no need for you to apologise, where work is being done mistakes are automatically being made. The people I'm most scared of are those that claim they never make mistakes.
Is there an easy way for users like me to simply pay Mozilla for the product?
I'd much prefer that than being made the subject of a tug-of-war between internet giants.
You can always donate to the non-profit Mozilla Foundation at https://donate.mozilla.org. They do really important work, and there are legal limits on how much revenue the corporation can send upstream to the foundation.
As far as I know, Firefox only has two points of monetization: the default search engine and sponsored tiles on the new tab page. It takes roughly ~4 clicks to switch to DuckDuckGo and disable the tiles. I don't think just changing those is enough to satisfy folks, but I'm not sure how to draw that line. Basing it strictly on monetization wouldn't exclude things like Pocket, which frustrates a bunch of folks on HN.
Can I ask you to elaborate more (perhaps we should switch to email, or, ironically, Firefox Hello?) on what sorts of decisions bother you, and which are non-issues? It seems like the hot buttons for folks tend to be: Yahoo, Pocket, Hello, Tiles, H.264, and Australis. Am I missing any? What would your paid-for Firefox look like?
> What would your paid-for Firefox look like?
As free from corporate silos as possible.
I'd happily pay $50 for a clean-by-default (no 3rd party cookies) version of FF.