16
Is the Gecko engine the only reason Mozilla still exists? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 month ago by TheTwelveYearOld@lemmy.world to c/firefox@fedia.io
2 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Most of Mozilla's money of course comes from Google to make them the default search engine on Firefox. And of course its a way for Google to ensure there's at least one alternative browser engine. Reading about how Texeira was recently fired and how executives have been pushing for AI features for a long time, Mozilla certainly loves chasing trends and then forgetting them, like how Google kills lots of products. It seems like the company can't stand on its own two feet without Google's funding and is poorly run.

What happened to Mozilla over the years? How much effort did they put in to trying to be a successful tech company? because it hasn't been until the past few that I really started following Firefox and Mozilla news.

I wonder if Mozilla could've been Proton, years before Proton AG existed, making their own comprehensive suite of privacy-friendly tools, since Mozilla makes privacy their brand. And they were late to the smartphone game with Firefox OS. If they were smart, they would've ensured their long term survival with an actual business, to continue funding development of their privacy and FOSS software like Firefox, without large funding sources like Google.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] SquiffSquiff@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

I think you're missing a key area here. The original Mozilla product was Netscape- a commercial combined web browser and email client. There used to be a number of commercial competitors in the space, e.g. Opera, Eudora, etc. Microsoft killed that market in the 1990's.

I struggle to see how any organisation could make money out of giving away a product that costs money to produce and promote. You've suggested they could have been Proton but that's a completely different sector. We could just as easily have suggested they could have been Twitter, WhatsApp or Instagram.

this post was submitted on 23 Sep 2024
16 points (100.0% liked)

Firefox

4 readers
32 users here now

The latest news and developments on Firefox and Mozilla, a global non-profit that strives to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the web.

You can subscribe to this community from any Kbin or Lemmy instance:

Related

Rules

While we are not an official Mozilla community, we have adopted the Mozilla Community Participation Guidelines as far as it can be applied to a bin.

Rules

  1. Always be civil and respectful
    Don't be toxic, hostile, or a troll, especially towards Mozilla employees. This includes gratuitous use of profanity.

  2. Don't be a bigot
    No form of bigotry will be tolerated.

  3. Don't post security compromising suggestions
    If you do, include an obvious and clear warning.

  4. Don't post conspiracy theories
    Especially ones about nefarious intentions or funding. If you're concerned: Ask. Please don’t fuel conspiracy thinking here. Don’t try to spread FUD, especially against reliable privacy-enhancing software. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Show credible sources.

  5. Don't accuse others of shilling
    Send honest concerns to the moderators and/or admins, and we will investigate.

  6. Do not remove your help posts after they receive replies
    Half the point of asking questions in a public sub is so that everyone can benefit from the answers—which is impossible if you go deleting everything behind yourself once you've gotten yours.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
yoasif@fedia.io