Firefox’s future is in Google’s hands

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Read all about it here. http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/firefox%E2%80%99s_future_googles_hands

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???
I had been led to believe that chrome took all your private info but firefox did not.
That would be enough to keep me using firefox. With proper sales pitch mozilla
can keep firefox going quite a lot longer.

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What a blow that would be if Firefox turned belly up. I have all 3 big browsers on my PC (not interested in a Mac) IE, Chrome and FF and use FF almost to the exclusion of the other 2. Far and away the best browser. But I guess business is business.

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???
I had been led to believe that chrome took all your private info but firefox did not.
That would be enough to keep me using firefox. With proper sales pitch mozilla
can keep firefox going quite a lot longer.

That Chrome (and Google Search) behavior can be modified with browser Extensions, such as Abine’s ChromeBlock. Not eliminated, but mitigated.

-- rc primak

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Because it’s a small target for hackers and does everything I want. And it’s mostly quicker to load.

Mind you, I keep my passwords in KeePass so I can use them just as easily with any browser that can handle some of the increasingly annoyingly virtuoso-designed web sites I find myself needing to access.

I wonder, however, whether these guys who can’t restrain themselves from speculating about the future behaviour of users ever consider that, while there are no doubt millions like themselves (us?) who like to think they follow the technical advantage, there are tens, if not hundreds, of millions who simply stick with the default because they can’t be bothered to learn anything different.

Which is how Microsoft built its success (and Digital Research didn’t:()

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Because it’s a small target for hackers and does everything I want. And it’s mostly quicker to load.

I was an Opera-first user for years, until a revision that stopped it handling my JavaScript the way it had done (which was just like IE and FF did and do). I could not get any help from company or community so I reverted to FF (in spite of its non-existent help system). Before long a FF revision concealed the familiar GUI and disconnected both my add-ons without any speed gain at all.

Chrome was then newish but as fast-loading as Opera had been and did everything right, including lightning-fast updates. Just recently Chrome has started to mess with my text formatting (as has Opera – so the newer Standards must be to blame), but it’s still the best I can find (Safari’s “wall” annoys me and it’s slow to patch over security concerns).

Strangely enough, Opera’s recent updates have restored the JavaScript functionality the earlier update removed !

As a heartfelt generalisation, browsers’ managements need to stop interfering with users’ GUI preferences and move the liberated manpower to providing good help facilities.

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I had been led to believe that chrome took all your private info but firefox did not.

If you’re concerned about the privacy violations of Chrome, you might try Comodo Dragon. Like Iron, it’s built on the Chromium technology, but my experience with Dragon and Iron was that Dragon worked better than Iron – especially with streaming audio. Also, the support forum for Iron had a really slow response to questions – if anyone responded at all. http://www.comodo.com/home/browsers-toolbars/browser.php

Comodo also has a new product, IceDragon, which is built on Firefox, but with better security. I haven’t tried it yet.
http://www.comodo.com/home/browsers-toolbars/icedragon-browser.php

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It can also be eliminated buy not installing chrome if your that paranoid.

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I have all three on my machine but virtually never use IE or Chrome – if I NEED IE for something, I simply switch rendering engines in FF and there I have an IE tab. I hate the lack of customization Chrome provides, there is very little under that wrench, IE is no better. FF alone allows roughly a zillion add ons and extensions of great utility, it almost never crashes, it is completely reliable and customizable, you can get back the things Chrome decides you don’t need, you can rearrange icons on your toolbar, it is a wonderful tool. I would hate to see it go under, I’ve been using it exclusively for years and I would go back to Opera before using either IE or Chrome as my primary browser.

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If you like Chrome but don’t like the privacy issue, try SRW’s Iron browser:

http://www.srware.net/en/software_srware_iron.php

It has all the Chrome features (it’s based on Chrome) but has all the privacy tracking stuff removed. So far, all the add-ons for Chrome work with IRON.

Super fast too. I used to use Opera, but have switched to Iron as my default.

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I just downloaded the portable version of Iron. It’s certainly faster than Firefox 8.
Looks like an interesting browser.

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Firefox will be fine. The MONEY from Google to Mozilla is all about the licensing dollars for the default search engine in Firefox. Micro$oft will be happy to step in and have Bing be the new default search engine in FF. MS is now competing against both Google’s Search and Chrome, so sending some money to Mozilla is a no-brainer for MS.

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Well, my initial testing of Iron leaves me with the same impression as Chrome. It certainly won’t be my default browser, as I currently see it.

The reason: Comparing it to the NoScript add-on for Firefox, with NoScript you have the option to select what scripts you want to allow or not allow (as there are usually more than one wanting to run), and whether or not to temporally allow your choice or permanently allow your choice.
With Iron, and Chrome, it’s either all or nothing. Same with cookies.

Consequently I’ll keep Firefox as my default browser, for now anyway.

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Firefox is largely broken in multiple ways.
The password manager is terribly unreliable.
I have put test cases on Bugzilla about it and all the defensive fighting I got was unbelievable.
Different wrong opinions. Certain people disagree about it being broken, though I proved the problem.
No one in charge ready to make an executive decision. To fix things. Users get frustrated when things don’t work the way they expect them to work.

Firefox is starting to really show that it’s being written by hundreds of different people.
No one strong in charge. It’s like Linux in that respect.

I have put in bug reports that are now over 5 years old. Never worked on by anyone. The bugs are still there.

Security issues too, often caused by Adobe Flash, it’s nearly impossible to update that often enough. But Firefox has it’s own security problems.

The best things about Firefox are obviously the extensions, some of which are so good they keep me using a largely defective browser.
Adblock is the main one. That thing is the bomb. If IE had that I would just use IE.

If Firefox is going to progress and be a force in the future someone is going to have to take responsibility for things. Decide how things are going to work and how they are not going to work. Override the volunteer developers objections when it’s necessary for survival of the project.

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Security issues too, often caused by Adobe Flash, it’s nearly impossible to update that often enough. But Firefox has it’s own security problems.

The best things about Firefox are obviously the extensions, some of which are so good they keep me using a largely defective browser.
Adblock is the main one. That thing is the bomb. If IE had that I would just use IE.

Adobe Flash is one program I refuse to install on my computer, or as an add-on to any browser, because – as you mentioned – it is a major security problem, along with Acrobat Reader from Adobe. Another utility I will not install.

I also like NoScript as a Firefox add-on.

ScriptNo for Chrome is fairly similar and should work with Iron. Have a read about it here:

http://www.ghacks.net/2011/11/15/scriptno-another-noscript-extension-for-chrome/

I’ll check that out. Thanks!

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Firefox has improved over time. It is working on a 64 bit version as Waterfox.

Chrome is faster in only a few operations. Its handling of tabs, crushing them is but one reason it is nowhere as good as FF. Also its rigidity in its setup and confusing adding extensions. Also I can scroll over links and add them in separate tabs…There are more functions that I use in FF (I use Waterfox) that Chrome does not carry.

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I’m reading a lot about Firefox going away on this and on other forums because of the possible loss of a Google contract.
I don’t think a lot of people understand the nature of the front end browsers. They are not the ‘search engines’ necessarily and can point to ‘search engines.’
Firefox, Opera, Chrome, IE, etc. [ http://tinyurl.com/qgt4y8 ] find hits from indexed databases. Many in fact, use what Google has indexed and their database. Others use other databases of indexes they or other groups have developed over time…and browsers can use any one of them to get hits and results pages.
It’s possible that Firefox may lose the use of the Google search engine and index, but one can change within Firefox and IE to any other search engine, including those others who may also use the Google index or the Yahoo index, or whatever.
I found the easiest way to do this in Firefox or IE, was to add the Groowe search bar. http://www.groowe.com/ I can change to many search engines (or even program use of others) which I may want or need from the Firefox or IE browser, whether AlltheWeb, Yahoo, Bing, Wikipedia, Yippy!, Twocows, etc., with two clicks. Each of the latter search in different ways with different indexes and will often bring up items not found by the Google algorithms. The Groowe bar is available for IE, but apparently not for those other front end popular browsers; Chrome, and Opera.
Given the nature of Google now applying ‘preference’ filters to the search, one is not likely to find all that one should be finding if a balanced research of available information is to be found. See Pariser’s important book The Filter Bubble.

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I’m reading a lot about Firefox going away on this and on other forums because of the possible loss of a Google contract.
I don’t think a lot of people understand the nature of the front end browsers. They are not the ‘search engines’ necessarily and can point to ‘search engines.’
Firefox, Opera, Chrome, IE, etc. [ http://tinyurl.com/qgt4y8 ] find hits from indexed databases. Many in fact, use what Google has indexed and their database. Others use other databases of indexes they or other groups have developed over time…and browsers can use any one of them to get hits and results pages.
It’s possible that Firefox may lose the use of the Google search engine and index, but one can change within Firefox and IE to any other search engine, including those others who may also use the Google index or the Yahoo index, or whatever.
I found the easiest way to do this in Firefox or IE, was to add the Groowe search bar. http://www.groowe.com/ I can change to many search engines (or even program use of others) which I may want or need from the Firefox or IE browser, whether AlltheWeb, Yahoo, Bing, Wikipedia, Yippy!, Twocows, etc., with two clicks. Each of the latter search in different ways with different indexes and will often bring up items not found by the Google algorithms. The Groowe bar is available for IE, but apparently not for those other front end popular browsers; Chrome, and Opera.
Given the nature of Google now applying ‘preference’ filters to the search, one is not likely to find all that one should be finding if a balanced research of available information is to be found. See Pariser’s important book The Filter Bubble.

The problem is not what search engine to use, but the loss of a major source of revenue (I believe around 80%) if the agreement with Google ends. Without the amount Google pays Mozilla, they are bound to experience major difficulties.

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Opera — ’nuff said.

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Welcome to The Lounge.
P.S. my favourite cereal as a boy. (sugar coated ones )

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Welcome to The Lounge.
P.S. my favourite cereal as a boy. (sugar coated ones )

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I agree Firefox is shooting itself in the foot, but not because of the search engine issue. As was pointed out, others would be happy to jump into the void (personally, I changed my default to Dogpile, anyway). In my mind, Firefox will kill itself with the change to its interface and its upgrade policy. The folks at Mozilla have as much as said “we don’t give a &*$% about corporate users,” but that’s where a lot of their market is, like it or not.

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(personally, I changed my default to Dogpile, anyway).

I typically use Scroogle or StartPage as my search engines of choice. There seems to be a little more anonymity with those two over the other major search engines.

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So, will they join Netscape in the dark halls of yesterday? Does it really matter? There are lots of good free, browsers out there. I do not see where losing one more makes a bit of difference to anyone but the few who work for Mozilla Firefox as full time employees. If they are good at their jobs they will find others quite easily.

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I don’t think the browser will die whatever. Even if development had to be discontinued by Mozilla because of the current worry, there’s every possibility it would carry on under another banner. Maybe there’s a precedent to be looked at. The Mozilla Suite didn’t die but carried on to become SeaMonkey.

If they don’t sort out some other agreement, they will be thrown into irrelevance, sooner or later. The browser itself may not die, but the usage share will decrease significatively. They are on a downward trend already.

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If they don’t sort out some other agreement, they will be thrown into irrelevance, sooner or later. The browser itself may not die, but the usage share will decrease significatively. They are on a downward trend already.

This (IMHO) is caused by managements arrogant attitudes.

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cocopuffed

28142-WSL

P.S. My favourite cereal as a boy (sugar coated ones)

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“I simply switch rendering engines in FF and there I have an IE tab.”

How do you do that? I would love to not have to open IE for the sites that demand it.

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Add IE Tab to your extensions/Addins.

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”I simply switch rendering engines in FF and there I have an IE tab.”

How do you do that? I would love to not have to open IE for the sites that demand it.

Add IE Tab to your extensions/Addins.

Was wondering the same, so thank you. When I searched, however, there were three different, and I chose IE Tabs 2, so I hope that’s the “right” one.
How’s this for irony: When you get the thank you for downloading page, it has an ad for Google Chrome! It’s insidious. Course I don’t have any of those fancy “Adblock” plug-ins.

I too would hate for anything to happen to Firefox.

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Things change; right now for me it’s Opera and FF, then IE and Chrome. Maybe it time for a new lineup.

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Chrome cannot do many things that cannot be done in FF:
1- Allow Tabs to flow as allowed option in FF
2- Allow outlining multiple links and “Open links in tabs”. You have to load one by one.

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Hi, I’m Lost, how are you? Wow, I didn’t realize FF was that bad. It has a few advantages I really like, too. If FF is that bad, I’d like to find something better, too, I guess I should start looking. not IE or google, if that’s possible. People/companies don’t have the right to dictate what products we’ll use; it’s all motivated by greed. I love adblock and noscript, I don’t wanna lose them.

Oh, about Flash, what’s a more secure alternative?

Lost

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Oh, about Flash, what’s a more secure alternative?

Lost

HTML 5, if implemented properly, doesn’t allow as much messing with your computer as Flash Player. But the key is not to allow Flash at unfamiliar sites (use FlashBlock in Firefox), and clean up those so-called “super-cookies” using such extensions as Click And Clean.

-- rc primak

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FF is not that bad. It still has memory problems, and for my use it is the best. Chrome does not show many websites well. Its handling of tabs is poor and is not customizeable as well as FF. I am staying with FF.

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Chrome has caused me fewer page rendering issues than Firefox. Especially after any major Firefox upgrade.

-- rc primak

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Nothing will happen to FF. Google renewed and increased its funding (or Microsoft would have).

IE2 Tab 2 is fine. I have found more rendering problems in Chrome. It also handles tabs poorly. Also in IE and Opera Tabs are scrunched together and flow smoothly. I can also outline links and they are put in tabs in FF. No go in Chrome. Chrome is simple and a little faster that FF, but it doesn’t work for me. FF is more customizable.

If you have 64 bit Windows, try Waterfox. It is based on FF rendering engine, faster than FF and updates soon after FF.

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Hope this will not happen. I like my FF in Mozilla.

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