Firefox

6315 readers

359 users here now

A community for discussion about Mozilla Firefox.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

lightbeam24@lemmy.world

179

New Mozilla CEO: "[Firefox] will evolve into a modern AI browser" (blog.mozilla.org)

submitted 2 days ago by XLE@piefed.social to c/firefox@lemmy.world

109 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] tomorrow@leminal.space 52 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Third: Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software. Firefox will remain our anchor. It will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions.

Oh, geez.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago

My same reaction. Sometimes you just need to do one thing well, particularly when they thing you're doing is this very general use multipurpose interfacing tool.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

although:

First: Every product we build must give people agency in how it works. Privacy, data use, and AI must be clear and understandable. Controls must be simple. AI should always be a choice — something people can easily turn off. People should know why a feature works the way it does and what value they get from it.

I have no issue with the option being available, i have an issue when i do not get an option at all.

[–] pory@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ignore all the AI stuff. I do not want my web browser to ever "evolve" into "more than a web browser". I want it to be a web browser. I do not want an "ecosystem" of related products. I want a web browser.

[–] Wildmimic@anarchist.nexus 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I agree that would be ideal, but if you look at how Firefox lost popularity over the last decade, it's obvious that "just a browser" doesn't seem to cut it anymore in todays integrated IT landscape if you want a relevant marketshare, making sure you don't just get ignored when sweeping changes are made by the likes of Google and co.

I'd say let them cook, he seems at least to know that respecting user choice and clear communication is important to make sure people don't lose trust in your brand, something that the previous leadership didn't demonstrate tbh. The browser landscape is depressing enough, i don't think it can get much worse.

[–] pory@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I'll stick with "just a browser", specifically one derived directly from Firefox (FF being free software is the only good thing about FF that Mozilla won't revoke or change). Mozilla lost my custom and I'm not responsible for cheerleading for them.

Check out the reply to this from the lead of the Waterfox project. Would I rather use a browser by the guy promising to turn my browser into an "ecosystem" of tools, or the one saying:

"Waterfox will not include LLMs. Full stop."

"The browser’s job is to serve you, not to think for you. That core Waterfox principle hasn’t changed, and it won’t."

"If AI browsers dominate and then falter, if users discover they want something simpler and more trustworthy, Waterfox will still be here, marching patiently along. We’ve been here before. When Firefox abandoned XUL extensions, Waterfox Classic preserved them. When Mozilla started adding telemetry and Pocket and sponsored content, Waterfox stripped it out. I like to think that where there is want for a browser that simply respects you, Waterfox has delivered."

"Waterfox exists because some users want a browser that simply works well at being a browser. The UI is mature - arguably, it has been a solved for problem for years. The customisation features are available and apparent. The focus is on performance and web standards."

And hey, because Waterfox is a Firefox fork, that oh so precious user agent data people love to bring up to dissuade people from leaving poor Mozilla to shrivel up is still telling websites 'yep, this is a Gecko engine browser'.