4 ms·

Making a browsers requires developers, developers cost money. Since not enough people are donating, they have to figure out how to make money otherwise.

by esarbe 6y ago

Cthulhu_ 6y ago
Yup; Google / Chrome, Apple / Safari + webkit, and Microsoft / Edge get away with it because their browser is not their product, it's an extra. For Google its original intent was to make the internet faster so that people would see more ads. Firefox needs a company behind it whose income is not tied to the browser. I don't believe you can monetize a browser, not without doing some dodgy shit like forcing search engines on people, injecting ads, premium features, etc. I know Firefox tried to launch a number of products over the years to try and make money, but at this point it doesn't seem to be working. I think their only hope financially is to be bought up by a FAANG, but they either have their own browsers or no interest in having one.
- Yoric 6y ago
  You can't by Mozilla. It's a non-profit. There are no shares.
- BMSmnqXAE4yfe1 6y ago
  So that leaves us with FB or Netflix.
err4nt 6y ago
I wonder what percentage of their bottom line comes from goodwill donations from individuals, versus the millions they get each year from Google and various other search companies they have contracts with - in some recent past years Google has been funding like 90%+ of their budget haven't they?
- pjmlp 6y ago
  Having been disillusioned with what means to try to make money with desktop FOSS software, I would bet that goodwill donations aren't that representative.
- konaraddi 6y ago
  There's Mozilla Foundation and there's Mozilla Corporation (the corporation is a subsidiary of the foundation). For Mozilla Corporation: > In CY 2018, Mozilla Corporation generated $435.702 million from royalties, subscriptions and advertising revenue compared to $542 million in CY 2017. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/foundation/annualreport/2018/ https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/foundation/annualreport/2018/ (I couldn't find a more up-to-date annual report) For Mozilla Foundation: > The Mozilla Foundation is funded by donations and 2% of annual net revenues from the Mozilla Corporation, amounting to over US$8.3 million in 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation#Financing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation#Financing
seppel 6y ago
> Since not enough people are donating, they have to figure out how to make money otherwise. I'd love to donate but only for the browser, not for that other stuff. And that seems to be the main problem here: They make tons of money, but there not investing it where they make the money with.

Making a browsers requires developers, developers cost money. Since not enough people are donating, they have to figure out how to make money otherwise.

by esarbe 6y ago

Making a browsers requires developers, developers cost money. Since not enough people are donating, they have to figure out how to make money otherwise.

Cthulhu_ 6y ago

Yup; Google / Chrome, Apple / Safari + webkit, and Microsoft / Edge get away with it because their browser is not their product, it's an extra. For Google its original intent was to make the internet faster so that people would see more ads. Firefox needs a company behind it whose income is not tied to the browser. I don't believe you can monetize a browser, not without doing some dodgy shit like forcing search engines on people, injecting ads, premium features, etc. I know Firefox tried to launch a number of products over the years to try and make money, but at this point it doesn't seem to be working. I think their only hope financially is to be bought up by a FAANG, but they either have their own browsers or no interest in having one.

Yoric 6y ago
You can't by Mozilla. It's a non-profit. There are no shares.
BMSmnqXAE4yfe1 6y ago
So that leaves us with FB or Netflix.

err4nt 6y ago

I wonder what percentage of their bottom line comes from goodwill donations from individuals, versus the millions they get each year from Google and various other search companies they have contracts with - in some recent past years Google has been funding like 90%+ of their budget haven't they?

pjmlp 6y ago
Having been disillusioned with what means to try to make money with desktop FOSS software, I would bet that goodwill donations aren't that representative.
konaraddi 6y ago
There's Mozilla Foundation and there's Mozilla Corporation (the corporation is a subsidiary of the foundation). For Mozilla Corporation: > In CY 2018, Mozilla Corporation generated $435.702 million from royalties, subscriptions and advertising revenue compared to $542 million in CY 2017. https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/foundation/annualreport/2018/ https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/foundation/annualreport/2018/ (I couldn't find a more up-to-date annual report) For Mozilla Foundation: > The Mozilla Foundation is funded by donations and 2% of annual net revenues from the Mozilla Corporation, amounting to over US$8.3 million in 2016. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation#Financing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation#Financing

seppel 6y ago

> Since not enough people are donating, they have to figure out how to make money otherwise. I'd love to donate but only for the browser, not for that other stuff. And that seems to be the main problem here: They make tons of money, but there not investing it where they make the money with.