4 ms·

This is basically how Mozilla began, as Netscape died, right?

bwat49 6y ago
The browser market is so much different now though. Firefox was originally competing against the pile of steaming garbage that was IE6. Now they are competing against Chrome which is actually a good browser, and Chrome also has the advantage of having google behind it which can leverage their search/ad monopoly to push Chrome.
- jacquesm 6y ago
  > which can leverage their search/ad monopoly to push Chrome. And which they have shamelessly done.
- runarberg 6y ago
  Wasn’t IE6 a great browser? The best even? The way I’ve heard the story is that by the time of firefox, IE6 was still a really good browser, it had just stayed stagnant for a little too long, and bundled got with Microsoft’s monopolistic behavior. I think there are more parallels between late IE6 and present day Chrome then you give credit for.
  - bwat49 6y ago
    maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I don't have a single fond memory of IE6. I remember it being a revelation how much better firefox was when I first switched back in the day.
- pera 6y ago
  Nobody but techies thought back then that IE6 was a "pile of steaming garbage". We are mostly in the same situation today in this regard.
  - bwat49 6y ago
    Chrome is far better than IE6 ever was. Not even close to the same situation IMO.
jacquesm 6y ago
Pretty much. But they had not ridden Netscape that far down to the bottom just yet. Don't forget that the roots of Mozilla were seeded in 1998, the Mozilla foundation came 6 years later. Netscape was still hugely popular and FireFox took that popularity and ran with it. To do this today, with a much more complex product would be no mean feat, back then a browser was a much simpler piece of software than it is today.
- WoodenChair 6y ago
  > Netscape was still hugely popular and FireFox took that popularity and ran with it. Netscape was not “still hugely popular” when Firefox was created. IE market share was upwards of 90%.

The browser market is so much different now though. Firefox was originally competing against the pile of steaming garbage that was IE6. Now they are competing against Chrome which is actually a good browser, and Chrome also has the advantage of having google behind it which can leverage their search/ad monopoly to push Chrome.

jacquesm 6y ago
> which can leverage their search/ad monopoly to push Chrome. And which they have shamelessly done.
runarberg 6y ago
Wasn’t IE6 a great browser? The best even? The way I’ve heard the story is that by the time of firefox, IE6 was still a really good browser, it had just stayed stagnant for a little too long, and bundled got with Microsoft’s monopolistic behavior. I think there are more parallels between late IE6 and present day Chrome then you give credit for.
- bwat49 6y ago
  maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I don't have a single fond memory of IE6. I remember it being a revelation how much better firefox was when I first switched back in the day.
pera 6y ago
Nobody but techies thought back then that IE6 was a "pile of steaming garbage". We are mostly in the same situation today in this regard.
- bwat49 6y ago
  Chrome is far better than IE6 ever was. Not even close to the same situation IMO.

jacquesm 6y ago

Pretty much. But they had not ridden Netscape that far down to the bottom just yet. Don't forget that the roots of Mozilla were seeded in 1998, the Mozilla foundation came 6 years later. Netscape was still hugely popular and FireFox took that popularity and ran with it. To do this today, with a much more complex product would be no mean feat, back then a browser was a much simpler piece of software than it is today.

WoodenChair 6y ago
> Netscape was still hugely popular and FireFox took that popularity and ran with it. Netscape was not “still hugely popular” when Firefox was created. IE market share was upwards of 90%.