7 ms·

Despite a steadily slipping market share, Firefox is snappy and feature-forward

60 points by alexrustic 6y ago

firebaze 6y ago
I'd consider the 2nd and 3rd derivative of market share more important. As far as I'm observing the status quo, both the 2nd and 3rd are positive already :)
- aitchnyu 6y ago
  Could you expand or source?
Nekhrimah 6y ago
I've stuck with Firefox through thick and thin because another browser mono-culture is something I'd strongly prefer to not happen.
- benlumen 6y ago
  Same, must have been 2005 or something when I switched from IE. Never used anything else. I'd like to say there are lofty reasons for that, but it's mostly that I just didn't like and never switched to Chrome when it came out. Do avoid Google in general these days though.
  - cema 6y ago
    Tried Brave?
    - Proven 6y ago
      > another browser mono-culture is something I'd strongly prefer to not happen. ^ already answered
    - paulryanrogers 6y ago
      Based on Chromium
      - imwillofficial 6y ago
        Better performance and bonus privacy features.
        byecomputer 6y ago
        Eschewing Chrome for a browser based on Chromium doesn't do much to combat the browser monoculture, does it?
        mixedCase 6y ago
        I never got quite the problem was with a browser engine monoculture if the engine is OSS and there are multiple parties with conflicting interests working on it.
        imwillofficial 6y ago
        You’re right, and I don’t care. That’s a deeply personal call. Having my browser not deciding what content is acceptable or not > Browser Monoculture I totally get it if you feel differently though. If so, care to share your reasoning?
        culopatin 6y ago
        Why wouldn’t at least an engine monoculture help with incompatibilities and ease the development of sites? If all the browser makers agreed on a standard then websites wouldn’t have to show “your browser is not supported”. Saving sons and daughters across the world from many tech support calls from their parents, and aiding all the IT techs from having to keep different browser defaults depending on what team they are working with
throwawaysea 6y ago
Firefox may be snappy and feature-forward, but I am reconsidering if I should keep using it considering Mozilla seems to support censorship and deplatforming: https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2021/01/08/we-need-more-than-deplatforming/ https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2021/01/08/we-need-more-than-d...
- tenebrisalietum 6y ago
  Unless you're giving Mozilla money your use of the Firefox browser doesn't impact what Mozilla supports.
  - strken 6y ago
    I stopped donating on the grounds that they were taking divisive positions on things that had nothing to do with the internet or browsers. Even being in agreement with those positions, I wished they'd stay specific and inclusive rather than going general and divisive.
  - throwawaysea 6y ago
    I think it does because it gives them market share and power, and it seems they are not the group I want to empower and trust with that kind of influence. I worry that Mozilla will one day enact browser-level deplatforming where it fits their political ideology and also am against "cancel culture" more generally.
    - tenebrisalietum 6y ago
      I'd love browser-level deplatforming if I was in control of it and could enable/disable as needed. People are already "deplatforming" ads with optional ad-blockers.
  - zaphirplane 6y ago
    Of course no, Mozilla is paid fir search engine placement, the amount depends on Firefox’s market share. There is too pricey for bing to get that 3% market share default search
draw_down 6y ago
Everybody's got their things they consider essential. Not being able to arbitrarily zoom with the trackpad is a killer for me, I use that constantly.
- viraptor 6y ago
  Firefox supports zoom using trackpad. (As does Chrome, not sure which way you meant that comment)
  - draw_down 6y ago
    Ah, as of November it seems. My browser knowledge is a few months out of date, how gauche of me.
happynacho 6y ago
Firefox is dead, they just dont wanna face reality.
- imwillofficial 6y ago
  Bingo
hyakosm 6y ago
Firefox has some really nice features like container tabs (example: opening a gmail session in a tab and another session in another tab). The vertical side panel is another thing I love, with a tree of all bookmarks (on -B or CTRL-B).
imwillofficial 6y ago
Firefox keeps making blunders that are killing it.
- PurpleFoxy 6y ago
  I doubt the internet drama has any real effect on the market share. It’s that chrome and safari work really well so there is no reason for the average user to go out of their way to install Firefox.
  - byecomputer 6y ago
    Honestly, the only reason I switched to Firefox, at first, was because of how ugly Chrome is to me -- on a literal basis, that is. I think Chrome is an eyesore.
    - m-p-3 6y ago
      I actually prefer the aesthetic of Chrome, but the functionality of Firefilox is better overall. And Firefox UI is going through a redesign (Proton). https://winaero.com/enable-the-new-proton-design-in-firefox/ https://winaero.com/enable-the-new-proton-design-in-firefox/
    - imwillofficial 6y ago
      I don’t use Firefox, but I agree! “Google has no taste”
  - viraptor 6y ago
    > so there is no reason for the average user to go out of their way to install Firefox. Why would FF be going our of your way, but not Chrome? Neither is the default on Windows.
    - PurpleFoxy 6y ago
      Edge is chrome now.
  - 6y ago
HappySweeney 6y ago
I recently had to switch from Firefox to Edge due to how non-snappy it was with Reddit. I wish it wasn't so.
- gazby 6y ago
  Anyone who thinks Reddit is snappy in any browser needs some old.reddit.com in their lives. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-reddit-redirect/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-reddit-re...

60 points by alexrustic 6y ago

I'd consider the 2nd and 3rd derivative of market share more important. As far as I'm observing the status quo, both the 2nd and 3rd are positive already :)

aitchnyu 6y ago
Could you expand or source?

Nekhrimah 6y ago

I've stuck with Firefox through thick and thin because another browser mono-culture is something I'd strongly prefer to not happen.

benlumen 6y ago
Same, must have been 2005 or something when I switched from IE. Never used anything else. I'd like to say there are lofty reasons for that, but it's mostly that I just didn't like and never switched to Chrome when it came out. Do avoid Google in general these days though.
- cema 6y ago
  Tried Brave?
  - Proven 6y ago
    > another browser mono-culture is something I'd strongly prefer to not happen. ^ already answered
  - paulryanrogers 6y ago
    Based on Chromium
    - imwillofficial 6y ago
      Better performance and bonus privacy features.
      - byecomputer 6y ago
        Eschewing Chrome for a browser based on Chromium doesn't do much to combat the browser monoculture, does it?
        mixedCase 6y ago
        I never got quite the problem was with a browser engine monoculture if the engine is OSS and there are multiple parties with conflicting interests working on it.
        imwillofficial 6y ago
        You’re right, and I don’t care. That’s a deeply personal call. Having my browser not deciding what content is acceptable or not > Browser Monoculture I totally get it if you feel differently though. If so, care to share your reasoning?
        culopatin 6y ago
        Why wouldn’t at least an engine monoculture help with incompatibilities and ease the development of sites? If all the browser makers agreed on a standard then websites wouldn’t have to show “your browser is not supported”. Saving sons and daughters across the world from many tech support calls from their parents, and aiding all the IT techs from having to keep different browser defaults depending on what team they are working with

throwawaysea 6y ago

Firefox may be snappy and feature-forward, but I am reconsidering if I should keep using it considering Mozilla seems to support censorship and deplatforming: https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2021/01/08/we-need-more-than-deplatforming/ https://blog.mozilla.org/blog/2021/01/08/we-need-more-than-d...

tenebrisalietum 6y ago
Unless you're giving Mozilla money your use of the Firefox browser doesn't impact what Mozilla supports.
- strken 6y ago
  I stopped donating on the grounds that they were taking divisive positions on things that had nothing to do with the internet or browsers. Even being in agreement with those positions, I wished they'd stay specific and inclusive rather than going general and divisive.
- throwawaysea 6y ago
  I think it does because it gives them market share and power, and it seems they are not the group I want to empower and trust with that kind of influence. I worry that Mozilla will one day enact browser-level deplatforming where it fits their political ideology and also am against "cancel culture" more generally.
  - tenebrisalietum 6y ago
    I'd love browser-level deplatforming if I was in control of it and could enable/disable as needed. People are already "deplatforming" ads with optional ad-blockers.
- zaphirplane 6y ago
  Of course no, Mozilla is paid fir search engine placement, the amount depends on Firefox’s market share. There is too pricey for bing to get that 3% market share default search

draw_down 6y ago

Everybody's got their things they consider essential. Not being able to arbitrarily zoom with the trackpad is a killer for me, I use that constantly.

viraptor 6y ago
Firefox supports zoom using trackpad. (As does Chrome, not sure which way you meant that comment)
- draw_down 6y ago
  Ah, as of November it seems. My browser knowledge is a few months out of date, how gauche of me.

happynacho 6y ago

Firefox is dead, they just dont wanna face reality.

imwillofficial 6y ago
Bingo

hyakosm 6y ago

Firefox has some really nice features like container tabs (example: opening a gmail session in a tab and another session in another tab). The vertical side panel is another thing I love, with a tree of all bookmarks (on -B or CTRL-B).

imwillofficial 6y ago

Firefox keeps making blunders that are killing it.

PurpleFoxy 6y ago
I doubt the internet drama has any real effect on the market share. It’s that chrome and safari work really well so there is no reason for the average user to go out of their way to install Firefox.
- byecomputer 6y ago
  Honestly, the only reason I switched to Firefox, at first, was because of how ugly Chrome is to me -- on a literal basis, that is. I think Chrome is an eyesore.
  - m-p-3 6y ago
    I actually prefer the aesthetic of Chrome, but the functionality of Firefilox is better overall. And Firefox UI is going through a redesign (Proton). https://winaero.com/enable-the-new-proton-design-in-firefox/ https://winaero.com/enable-the-new-proton-design-in-firefox/
  - imwillofficial 6y ago
    I don’t use Firefox, but I agree! “Google has no taste”
- viraptor 6y ago
  > so there is no reason for the average user to go out of their way to install Firefox. Why would FF be going our of your way, but not Chrome? Neither is the default on Windows.
  - PurpleFoxy 6y ago
    Edge is chrome now.
- 6y ago

HappySweeney 6y ago

I recently had to switch from Firefox to Edge due to how non-snappy it was with Reddit. I wish it wasn't so.

gazby 6y ago
Anyone who thinks Reddit is snappy in any browser needs some old.reddit.com in their lives. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-reddit-redirect/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/old-reddit-re...