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I use Firefox exclusively, but the only thing I can think of to write in this box are all the unneccessary frustrations they are putting me through. The list is

I use Firefox exclusively, but the only thing I can think of to write in this box are all the unneccessary frustrations they are putting me through. The list is long. Item one: Why does Mozilla have so many ways to file bugs* ? Which is a pity, because, besides the fact that Chrome has almost all of the marketshare, they also basically own Mozilla financially (is this still correct ?) and technologically Firefox uses Skia and Harfbuzz for rendering, both heavily dependent on Google. So there is basically no competition for Google in the browser market. This can't be good.

guerrilla 5y ago
How is HarfBuzz heavily dependent on Google? It's been around forever, spawn of FreeType.
- junon 5y ago
  It is owned and maintained by Google and Facebook. https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/blob/main/COPYING https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/blob/main/COPYING
  - payamb 5y ago
    HarfBuzz is maintained by Behdad Eafahbod who _used_ to work in Google and Facebook.
    - junon 5y ago
      Doesn't matter who maintains it. It matters who owns copyrights.
      - dvdkon 5y ago
        That doesn't matter, since it's FLOSS with an irrevocable licence. That's the great thing about free software.
        junon 5y ago
        That wasn't the point. Yes, you're free to use it. But many of us would like not to depend on Google code.
  - guerrilla 5y ago
    If you read that license, you'll see it's free software. Anyone can fork or maintain it just like was done for over a decade before Google and Facebook were involved.
ignoramous 5y ago
> ...technologically Firefox uses Skia and Harfbuzz for rendering, both heavily dependent on Google. IIRC, Google Chrome (for Windows) was essentially built by engineers hired from Mozilla back in 2005/6? How tables turn.
roca 5y ago
Skia and Harfbuzz are relatively small components compared to the rest of the engine. Also there's really only one way to file bugs: bugzilla.mozilla.org.
- anonymousab 5y ago
  There are various GitHub repos, such as for the mobile browsers, and they also spun off some functionality like container tabs into their own repos as well. You'll also get bounced around these repos, bugzilla, the blog and community forum posts whenever one source really doesn't want to bother with the issue you're trying to bring up regardless of relevancy.

guerrilla 5y ago

How is HarfBuzz heavily dependent on Google? It's been around forever, spawn of FreeType.

junon 5y ago
It is owned and maintained by Google and Facebook. https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/blob/main/COPYING https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/blob/main/COPYING
- payamb 5y ago
  HarfBuzz is maintained by Behdad Eafahbod who _used_ to work in Google and Facebook.
  - junon 5y ago
    Doesn't matter who maintains it. It matters who owns copyrights.
    - dvdkon 5y ago
      That doesn't matter, since it's FLOSS with an irrevocable licence. That's the great thing about free software.
      - junon 5y ago
        That wasn't the point. Yes, you're free to use it. But many of us would like not to depend on Google code.
- guerrilla 5y ago
  If you read that license, you'll see it's free software. Anyone can fork or maintain it just like was done for over a decade before Google and Facebook were involved.

ignoramous 5y ago

> ...technologically Firefox uses Skia and Harfbuzz for rendering, both heavily dependent on Google. IIRC, Google Chrome (for Windows) was essentially built by engineers hired from Mozilla back in 2005/6? How tables turn.

roca 5y ago

Skia and Harfbuzz are relatively small components compared to the rest of the engine. Also there's really only one way to file bugs: bugzilla.mozilla.org.

anonymousab 5y ago
There are various GitHub repos, such as for the mobile browsers, and they also spun off some functionality like container tabs into their own repos as well. You'll also get bounced around these repos, bugzilla, the blog and community forum posts whenever one source really doesn't want to bother with the issue you're trying to bring up regardless of relevancy.