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> regular-user feedback, not power-users, is crucial in taking those decisions In general, that's true. But Firefox is an exception to this. The most importa
by nix0n 5y ago
> regular-user feedback, not power-users, is crucial in taking those decisions
In general, that's true. But Firefox is an exception to this.
The most important thing to a regular user, is that their websites work. But for websites to work, the developer had to test in Firefox. So, Firefox's alienation of power users has hurt its regular userbase.
There's also the distinction between users vs customers. Most users pay nothing for Firefox. A relatively small number of free-software lovers provide donations. If they want more of those people to give more money, Mozilla would have to cater to power users. This leaves Mozilla's main customer as being Google, who doesn't really want Firefox to be good.
The other exception to this, is if the software you're making is so specialized, that you can get by on a handful of large institutional customers. Obviously this is not where Mozilla is, it's just another case where telemetry is not necessary.
- kaba0 5y agoWhether devs test in firefox or not is orthogonal to whether they like the product, it is entirely based on its market share. No sane person wanted to test on IE, but it was mandated by the company.
- iudqnolq 5y agoThat's partly true. N of one, but I have Firefox set up the way I want it to, so I do all my development in Firefox and then occasionally test in Chrome. Essentially all my users use Chrome, so if I didn't prefer Firefox's ux it would get much less attention
- anonymousnotme 5y agoI like the mention of large institutional customers. Is there a way where mozilla can have companies sponsor firefox to be open so that these companies do have to deal with google and MS control and any of the crap that do to try to control it. I guess it is more so that google does not have control because MS is now using chrome engine.