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Changing the default search engine is incredibly difficult and sometimes even impossible. It's in fact so difficult that you'll have an easier time getting peo
by danskeren 4y ago
Changing the default search engine is incredibly difficult and sometimes even impossible.
It's in fact so difficult that you'll have an easier time getting people to use your search engine if you ask them to install your extension or even your own browser.
If you want somewhat fair competition that's 'easy and cheap' then it should be possible to prompt for user permission to change the default search engine on any browser. It should be possible to avoid abuse by restricting the search engine change to the domain requesting the change.
- bagacrap 4y agoI disagree with the premise, but if you really think changing the default is so hard, that seems like FF's fault, not Google's.
- danskeren 4y agoIt's just as hard on Chrome and every other browser. So far I've yet to meet a single non-developer capable of changing their default search engine to my website without my help. Try changing the default search engine on iOS Safari to some search engine that Apple hasn't hardcoded into their settings (e.g. https://ask.moe https://ask.moe, https://search.brave.com https://search.brave.com, etc).
- kornhole 4y agoThis seems to be by design and influenced by the funding. Many search providers created an extension as the easiest path for end users. Most users don't seem to even understand the difference between a browser and search engine.
- mrkramer 4y agoThere should be government regulation around - according to which criteria internet browsers are offering their users default search engines. So for example if I make new internet search engine how do I get Apple and Google to offer it in their browsers as default search engine. Because it seems like Apple and Google are doing it on voluntary basis of good will not because government or anybody else told them to do so.
- MichaelCollins 4y agoFirefox making it easy to change the default (or worse, prompting the user on first-run with some choices) would devalue the default. That default is how Mozilla makes money, so I don't expect them to address this any time soon.
- ClumsyPilot 4y agoIf its so easy, then why is google paying so much for it? You think they are stupid and they aren't getting their money's worth? You can't have it both ways - simultaneously argue that market is efficient and we should let it do it's own thing, and that market is stupid to pay for defaults because changing them is so easy.
- pessimizer 4y agoGoogle is responsible for almost all of FF's income, so this is a distinction without a difference.