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Firefox started out in the position it is in today, back when Internet Explorer had Chrome's current market share. They carved out a market share because they s

Firefox started out in the position it is in today, back when Internet Explorer had Chrome's current market share. They carved out a market share because they sucked less than IE. But now we're back to square one, with a big corporate entity running dominant browser, and a host of lazy developers that only develop for that one browser. We really need Firefox to step up to the challenge again to keep chrome honest. Sadly Mozilla flounders at every step, and somehow manage to make their browser even more user-hostile than Chrome.

rhn_mk1 4y ago
The situation differs. IE lost because it stagnated, as Microsoft didn't care about the Web. Google cares about the Web, and they not only keep developing Chrome, they also keep developing Web standards, meaning that any competitor has a lot of keeping up to do just to stay in one place.
- saidinesh5 4y ago
  Not just that but Firefox has become stagnant when it comes to a lot of interesting Web standards. WebUSB, WebSerial etc... are the ones where people are really pushing the web and Mozilla refuses to implement them. https://mozilla.github.io/standards-positions/#webusb https://mozilla.github.io/standards-positions/#webusb
  - dblohm7 4y ago
    You make it sound like Mozilla is pushing back for no reason. They have pretty valid security and privacy concerns.
    - tredre3 4y ago
      Their reasons to push against WebUSB are, imo, valid. There are legitimate concerns and a high level of complexity to allow such low level USB access in the web browser. Their reasons to push against WebSerial are not as valid and that would still cover most use cases without the downsides and complexity of the full WebUSB.
    - saidinesh5 4y ago
      For some of them, they do. But they could have implemented some of them behind a feature flag/cli flag or so? They did this for things that were bigger security headaches. That way they'd collect all the real world issues and iterate on their solutions for their privacy concerns. Right now, it is just one more reason why Chrome taking over their market share. It is not like the use cases for connecting devices and use them via. the Web Platform will suddenly disappear if they don't support it.
- mejutoco 4y ago
  Another difference. Because Google is on the Ads business, they won't incentivize anti-ad/privacy behaviour. Firefox has that edge, at the very minimum.
dblohm7 4y ago
Today's market share situation is mostly about the growth of mobile.

rhn_mk1 4y ago

The situation differs. IE lost because it stagnated, as Microsoft didn't care about the Web. Google cares about the Web, and they not only keep developing Chrome, they also keep developing Web standards, meaning that any competitor has a lot of keeping up to do just to stay in one place.

saidinesh5 4y ago
Not just that but Firefox has become stagnant when it comes to a lot of interesting Web standards. WebUSB, WebSerial etc... are the ones where people are really pushing the web and Mozilla refuses to implement them. https://mozilla.github.io/standards-positions/#webusb https://mozilla.github.io/standards-positions/#webusb
- dblohm7 4y ago
  You make it sound like Mozilla is pushing back for no reason. They have pretty valid security and privacy concerns.
  - tredre3 4y ago
    Their reasons to push against WebUSB are, imo, valid. There are legitimate concerns and a high level of complexity to allow such low level USB access in the web browser. Their reasons to push against WebSerial are not as valid and that would still cover most use cases without the downsides and complexity of the full WebUSB.
  - saidinesh5 4y ago
    For some of them, they do. But they could have implemented some of them behind a feature flag/cli flag or so? They did this for things that were bigger security headaches. That way they'd collect all the real world issues and iterate on their solutions for their privacy concerns. Right now, it is just one more reason why Chrome taking over their market share. It is not like the use cases for connecting devices and use them via. the Web Platform will suddenly disappear if they don't support it.
mejutoco 4y ago
Another difference. Because Google is on the Ads business, they won't incentivize anti-ad/privacy behaviour. Firefox has that edge, at the very minimum.

dblohm7 4y ago

Today's market share situation is mostly about the growth of mobile.