4 ms·

Would this spell the end of Google paying Firefox to be the default search? What happens to Firefox then?

silisili 3y ago
I think Google just pays Mozilla to give the semblance of competition - Firefox usage is a blip on the radar these days. I guess it depends on where Chrome ends up. As part of Google, payments would continue. As an independent venture, not a chance.
- matthewfelgate 3y ago
  Firefox is to Google as Apple is to Windows.
  - popcorncowboy 3y ago
    As Apple was to Windows.
    - matthewfelgate 3y ago
      Windows desktop share ~80% Mac OS ~10%
      - popcorncowboy 3y ago
        Market caps ($B) '01-now: MSFT: $358 -> $2,480 vs AAPL: $8 -> $2,790 Apple is no-one's Firefox.
        matthewfelgate 3y ago
        > Apple is no-one's Firefox. It is in terms of OS market share.
        popcorncowboy 3y ago
        > It is in terms of OS market share Sure, if by 10% you mean less than 3%, and we handwave Mozilla's market cap to several hundred billion dollars more than Google, and we skip over the fact that the "80%" share ignores the dominant modern computing platform, then yeah no sure, I hear ya.
tetris11 3y ago
They'd go under likely, Firefox would die, but then be forked off into Blazefox and a new startup that works on donations using the old FF dev crew would spin up. My hopes.
- matthewfelgate 3y ago
  Nah, Bing would take over the sponsorship.
Moldoteck 3y ago
depends on mozilla. Mozilla has a ton of money and they can keep firefox going for a long time, also, even if a prompt to choose def search engine exists, i guess there will also be competition of what SE is preselected or in the first place in the list, bc a lot of users don't read details and will just click next
rightbyte 3y ago
Mozilla is just a black hole for money, like the Wikipedia foundation. Both Firefox and Wikipedia would be better off without their umbrella orgs leeching money and other resources.
eloisant 3y ago
I imagine Bing would be happy to pay to be default. Remember it's an affiliate model, revenue share so Firefox having a small market share means the bill is smaller. Also Firefox doesn't need that much money to survive. They have too much even paying their C-staff millions of dollars per year.
- tantalor 3y ago
  In the scenario described by the article that wouldn't be allowed: > Schaub... believes the fairest outcome in the trial would an across-the-board ban on all default agreements between two companies

I think Google just pays Mozilla to give the semblance of competition - Firefox usage is a blip on the radar these days. I guess it depends on where Chrome ends up. As part of Google, payments would continue. As an independent venture, not a chance.

matthewfelgate 3y ago
Firefox is to Google as Apple is to Windows.
- popcorncowboy 3y ago
  As Apple was to Windows.
  - matthewfelgate 3y ago
    Windows desktop share ~80% Mac OS ~10%
    - popcorncowboy 3y ago
      Market caps ($B) '01-now: MSFT: $358 -> $2,480 vs AAPL: $8 -> $2,790 Apple is no-one's Firefox.
      - matthewfelgate 3y ago
        > Apple is no-one's Firefox. It is in terms of OS market share.
        popcorncowboy 3y ago
        > It is in terms of OS market share Sure, if by 10% you mean less than 3%, and we handwave Mozilla's market cap to several hundred billion dollars more than Google, and we skip over the fact that the "80%" share ignores the dominant modern computing platform, then yeah no sure, I hear ya.

tetris11 3y ago

They'd go under likely, Firefox would die, but then be forked off into Blazefox and a new startup that works on donations using the old FF dev crew would spin up. My hopes.

matthewfelgate 3y ago
Nah, Bing would take over the sponsorship.

Moldoteck 3y ago

depends on mozilla. Mozilla has a ton of money and they can keep firefox going for a long time, also, even if a prompt to choose def search engine exists, i guess there will also be competition of what SE is preselected or in the first place in the list, bc a lot of users don't read details and will just click next

rightbyte 3y ago

Mozilla is just a black hole for money, like the Wikipedia foundation. Both Firefox and Wikipedia would be better off without their umbrella orgs leeching money and other resources.

eloisant 3y ago

I imagine Bing would be happy to pay to be default. Remember it's an affiliate model, revenue share so Firefox having a small market share means the bill is smaller. Also Firefox doesn't need that much money to survive. They have too much even paying their C-staff millions of dollars per year.

tantalor 3y ago
In the scenario described by the article that wouldn't be allowed: > Schaub... believes the fairest outcome in the trial would an across-the-board ban on all default agreements between two companies