Firefox Extension Lets You Pick the Name

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Firefox Extension Lets You Pick the Name

Posted by michael on Saturday March 27, 2004 @01:03AM from the been-through-the-desert-on-a-browser-with-no-name dept.

Rovaedne writes "Mozilla Firefox , the web browser formerly known as Firebird, formerly known as Phoenix, has a new extension which allows you to change the name to something palatable. The extension called Firesomething lets users change the name seen in the browser titlebar, Help menu, and About dialog, thus erradicating all traces of "Firefox" in Firefox (currently version 0.8). There is a name change FAQ, but it currently does not mention this extension. This extension should hopefully help curb some of the criticism that Mozilla has received from its most recent choice of name."

18 of 479 comments (clear)

Actually by PatrickThomson · 2004-03-27 01:05 · Score: 5, Funny

it's primary function is to randomise the browser name to avoid name clashes. I'm currently browsing in mozilla firebunny, for example.

--
I am one of many. My idea is not unique, nor do I expect my voice alone to sway you. I speak in a chorus of opinion.
Next step for microsoft by peterprior · 2004-03-27 01:05 · Score: 5, Funny

1. Get Firefox
2. Change name to Internet Explorer
3. apply IE theme
4. Release as Internet explorer 7
5. Profi... oh ..wait... ;)
1. Re:Next step for microsoft by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-27 02:08 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  It'd be easier to believe you worked in corporate if you could actually spell it.
2. Re:Next step for microsoft by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-27 03:30 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  It'd be easier to believe you worked in corporate if you could actually spell it.
  Actually, it wouldn't.
I'm calling mine slash dot.dot by Amiga+Lover · 2004-03-27 01:05 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm calling mine slash org dot.dot so I can use slash dot dot dot to go to aytch tee tee pee colon slash slash slash dot dot dot org... Because it's no sillier than 4 name changes in 12 months.
1. Re:I'm calling mine slash dot.dot by TintinX · 2004-03-27 01:10 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  It hasn't changed 4 times, it's changed twice, and they have been necessary changes to avoid conflicts with other Open Source projects.
  Remember, FF is not yet out of Beta so a name change is trivial.
  That said, it needs to start building a brand name and that brand will be Firefox. I believe the developers have said clearly that it will not change again.
  Anyway, I love the new FF icon. Much nicer than Moz ;)
2. Re:I'm calling mine slash dot.dot by Dan93 · 2004-03-27 01:32 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Actually, from what I understand, Firebird, Pheonix and Firefox are just code names. When the browser is released 1.0 it'll just be Mozilla Browser.
Random names? by arendjr · 2004-03-27 01:06 · Score: 5, Interesting

I heard it is also possible to let it randomly generate a new name everytime you start Firefox, quite funny :)
Re:What about Thunderbird? by LetterRip · 2004-03-27 01:12 · Score: 5, Insightful

Probably because they are well aware of Trademark law, and realize that they would lose the case since cars are in an entirely different market from webbrowsers and email clients?

LetterRip
Better? by geekster · 2004-03-27 01:15 · Score: 5, Funny

So now it has an infinite number of names? Great...
anti-branding.. i like it! by plams · 2004-03-27 01:19 · Score: 5, Funny

Tech: Tech-support.. how may I help you? Me: Hi, uhm... Well, I'm having trouble connecting to the internet.. Tech: *groan* Ok. What browser are you using? Me: Eh.. It says firepanda.. Tech: Oh? Well, try opening it... Me: Ok.... done Tech: Now, in your.. firepanda window.. try find a menu called "preferences" Me: Uhm.. firepanda?! it says crimsongazelle now.. Tech: *sigh*
On a more serious note, this extension is GREAT by multipartmixed · 2004-03-27 01:25 · Score: 5, Interesting

Why, you ask?

When I set up a Windows box for a neophyte (admittedly, not often) I do everything I can to purge Internet Exploder from the system. Some might find this unjustifiable, but the only time I'm ever asked (begged) to help Windows is when a friend of my wife's computer is running badly due to six billion viruses and twenty-two trillion Spyware programs.

Anyhow. I hunt down all the shortcuts to IE and file associations to IE (i.e. as a viewer, default browser, blah blah blah) and replace them with Firebird. Then, I swap Firebird's icon with IE's icon. (I do a similar thing with with Lookout Express and ThunderBird). I used to even install the IE theme, but it's been busted for a while.

This will help to complete the illusion.

Of course, when I'm done, I just tell them I put on a new version of "The Internet" called Mozilla to help them not get viruses and spyware in the first place. I make sure they hear the brand at least a dozen times when I'm talking to them, because I want to build brand recognition. Maybe they'll tell their stupid friends how great Mozilla is and their friends will download it and use it. (Wishful thinking, I know).

But we all know that telling a Windows user to use Mozilla Fire* instead of IE will far on deaf ears; these people will click that stupid fuckin' blue E because they want to "get on the Internet". You have to make them use something else, or they WILL succumb to temptation and get infected again.

So far, nobody's come back. Either they hate me now, or they are relatively virus-free; I really don't care which.

At least my daughter was easier to set up. She knows to use Mozilla (full suite) instead of IE/OE. If she truly *needs* to use IE (i.e. one of her favourite sites doesn't work with Moz), she can ask me to add it to IE for her. I do this by modifying the automatic proxy configuration URL -- if it's on my safe site list, it points to Squid; otherwise it points to an inetd->shell hack which tells her to come and see me.

--

Do daemons dream of electric sleep()?
1. Re:On a more serious note, this extension is GREAT by Anders · 2004-03-27 01:40 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  At least my daughter was easier to set up.
  Yeah, the initial set up is quite easy (especially if you are not the female). But just wait for your daughter to become a teenager.
2. Re:On a more serious note, this extension is GREAT by ameoba · 2004-03-27 05:44 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Mozilla is, what we refer to, in theorerical computer science, as, 'Emacs Complete'. This means that it would be a fairly straightforward exercise to implement Emacs in XUL.
  
  The upshot of is is that, if somebody were ever able to implement Mozilla in a non-bloated way, we'd have a non-bloated Emacs & by extension, have non-bloated versions of countless other programs.
  
  --
  my sig's at the bottom of the page.
Diluting Mindshare by Apple+Acolyte · 2004-03-27 01:31 · Score: 5, Insightful

Unfortunately, it will not do wonders for Firefox's name recognition if most of its users decide on proprietary appellations. Let's try to increase mindshare by sticking to its official name, and as an added benefit we'll always know to which browser we're referring! Just MHO.

--
Part of the hardcore faithful who believed in Apple long before it was cool again to do so
Cool by anonicon · 2004-03-27 01:36 · Score: 5, Funny

I really like this, hadn't know it existed. Now that I'm running FireBush, my entire browsing experience has become faster, leaner and a whole lot less intrusive.

Here's to hoping that the Mozilla hackers keep up the technical and political innovations. :-)
New open-source strategy? by plams · 2004-03-27 01:44 · Score: 5, Funny

Could this be used as legal immunity for linux? So, when SCO decides to sue someone for having an unlicenced linux kernel, they just reply with something like, "Sorry sir McNeal, but I checked this morning.. and what do you know, we actually run Mozillix, Fenix and Bollox... but not linux?"
Finally by TooLazyToLogon · 2004-03-27 02:37 · Score: 5, Funny

Finally I can run Internet Explorer in Linux. Now if i can just get a name change extention for OpenOffice.org