Mozilla Foundation Seeking Switch Success Stories

maggeth writes "mozillaZine has a story about how the Mozilla Foundation is looking to know if any organizations have switched to Mozilla products. Is your organization among them?" Can anyone point out an example of a library system switching? Lots of public libraries use PCs set up as kiosks running a web interface to their catalogs, and they all seem to use IE -- so, no tabbed browsing.

Comments

Locking down Mozilla?

[propellor_head]

For a site running Active Directory, IE can be locked down completely through group policies. Does anyone know if it is possible to do similar thing with Mozilla (ie. Default start page, proxy setttings, etc)?

Libraries

[JoshuaDFranklin]

Lots of public libraries use PCs set up as kiosks running a web interface to their catalogs, and they all seem to use IE -- so, no tabbed browsing.

Having just been looking into setting up one of those library kiosks, I can tell you that's it's because all the easy-install products are built with IE. There are lots of websites about how to set Mozilla up in a kiosk mode, but they invariably involve hacking JavaScript and messing with lots of configs. That takes too much time for anyone but the largest library systems. It's much easier to buy a $30 product like Fortres or Cybrary.

We need an easy download and install kiosk Mozilla, preferably also with an OS lock-down tool to make the catalog PCs as maintainence-free as possible.

Re:The Switch has been Made

[Anonymous Coward]

The biggest thing they were impressed with is that 99% of the spyware/ad-ware just doesn't work on it because the coders of those products only code for the dominant browser (IE crap-ola).

Each time you convert someone you're bringing Firefox one step closer to being the dominant browser. Then what?

the switch

[mastergoon]

At my school library, I work as a semi-admin (well, I know all the passwords and help out a lot). Most of the stuff I end up doing is removing spyware. I installed Firefox on every box, but nobody was using it, and the spyware continued to pile up daily. As a last result, I replaced the firefox icon with the IE icon, and renamed it to "Internet Explorer." Everyone started using it, and I heard no complaints.

This is probably an evil way of doing things, but people are set in their ways, once they switch they like it, but getting them to not just use their same old browser is difficult.

Re:Tabbed Browsing for Libraries?

[Patik]

Why does tabbed browsing keep rising to such prominence as a must-have feature more than simple standards-compliance and reasonable security does?

Because you can show Joe Sixpack tabbed browsing and he'll say "cool", but if you start blabbering about standards and security (and he actually understands) he'll say "so what?"

Hook them on the popup-blocking and tabs, then sheer numbers will force web designers to shift to supporting standards.

Re:Unfamilliarity

[maxbang]

Point and click is point and click. Most people don't do anything else with a web browser at all. Anyone who can point and click in IE can definitely do the same in mozilla/firefox/opera/whatever the hell lets you click on a url.

Re:The Switch has been Made

[Kremit]

Each time you convert someone you're bringing Firefox one step closer to being the dominant browser. Then what?

Then I can finally design sites with proper CSS and transparent PNGs, without hacks/workarounds.

Re:Unfamilliarity

[JessLeah]

You've obviously never tried to show Anything-But-Microsoft to a typical management type. I once had a boss tell me she wanted to use a "normal computer" when I offered to let her use my browser... which was Netscape.