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Google & Firefox's Relationship
sebFlyte writes "More news from FOSDEM, this time about the depth of support for Firefox from Google. According to this article on ZDNet, Firefox' growth and Mozilla's staffing costs have been underpinned by the Foundation's tie-ins with Google, but they promise not to go the same way as Netscape by selling 'every bookmark and link'... and don't forget that the lead programmer (among others) is directly in Google's employ."
.. very happy if Google funded me. A very respected company that just works and keeps it that way. Keep the relationship Mozilla :)
"Sweet llamas of the Bahamas !"
Google Maps is now supported by Safari. Way to go, Google!
MSN Search actually funds Internet Explorer. With MSN Search getting over 30 hits / day, the ad revenue is more than enough to sustain active development, including the revolutionary "tabbed browsing" internet surfers everywhere are pining to try out.
Those who can, do.
Those who cannot, teach.
Those who think they can but cannot, manage.
Hopefully the relationship between Google and Firefox will continue to put pressure on Microsoft to build a better browser.
All is well and good right now, google's still not evil.
The chances of google remaining not evil however in the long term future are not good. Every big company turns evil sooner or later.. it is only matter of time.
I don't think the Foundation should even break a sweat worrying about the fact that Google has an undeniable tie to Firefox. So many users already use Google anyway, and I'm sure those that do not are aware of how to change their browser settings to use a different home page/search engine by default.
But I'm sure many people keep it as Google, just because it is a great start page, and loads really quickly.
From TFA, they mentioned how localized builds are a problem... If Google were to host the Start Page in different languages, would the Foundation not be able to set a different language version of the page in their localized builds?
When Google will port Picasa to a web-interface, followed by a small word processor, and offer their customers 1 GB to store their data, they will need to have their fingers in at least one big browser. Not to pump it full with ads, but to make sure it is a good enough thin client for their purposes.
10 ?"Hello World" life was simple then
why are there no official extensions for it?* google's software is all Windows/IE, but nothing for Free software.
*i know there are 3rd party ones.
i wish i was but oh well
Google is our friend right now because favouring firefox would benifit their own shareholders by keeping Microsoft from introducing more divergent tandards. Whenever I think about Google as the Good Company, I am instantly reminded of a flash intro called EPIC 2014.
Google is good for FireFox now - and probably will remain good. The only question is about what we will have to pay (ie Free Software == open market for services). You see IBM playing the same card trying to commoditize software to knock Microsoft off the software market.Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum videtur
...given that refreshing slashdot half the time gives me no article text - and the games page has the side column (with the sections text etc.) overlapping with the main column.
I will start worrying when Google won't work in IE anymore. Which is as likely to happen as Windows being built on top of the Linux kernel. By supporting Mozilla.org, Google is ensuring that Microsoft won't be able to push through whatever formats and standards they like simply through the power of ubiquity. After all, there's nothing like healthy competition to promote inovation. (And absence of software patents, but I digress.)
Just
I would personally think if they took a fork and created the gBrowser line, then it would negate all the good hard work that has gone into Firefox.
:)
Brand recognition is key, and Firefox is certainly better known than gBrowser.
Look at the blank expression on peoples faces when you say "do you have gmail?"
Most regular users have to be told "its googles email service, yes its like hotmail, only better..."
Firefox is firefox in my eyes
liqbase
Just to clarify: Google is just one of several search partners we have at the Mozilla Foundation, although (as is fairly evident from looking at the software) it is currently the one we have the closest ties with, by virtue of them hosting the home page.
"Keeping the wolf from the door" is a bit too strong - we are establishing good relationships with a number of companies, all of whom are supporting the Foundation in different ways. My comments were merely intended to say that the Foundation is not going anywhere - we'll be around for the forseeable future.
One further clarification: Firefox localisations can change to use a localised version of Google; they are not kept to using the en-US version, as the article implies.
Gerv
(the speaker on whose comments the article is based)
for Microsoft to hate Google.
My rights don't need management.
This can only be a good thing. Mozilla/Firefox is open source. Should Google suddenly turn "evil" as a lot of people are speculating, we can always fork a new one from the last untainted version and start from there. Until that day, if it comes, Firefox gains financial support and another big backer. So what's the problem?
From the article: He said that Mozilla Europe has carried out the majority of its marketing activity on "zero budget", having spent the majority of its $20,000 allowance from the Mozilla Foundation on a large booth at the NetWorld/Interop conference in Paris last year.
They've managed a lot of marketing from "zero budget", which is impressive.
IMHO, the booth at the conference was a waste of money though. Paying bounties for certain features (like Ubuntu does) might have been a better spend.
Google recently finished their simple HTML interface for Gmail so logging in with older browsers is now possible.
I guess as long as Google support all browsers (even other non standard compliant older browsers) then great for them!
And the Firefox people can't really "sell out" since anyone can provide modified versions without any google stuff if the official version gets sponsored I suppose we can't complain.
Note to Website developers: Stop sitting there with your arms crossed and insisting on making sites that aren't in compliance with public standards. Instead support the idea that if we -all- agree on standards it removes the power from proprietary software --- and that the mindset of "well it's just one cool non-standard feature" is exactly the mindset that got us in this mess!
I'm not saying Google will do this, but I can't think of a single, not-for-profit tech company that hasn't done some morally or ethically reprehensible thing at one point in its history. Can you?
I'm not saying you'll do this, but I can't think of a single, self-aware human being that hasn't done some morally or ethically reprehensible thing at one point in his or her history. Can you?
Who said Freedom was Fair?
However, which brand has more recognition between Google and the Mozilla Foundation? If and when Google releases a browser, it will be known pretty well pretty quickly just because it's Google.
Firefox is still doing well despite the fact that users have to take three non-passive actions: 1 ) actively seek it out and 2) download it and 3) install it. Also, large installations are reluctant to draw attention to themselves for fear of reprisal in the form of increased MS fees and such. There are, however, ways to hide from MS.
Beta is broken and the link to classic doesn't work. Stop wasting our time or there won't be anybody left here.
If Google and the Mozilla foundation are in bed together, why does the Google Desktop Search product support IE exclusively? If the Mozilla Foundation (or even Google) wanted to move users over to FireFox, they need to have guaranteed compatibility on most (if not all) applications.
And while I wouldn't call Google Desktop Search a 'vital' application for the majority of casual web users, it's a given that many core users switched to a competitor's Desktop Search product (read Copernic) when migrating to FireFox.