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Only 25% of Firefox Downloaders Are 'Active Users'
bheer writes "The Guardian points out a page on the Mozilla wiki noting that 'only 50% of the people downloading Firefox actually try it out, and only a further half of those continue to use it actively.' ZDNet has some commentary on the browser's retention rate. While a 25% retention rate isn't necessarily bad, Mozilla is trying to improve these figures with a 12 point plan that includes more TV and media advertising, a better start page and several installation tweaks."
Why bother downloading it if you aren't going to try it? Is this a common thing? I can only recall maybe a couple of things in my entire life I've downloaded and not checked out.
I see about 80% retention in the past. Granted I'm in tech, so you might think that geeks usually go for the most reliable technology that offers the best tools and such, but I dont introduce FF to techs...they are already using it. I see about 80% retention from non-techs that I introduced it to. Now that tabbing is a feature of both browsers, 25% still seems very low.
Often wrong but never in doubt.
I am Jack9.
Everyone knows me.
I use Firefox as my main browser, but I've downloaded it many times to different PC's (which I may use only occasionally). I wonder how this affects their numbers.
What about the times that people download it once (IT shops) and install it on hundreds of computers(ok not always that many, but enough to mess up these stats)
Person A computer really messes up.
Geek B fixes it and puts firefox to help them out.
Geek B tells them to use Firefox so their computer doesn't mess up.
Person A Ignores Geek B advice because what does he know he only fixes computers.
Person A Computer gets really messed up.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Think about what the internet was like in 2002, when Mozilla 1.0 was first released. We encountered IE-only sites daily, Safari didn't exist, and MSIE definitively dominated the web landscape. Anyone complaining to a bank or power company about a Mozilla problem just claimed to be using Netscape -- the Gecko browser people had actually heard of -- and rarely got anywhere. Those of us using Mozilla preferred it for a variety of reasons, and hoped for wider adoption so that our preferred browser would receive acceptable support from webmasters.
Today, Firefox is a decidedly mainstream browser, listed on most "supported browser" lists, and Firefox-only sites are about as common now as the remaining IE-only sites. Do we need more adoption? If Firefox is serving its existing users well, is it worth the cost of an advertising blitz to capture a few more?
1. We admitted we were powerless over IE--that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a browser greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Firefox as we understood Him.
4. Made a google search and fearless moral inventory of bloat.
5. Admitted to Firefox, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our standards breaking.
6. Were entirely ready to have Firefox remove all these defects of browser.
7. Humbly asked Firefox to remove our security vulnerabilities.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly installed a patch for it.
11. Sought through addons and extensions to improve our conscious contact with Firefox, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the plugins to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to IE-aholics, and to practice these principles in all our browsing.
Could be, they're using FF masquaraded as IE to use IE-only sites.
Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
Now, being a good F/OSS geek, I went up online to find out WTF the problem was. Well, there was this series of directions to follow. I followed them to the tee. Still nothing. Then I saw a post about my "Firewall" being the problem. Well, I turned it off - no change. BUT, when I was logged in as an Admin, no problem. Interesting. The Firefox folks were insistent that it's my firewall.
So, I went in and gave the Mozilla directory full access rights (this is in Windows XP) and everything is working now.
So, is Firefox on my machine secure?
Would the typical user have to deal with this security problem with IE - (NO)?
How many of you are going to call me or imply that I'm an idiot for not being able to use Firefox correctly?
Users want to know.
I prefer Flambe as apposed flamebait.
Only 5% of Internet Explorer users intentionally use Internet Explorer over alternatives.
If you mod this up, your slashdot background will turn into a beautiful sunset!
I work for a company that offers a downloadable product with a monthly subscription. We find that people actually login, enter their credit card number, download the software, and never run it. There's another group who never click the download button. It's really quite amazing. We've worked hard to make it as easy as possible - make sure the download link is visible on all screen resolutions, browsers, not require scripting or the latest softare, etc.
Seriously though, FF on XP does a pretty good job of integrating into the OS, things can get a little strange with different themes but the default one matches luna pretty well. The options menu probably strays farthest from looking windows-like but even that is pretty close to what you'd expect to see. On Linux, well we're pretty much used to every program doing its own thing already; just the nature of OSS I suppose.
If you build it, nerds will come. Soylentnews.org
I made my first comment without reading the full article. Now that I read it, I'm thoroughly amused!!!
It seems that Mozilla is "finally get it", and in the process, going against some of the things that the OSS community generally detests. I'll comment on their 12-step program (just the ones i find interesting):
1. Change Firefox icon label to closer resemble action of getting to web
Wow! They finally realized that the name "Firefox" doesn't make ANY connection to the internet for standard users.
2. Force the Firefox icon to easier to find location
ha! They're going to load down systems with icons to Firefox EVERYWHERE on a person's machine. I guess they figured they'd follow the lead of Real Player.....everyone loves how the real player icons show up everywhere.
7. Make common plug-ins work out of the box
In other words...they're going to consider Firefox to be "Firefox plus the top few plug-ins as a package", at least for comparison purposes and feature lists. Wasn't Firefox supposed to be the Non-bloated sister of Mozilla? Someone's lost their way.
9. Make the web feel more human
Let's add a bunch of eye-candy to use up CPU cycles of all these Dual-Core processors! Why not, people like Vista!
11. Stickier start page
We're going to make it hard to change your start page, you know...like MSN
I put Firefox on my dad's computer. I later went back to it to find he went back to IE. I asked him why and he said it didn't have yahoo.
If these are the kind of people they're losing, I'm not all that upset about it. Too many people assume that their homepage is part of their browser. I tried to explain to him that yahoo only opened up as default on IE because it was set to be his homepage and that I could do the same thing with Firefox. He then made up some excuse that he's fine with IE and doesn't need to change.
So, the two problems Firefox is facing are:
1) Stupid people
2) People feeling they don't *need* to change and therefore use that to say they shouldn't.
After watching my grandparents navigate their computer, I am wondering if 50% of the people that download it can't find where it saved the file and give up in frustration cause they just don't 'get' computers :)
Yes, they use AOL as well.
I wish I were kidding too, but I'm not. My family (in the past) has used me for tech support, and I was always getting the 'I saved this file but I cannot find it anywhere' and when I showed them, 'hey look, it's on your desktop' they were dumbfounded (as was I in how they lost it).
How I solved the problem? I bought macs and told them I didn't know how to use windows anymore :) Of course 'know how' and 'want' are fully interchangeable.
Pfft. That 12-Step Retention Plan sucks. Here's a better one:
/> Problem solved.
1. Change Firefox icon label to closer resemble action of getting to web. No longer shall the icon on the desktop be called "Mozilla Firefox", but instead, "U CAN HAZ INTRN3T".
2. Force the Firefox icon to easier to find location. <img src="firefox.png" alt="U CAN HAZ INTRN3T" height="768" width="1024"
3. Alter the default browser settings path for better user choice. Embed an audio file of Arnold Schwarzenegger saying, "Use Firefox! Use it now!" into the IE startup path.
4. Major outbound brand marketing program driving brand recognition and differentiation. A full page NY Times ad with the "Walkthrough Cat", its text changed to "GIT UR INTERN3T ON".
5. Improve download page and first run pages. Download page must be similar to NY Times ad, so the imbeciles we're trying to reach can actually remember wtf they're downloading. The first run page must have "HAI! U GOT INTRN3T!!" in large letters, preferably with blink tags and links to pron.
6. Launch support.mozilla.com SUMO If Firefox sees another bloated browser installed on the computer, it will challenge it to a wrestling match, the winner becoming the new default browser. A small side-effect may be a userbase increase in the Asian market.
7. Make common plug-ins work out of the box. The MegaRotic Toolbar will now be part of the initial install, as will an RSS feed of Digg.com.
8. Make add-ons and personas more accessible. The Mozilla Store will now ship free wizard hats and robes with every Firefox download.
9. Make the web feel more human. Male users will find their browser displaying all text in capital letters approximately once every twenty-eight days. Female users will find their browser doesn't remember their user preferences or date of birth form fields.
10. Improve messaging through communication channels. We will also improve messaging through non-communication channels. Yes, our code monkeys are that good. 11. Stickier start page. If you left-click anywhere on the new start page, it will take three right-clicks to get your cursor to move again.
12. Change Firefox icon image to closer resemble action of getting to web. In keeping with steps 1 and 7, the new icon will show Ceiling Cat, as we all know what most of our users will be doing on the internet.
I can't help but wonder if this comes from the proverbial, "Jimmy" downloading it on his Mom and Dad's computer because they keep complaining about "The Blue E" getting hijacked. Jimmy tells them to, "Click on the Fox", but they keep clicking on "The Blue E" because to them it is, "Getting on the internet." Similar events happen with Jimmy's girlfriend and Boss.
The only other scenario I can think of is that there are a lot of web developers out there who are still trying to get it to work in IE.
Circumcision is child abuse.
Not very likely anymore.
a) Rarely if ever needed anymore. (For IE only sites, spoofing probably won't make that ActiveX control work anyways)
and b) The day where most FF users were that technically inclined have passed. Average joe's using FF would have no idea that could even be done. (Or care...see a )
No Comment.
Users are inherently lazy. If you ask them to download a software product and learn to use it, you have already lost a bulk of the potential market share.
The key is to bundle it together. Have Firefox pre-installed on computers. Make is hassle-free for the user. Make it a no-brainer. Dell installing GooglePack (which includes Firefox) on every PC they ship - that's a start. Yahoo messenger downloads should bundle Firefox (side note - this can be installed as an opt-in or opt-out component. While opt-in i.e. checkbox unchecked by default is a more "considerate" option, opt-out is better if you want to increase downloads) In any case, hyperlinks from Yahoo messenger chat windows should open in Firefox windows if FF is installed. Ditto with Trillian.
Yes, this is a sort of militant technique (the same technique that MS used to make IE a monopoly). But let's face it - it's not the geeks but the users who don't know about FF that need FF most because they are most vulnerable to the security cracks in IE.
Some other things they can do: bundle the most useful extensions with the product (Map This, AdBlock, Fetch text URL, DictionarySearch, BugMeNot, SearchPluginHacks), reduce the memory it hogs, interactive tutorial. They need to get out of the "of the geeks, by the geeks, for the geeks" mentality.
2+2=5 for very large values of 2.
Believe it or not, I've made an HTML page that was Lynx-only. It would display with e.g. Mozilla or Opera but would look like poorly-formatted shite.
Lynx supports a tag of the form <tab indent="90" id="t1"> and then later you can set up a pseudo-table using <tab to="t1"> or arbitrary tabs.
Obviously this would only work with a fixed-width font anyway.
hmm... the Lynx documentation says that the tab tag is from HTML 3.0.
Hail Eris, full of mischief...
E pluribus sanguinem
What you are seeing could be criminals testing the stolen credit card numbers (to see which ones are still valid before making a large purchase). This happens to be a huge problem for sites such as redcross.org requiring designated abuse teams.
Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
Well, maybe if they allowed one to install FF without having being an admin and without having to download some 20 plugins each time to just get the basic functionality of a default Opera install...
Obama likes poor people so much, he wants to make more of them.
Let me have 2 minutes alone with your computer, and I guarantee you'll change that opinion. Goatse theme ftw!
Slashdot needs a "-1, Wrong" moderation option.
The Urban Hippie
With a simple Google Search:
http://www.openaddict.com/ie_reject.html
http://www.devin.com/ie_reject.shtml
http://www.findsimon.com/ie_reject.html
http://www.trojanpony.co.uk/ie_reject.html
http://doli.ic.cz/ie_reject.php
Just to name a few.
Eddie
When you click a link in an MSN conversation, it opens in IE regardless of what your preferred browser setting is. Most people that I know begin their web browsing by clicking on the MSN link to open Hotmail, and they get IE. When that changes those numbers will look better. I'm afraid it will take a court ruling to change that though.
That's not entirely true.
MSN Messenger uses IE when it needs to past things through HTTP POST, eg. to authenticate you as Curtman123@hotmail.com to MSN Spaces. This is necessary because there's no real standard way to pass HTTP POST to the default browser over the command line. I think some other clients have got around this in the past by making a temporary HTML file, having code to send the HTTP POST and then opening that in the default browser. For links in MSN messages, I find they all go the default browser.
Rarely if ever needed anymore.
The Vista Hardware Compatibility List claims to need IE6 or later; apart from some minor rendering issues, it worked fine with spoofed Firefox. (What kind of moron would make a list IE-only, anyway??)
But yes, I agree, people are reluctant to change. I recently had to deal with a non-geeks computer... *pauzes while the slashdot audience groans ssympathetically* who kept installing crap software including spyware, trojans etc etc. The guy is also poor so his old computer grinds to a halt pretty damn fast whenever he installed the latest crap again. Offcourse he uses IE and was extremely reluctant to change. He was used to IE and that was what he used and therefore was going to use.
The cure? Well A: I told him that firefox would stop all the crap that got onto his computer B: the only remedy I offered was for him to re-install windows XP (no service pack) again and let it patch to service pack 2.
Cruel, I know especially on AMD from the P3 era with 128mb of memory, but hey, he finally got the message after the Xth install and having to buy a new HD (actually the old one was fine but he got one so messed up that he thought it was broken and who am I to correct a IE user?)
Finally now he is using FF and his comp hasn't had to re-install in a while. It is amazing to see how much you can harm even Windows XP (which I have to admit as a linux user is not as crap as windows used to be) when the user will click on anything that comes his way. It is sometimes humbling to have to rememeber that people do not only SEE those banners "you are infected" (by the way, I seem to have missed that story about how the web switched payed by advertising to the current model) but actually click on them and install any software that they find.
Constantly helping these people out does NOT force them to learn from their mistakes. Most people like to be helpfull, but perhaps you should take the role of your own parents at times and just let those people make their own mistakes, force them to deal with it on their own and hope they learn. You can run along your kid while they are learning to ride their bike, but if you are still doing that when they are 21, you might not actually be helping them.
Do NOT become an overprotective carebear. If your father does NOT want to use firefox, then fine let him deal with his computer problems (if he even has any, you don't say so).
People hate pushy people. So do NOT push firefox on people.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
The Camino guys just have higher quality standards. IMHO Camino alpha releases are often so good that they could be called final releases. So, diverting efforts towards the Camino fork Camino is no fork. the core issue which is too many unaddressed Mac Firefox bugs. We want a better Firefox, not a neglected Firefox, for OS X. You won't get it. Live with it. Windows is the top priority for the Mozilla Corp. guys.
The one guy hired by MoCo to work on FF for Mac is currently not working to improve the Mac experience. No, he's working on not sucking even more.
Gecko/Mozilla Plattform 1.9 will use Cairo which up to the latest FF3 alpha works really really bad on Mac OS X. If you think that FF2 has issues on Mac, you should try that alpha release. It's horrible on Mac. You get Aqua buttons but that's about it. I know, it's an alpha and alphas are allowed to suck, but right now the current builds of FF3 don't even display many italic fonts. Think about it: The FF Mac guy works almost exclusively to fix Cario bugs on OSX. He's not working on Keychain integration and so on.
So for the final release we can be lucky if FF3 won't have MORE bugs on OSX than FF2. You can expect that italics will work again, that arabic text will work again, but actual improvements in the Mac departement compared to FF2? I highly doubt it.