Mozilla Releases SeaMonkey 2.0

binarybum writes "Often forgotten, but the independent open source spirit lives strong in the once Mozilla project — now SeaMonkey. Version 2.0 is finally out and rivals Firefox with similar features but integrated email with a small footprint." The Register has a short piece on the 2.0 release, which mentions that SeaMonkey is now based on Firefox 3.5.4. Stephen Shankland lists some of the features in a handy bullet-point style, too. I'm using the new release right now; it's crashed once — but only once — in several hours of use.

Comments

FOSS standards are slipping

[petrus4]

I remember a time, only a few years ago, where even one crash in several hours of use would be seen as unacceptable for software at a major version number release.

I guess it's unavoidable, though. When you have a culture where SLOC alone is the sole metric of what is considered good software, instability is an inevitable result.

It's ironic. Microsoft could become insolvent tomorrow and vanish off the face of the Earth, and still, at this point, ultimately they would have won.

They've won by subverting FOSS developers' internal definition of what constitutes good software. Stability, correctness, minimalism...these are no longer seen as elements of sound development practice.

Instead, it's purely about pleasing the lowest common denominator of mindless end users. Whatever said demographic screams for the loudest, they get.

It's also about programmers wanting to be able to use the most visible possible metric as reason, on its' own, for them to flex their epeens; without realising that, given the relationship between code quantity and bugs, it's exactly the opposite approach to the one that they really ought to be taking.

Re:FOSS standards are slipping

[Disgruntled Goats]

I remember a time, only a few years ago, where even one crash in several hours of use would be seen as unacceptable for software at a major version number release.

What the hell are you talking about? This has been a hallmark of FOSS software for over a decade.

It's ironic. Microsoft could become insolvent tomorrow and vanish off the face of the Earth, and still, at this point, ultimately they would have won.

Yeah, cause it's Microsoft's fault that a bunch of anti-Microsoft script kiddies have been producing shitty software for longer than they've even had dominance on the desktop. *yawn* get a new schtick you fucking turd.

Instead, it's purely about pleasing the lowest common denominator of mindless end users. Whatever said demographic screams for the loudest, they get.

That pretty much sums up Linux development since when it started.

You Fail i@t

[Anonymous Coward]

noiseS out of the the party in street

Re:Totally Your Opinion

[bluefoxlucid]

Yes, just like those poor boys in San Francisco. Once they see the light they all say the same thing: "I thought I liked having a fat penis put in my butt, but apparently it's been the devil...."