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Google Returns As Default Search Engine In Firefox (techcrunch.com)
Mozilla today launched Firefox Quantum, which the company is calling "the biggest update since Firefox 1.0 in 2004." It brings massive performance improvements and a visual redesign. It also sets Google as the default search engine again if you live in the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. TechCrunch reports: In 2014, Mozilla struck a deal with Yahoo to make it the default search engine provider for users in the U.S., with Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo and others as options. While it was a small change, it was part of a number of moves that turned users against Firefox because it didn't always feel as if Mozilla had the user's best interests in mind. Firefox Quantum (aka, Firefox 57), is the company's effort to correct its mistakes and it's good to see that Google is back in the default slot. When Mozilla announced the Yahoo deal in 2014, it said that this was a five-year deal. Those five years are obviously not up yet. We asked Mozilla for a bit more information about what happened here.
"We exercised our contractual right to terminate our agreement with Yahoo! based on a number of factors including doing what's best for our brand, our effort to provide quality web search, and the broader content experience for our users. We believe there are opportunities to work with Oath and Verizon outside of search," Mozilla Chief Business and Legal Officer Denelle Dixon said in a statement. "As part of our focus on user experience and performance in Firefox Quantum, Google will also become our new default search provider in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. With over 60 search providers pre-installed as defaults or secondary options across more than 90 language versions, Firefox has more choice in search providers than any other browser."
"We exercised our contractual right to terminate our agreement with Yahoo! based on a number of factors including doing what's best for our brand, our effort to provide quality web search, and the broader content experience for our users. We believe there are opportunities to work with Oath and Verizon outside of search," Mozilla Chief Business and Legal Officer Denelle Dixon said in a statement. "As part of our focus on user experience and performance in Firefox Quantum, Google will also become our new default search provider in the United States, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan. With over 60 search providers pre-installed as defaults or secondary options across more than 90 language versions, Firefox has more choice in search providers than any other browser."
It was only a couple days ago when Firefox was quoting Vogue Culture News for this:
Whatever Mozilla. Keep pretending the "champion of the Internet", it's part of your act.
Surely if Mozilla really had users' best interests in mind they'd make DuckDuckGo the default search option?
RR
I was hit with an automatic update from firefox 56 32 bit which worked fine.
Even thought updates were off I ended up with firefox 56 64 bit! A real PITA, lockups while using, heck it only started up every other time every time.
While battling this crap, I made sure update was disabled!!! Now I have 57.0!!!!!
What the heck are the shakers and movers at mozilla doing this is a cluster frak!
Fuck Google.
I'd advise against it. Google doesn't cuddle, doesn't call, but creepily stalks you afterward.
It is kind of hurtful to recognise that it definitively is. Many of their policies are horrible, sell every bit they have about you, some of their products aren't that good lately, etc. But their search engine is certainly good. What is even worse: the competition (for a so juicy market!!) is quite weak or, at least, aren't doing all what is required to really beat Google.
Some time ago, I wrote various posts here asking slashdotters about reliable alternatives to Google. I have been testing some of them during the last months and, so far, the best option has been startpage.com/ixquick.eu. Although I have found some problems, in general, the experience has been reasonable good. The main issue here is that the results are precisely provided by Google! A restricted (and theoretically respectful with your privacy) version of what you can find there.
I have still to do proper tests with yandex.com (which looks quite nice, but as a Russia-based search engine might have some issues) and bing.com (whose performance in the past wasn't too good, but perhaps they are better now; on the other hand, as a Microsoft company might also have some issues). A so big and profitable market, so much available money and knowledge (no idea if in general, but if you give me enough resources and a reasonable time frame, I will certainly create something really good) and so much crap! How can this be possible? We are constantly reading articles about VCs throwing lots of money at virtually anything! This is one of the safest bets ever! And all what you need is money, doing things properly and some patience!
Custom Solvers 2.0 = Alvaro Carballo Garcia = varocarbas.
NoScript's current release state. It was going to be released today but now it's a couple of days away.
Perhaps Google's excellent search engine will help Mozilla find all the missing Firefox users.
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Since Mozilla didn't throw Thunderbird entirely to the wolves, does this meant that Thunderbird's offensively cozy relationship with Bing will also end? (The default contextual action for highlighted text in Thunderbird has been a Bing search for the text, for perhaps two years now. Searching with Google is an option buried in a context menu pick list.)