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Mozilla is Launching Curated Recommended Extensions Program This Summer (betanews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the interesting-features dept.

An anonymous reader shares a report: However much you love your chosen web browser, you have probably enhanced its capabilities through the use of add-ons. Finding decent, reliable add-ons can be tricky, and this is why Mozilla is launching the Recommended Extensions program. This editor-curated program will surface the very best vetted extensions for Firefox, and it is due to roll out in stages later this summer.

Mozilla says that any extensions it recommends through the program will be highlighted across its portfolio of websites and products, including addons.mozilla.org (AMO) and on Firefox's Get Add-Ons page. The company is already identifying extensions it likes the look of, and will soon be reaching out to developers. Changes should be seen on AMO around June.

9 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. The pattern never changes by TimothyHollins · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I predict using my superior logic that it will go exactly the same way as all other curated programmes in this space. It starts out as a great way to find top quality and vetted addons, then when the community starts to associate that little "recommended" tag with quality Mozilla gets swamped with addons that want to get recommended, and eventually they start to use the tag for financial purposes. The only positive side is that since Firefox isn't dominant on the market it will take longer before they reach the end stage.

    1. Re:The pattern never changes by omfglearntoplay · · Score: 2

      I'm fine with Mozilla making some recommendations. I found the Waze app before it became a google thing due to some recommendation.

      I mean, in general, yeah, I know what I want and need. But if I'm not looking for something, I am curious about any above average add-ons that might do something that I didn't know was even possible.

    2. Re:The pattern never changes by arglebargle_xiv · · Score: 1

      I'm wondering how they're going to do this. Since most of the best extensions are XUL, will it recommend Pale Moon or Waterfox instead of itself?

  2. Classic Addon Archive by xack · · Score: 1

    Along with either Waterfox, Basilisk or Pale Moon. The quality of XUL addons are still superior to Webextentions. You can even Get Mypal and run them on Windows XP. Classic OSes deserve classic addons.

  3. Re:The first un-recommended add-ons are by tepples · · Score: 1

    1. Autoplay of video in web pages including the muted but still being played lameness including streamed GIFs and other hacks - (annoyance, bandwidth)

    See for example demonstrations of some of these hacks. But how exactly would you propose to detect them and block block them, without breaking not only the JavaScript needed for web applications but also the CSS needed for even static HTML documents?

    2. Access to the microphone built into Firefox - an exploit waiting to happen - (privacy)

    Would you prefer having to use a native voice chat app? That runs the risk of "We're sorry! The voice chat application is not available for your platform."

    3. Access to the camera built into Firefox - an exploit waiting to happen - (privacy)

    Would you prefer having to use a native video chat app? That runs the risk of "We're sorry! The video chat application is not available for your platform."

  4. Apple ruined the word "curated." by Hillie · · Score: 1

    After Tim Cook's Stalinesque speech about how hate has no place on their platform. (ie. anything that disagrees with our political ideology or exposes corruption) the word "curated" leaves a bad taste in my mouth. So I will avoid anything that says it's curated.

    It's kinda like how baiscally "free" plugins that provide tons of value and don't charge you anything. I avoid those like the plague. Because basically the way that they are free is they track you and then sell your most personal details to the highest bidder.

    Honey? Nope. Grammarly? Nope. Facebook? F no.

    --
    - Alex
  5. Re:Nobody wants this. by JMJimmy · · Score: 1

    I want this... with XUL extensions

  6. Re:The first un-recommended add-ons are by tepples · · Score: 1

    A dedicated audio and video chat app is preferred.

    If the person with whom you are attempting to communicate prefers a "dedicated audio and video chat app" exclusive to macOS and iOS, would you buy a Mac, an iPhone, or an iPad for the purpose of communicating with this person?

    Blocking autoplay of content adhering to the WW3/ECMA standard as a first pass and then blocking the hacks one at a time.

    CSS animations are a W3C standard, and JavaScript animations are the result of an ECMA standard (ECMAScript) interacting with W3C standards (HTML DOM and CSS).

  7. Great idea! by DeVilla · · Score: 1

    This is a great idea, and I'm ready to contribute.

    If you do a lot of reading, paragrasp is excellent for highlighting the current paragragh, list entry, etc. This is a must have! The thought of following my RSS feed without is ... oh wait. Right. It doesn't work any more with firefox. *sigh*.

    No matter, I got really good at organizing tabs with the tab group feature that Mozilla build into the browser. Then Mozilla removed it, but the functionally was maintained and improved as an addon. It's not for everyone, but once you start creating groups for topics (the car, open pandora software and reading, software for controlling my guitar multi-effects processor) there's no replacement. Oh wait. That's stopped working too. And there really was no replacement.

    But still there are good addons to take advanage of. I've been using tabmix plus for about as long as there has been addon support in firefox. That's been one of the most popular addons I can think of. And ... oh, that's still being "ported".

    Well, there are still little things you can do with addons. For instance firefox has the nasty mis-feature of putting really useful key binding for things like switching tab or close the current tab right next to the "kill all my web browsers with fire and don't ask twice!" button. There used to be options to disable this or at least force a confirmation, but no more. Then comes an addon to the rescue! to disable Ctrl-Q so you never close the browser by accident. Genius! ... Well if you aren't on Linux. ... These kind of addons haven't worked on Linux since the addon API was "improved". But no worry! There is a bug report for it. It's been there for 2 years and the most recent comment from 9 months ago when further comments got locked because there was too much advocacy chatter in the bug report for them to be able to fix it. And they aren't sure if they want to fix it. Well, I didn't expect that. Depressing. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/s...

    Then there are the really nifty plugins that made firefox more powerful in all sorts of wonderful ways like Chatzilla, Poster, FireFTP ... oh. Those kind of things are all gone too I guess.

    Well. Perhaps I'm not the one to help with the curated collection of current addons. Still, firerfox is still good. They care about privacy. Well more than any of the other browser makers. And they support an open web. Well more than the others, only giving in and supporting DRM like EME when they "have no choice".

    Three cheers for the power, flexibility and principles of the community browser!