So, for disclosure, i use PaleMoon, Waterfox, FF-ESR, FFQ, for various browsing activities. Yes, i have chromium, chrome, opera and even several IE browsers (in virtual boxxen) for testing purposes; hell i even have the arcane wonder songbird fork nightingale (i think it is still the best music library for most use cases - except for the slimp3/squeezebox scenario)... But i digress.
I see quite a bit of trouble brewing in and around the browser; and while I'm not bothered by the task of using various browsers (and even various profile configurations within each of those browsers) i see how users just want to concentrate on a single browser to address all of their needs. If FFQ is the best performing OSS browser and yet certain XUL add-ons are essential for a users needs i see a simple method to resolve the conflict and it would appear that time is available at least until Aug 28 to address these problems. Continue to use FF-ESR for the tasks requiring those unported XUL extensions and while doing that:
approach the XUL programmer regarding the cost/schedule for porting to FFQ; evaluate whether your needs justify supporting the porting process in some way, or if the original XUL is unportable for reasons beyond your influence, then assess the cost of creating a new add-on from scratch.
For add-ons requiring functionality not provided by FFQ, ie "video downloadhelper" development may need to include an additional external program installation via.deb.rpm or package flavor du'jour. Include that task in the development plan.
If the inconvenience caused by loss of an unported add-on does not justify your involvement as sole support for continued development; consider becoming involved in a crowdsourced funding pool or other distributed mechanism to provide support. In any case where those mechanisms won't justify your level of support then i would argue it is not a NEED.
Free software is Free as in "Free Speech" not as in "Free Beer" :
we should each reward the efforts of the people who make our lives better, this is an essential action of anyone who lives with integrity.
Now, if it does justify your support but you would rather complain instead, well, please FFS Quitcherbitchin!
In at least one state sales taxes are titled 'transaction priviledge tax' and the venue for taxation begins at the location of the origin of the transaction. Thus taxes arising from a transaction originating in another state are not locally collectable.
Currently the revenues from such online or mail order sales are reported in gross transactions and then listed as tax exempt with notation for the state of origin (or the shipping destination as it may be)... If the requirement is added to mandate that one state collect the tax revenue for other states and municipalities then the easiest solution for the small business vendor is to require customers to enter into a non-retail sale agreement and provide thier business FEIN or state tax ID... the reporting burden still remains to account for the non-taxed gross receipts, but the collection burden is back in the lap of the purchasers state and rests with the purchaser instead of the seller.
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So, for disclosure, i use PaleMoon, Waterfox, FF-ESR, FFQ, for various browsing activities. Yes, i have chromium, chrome, opera and even several IE browsers (in virtual boxxen) for testing purposes; hell i even have the arcane wonder songbird fork nightingale (i think it is still the best music library for most use cases - except for the slimp3/squeezebox scenario)... But i digress. I see quite a bit of trouble brewing in and around the browser; and while I'm not bothered by the task of using various browsers (and even various profile configurations within each of those browsers) i see how users just want to concentrate on a single browser to address all of their needs. If FFQ is the best performing OSS browser and yet certain XUL add-ons are essential for a users needs i see a simple method to resolve the conflict and it would appear that time is available at least until Aug 28 to address these problems. Continue to use FF-ESR for the tasks requiring those unported XUL extensions and while doing that: approach the XUL programmer regarding the cost/schedule for porting to FFQ; evaluate whether your needs justify supporting the porting process in some way, or if the original XUL is unportable for reasons beyond your influence, then assess the cost of creating a new add-on from scratch. For add-ons requiring functionality not provided by FFQ, ie "video downloadhelper" development may need to include an additional external program installation via .deb .rpm or package flavor du'jour. Include that task in the development plan.
If the inconvenience caused by loss of an unported add-on does not justify your involvement as sole support for continued development; consider becoming involved in a crowdsourced funding pool or other distributed mechanism to provide support. In any case where those mechanisms won't justify your level of support then i would argue it is not a NEED.
Free software is Free as in "Free Speech" not as in "Free Beer" :
we should each reward the efforts of the people who make our lives better, this is an essential action of anyone who lives with integrity.
Now, if it does justify your support but you would rather complain instead, well, please FFS Quitcherbitchin!
PREFACE: IANAL and IANATaxAccountant
In at least one state sales taxes are titled 'transaction priviledge tax' and the venue for taxation begins at the location of the origin of the transaction. Thus taxes arising from a transaction originating in another state are not locally collectable.
Currently the revenues from such online or mail order sales are reported in gross transactions and then listed as tax exempt with notation for the state of origin (or the shipping destination as it may be)... If the requirement is added to mandate that one state collect the tax revenue for other states and municipalities then the easiest solution for the small business vendor is to require customers to enter into a non-retail sale agreement and provide thier business FEIN or state tax ID... the reporting burden still remains to account for the non-taxed gross receipts, but the collection burden is back in the lap of the purchasers state and rests with the purchaser instead of the seller.
FWIW, thats my humble opinion.
~ shimo