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Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

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Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#121

Post by progval »

hsbauauvhabzb wrote: post #75
Adrig wrote: post #34

Meh, the feature is easily deactivable, the settings are clear and extensive. As far as ads go, it's one of the best implementations. Firefox still has no alternative in the privacy / user-centric space (don't mention Brave, I'm gonna get mad). Mozilla has done a lot for the web, I can give them some slack for exploring different revenue models. Still, I'm going to keep on eye for this kind of practices in the future…

Outsider here: whats wrong with brave? I haven’t touched it but have no reason to distrust it, happy for you to change that for me though

1. There are some documented here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brave_(web_browser)#Controvers...

2. it's based on Chromium, contributing to the Blink monoculture

3. BATs are based on Ethereum, which has its own downsides (still PoW, speculation, ...)

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#122

Post by Jenk »

dkdbejwi383 wrote: post #92
AegirLeet wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, it really sucks. I've been using Firefox for 15 years or so but this shit is just so discouraging. Can't we have one piece of good software that doesn't try to shove "relevant" "suggestions" from "trusted" "partners" down our throats? I just want a browser that isn't controlled by the ad mafia.

> Can't we have one piece of good software that doesn't try to shove "relevant" "suggestions" from "trusted" "partners" down our throats? If you pay for it, yeah. But you can't have that and have the software be £free to use

Many people would pay for firefox. I don't know if it's enough people to offset what advertisers are willing to pay, nor if adding that would dissuade too many users but it'd be nice to have the option to pay so we can support the development of the browser directly, and avoid adverts.

Donating to the foundation feels a bit like donating to the WWF because I want to help a specific Panda I met at the zoo.

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#124

Post by datenarsch »

toyg wrote: post #42
davidsergey wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. They should just state "It's an Ad". I doubt they actually going to try every product that they are advertising, to make wording "suggestion" be even close to the truth. That said, I don't understand, why would somebody use Firefox instead of Chrome, Edge, or Safari if they ad in-browser ads.

Because all the browsers you mention are controlled by megacorps who want to own the web for their own gain. As mismanaged as Mozilla is, they are in it to make the web a decent place for users. This said, of course, I hate this "feature" and I'll make sure I disable it.

It feels more like that the persons in charge of Mozilla try everything in their power to emulate those megacorps.

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#125

Post by ssss11 »

Adrig wrote: post #34

Meh, the feature is easily deactivable, the settings are clear and extensive. As far as ads go, it's one of the best implementations. Firefox still has no alternative in the privacy / user-centric space (don't mention Brave, I'm gonna get mad). Mozilla has done a lot for the web, I can give them some slack for exploring different revenue models. Still, I'm going to keep on eye for this kind of practices in the future…

We all know regular users don’t change settings. At the least it needs to be opted out by default.

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#126

Post by roca »

datenarsch wrote: post #104
Certhas wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A browser is expensive. Currently Firefox is funded (though not controlled) by Google's Ad business. I am all for them reducing their reliance on Google's Ad business. In this sense this is a step _towards_ what you want. I really really dislike them double speaking about this though.

Why is a browser expensive ? There are many great and big open source projects out there that are maintained and developed mainly by volunteers. Why can't Firefox be like this?

Building a shell around Chromium or Webkit isn't very expensive.

Maintaining an independent, high-quality browser engine so that the design and implementation of the Web isn't up to a Google/Apple duopoly is incredibly expensive: https://robert.ocallahan.org/2017/12/maintaining-independent... (4 years old, but the situation I describe hasn't changed, except that Microsoft has switched to Chromium so Mozilla's engine is more important than ever.)

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#127

Post by blippage »

monooso wrote: post #31
hericium wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's probably just temporarily an opt-in.

That seems like pure speculation.

That seems like pure naivete. Two can play that game.

A little over a year or so ago I downloaded Firefox. It kept bugging me for updates. But I didn't want these pestering updates. Erstwhile, I could just disable updating with a single unchecking of a box. But they changed it to make it almost impossible to disable updates. I never put enough effort into figuring it out.

Firefox is getting just like Microsoft, Apple, FaceBook, GNOME, etc. "We set the policy, it's our software, you're just the user."

I switched to Debian, which managed to sort all this nonsense out, thankfully.

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#128

Post by samizdis »

eCa wrote: post #4

As someone who has used Firefox since v0.* I really, really, really dislike the language they have used lately. > relevant suggestions from our trusted partners The suggestions are not relevant to, and the partners not trusted by, me.

> I really, really, really dislike the language they have used lately.

That is exactly the problem I have with it - weasel words and euphemisms; FF is scoring an own-goal here and eroding trust.

Why not just tell it like it is. "We need funding and are lining up deals with third parties to display their ads/messaging in the address bar search. We vet these third parties by holding them contractually to these standards [list standards to establish bar required for "trust"]."

It's only my opinion, but spelling it out clearly - the need for funding and how/why "trusted partners" get to display their stuff - would make me far more likely to allow these suggestions. (Oh, and as for "relevance", FF should explain how that's intended to work, ie what data are being used etc.)

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#129

Post by Freskis »

hsbauauvhabzb wrote: post #75
Adrig wrote: post #34

Meh, the feature is easily deactivable, the settings are clear and extensive. As far as ads go, it's one of the best implementations. Firefox still has no alternative in the privacy / user-centric space (don't mention Brave, I'm gonna get mad). Mozilla has done a lot for the web, I can give them some slack for exploring different revenue models. Still, I'm going to keep on eye for this kind of practices in the future…

Outsider here: whats wrong with brave? I haven’t touched it but have no reason to distrust it, happy for you to change that for me though

Brave's business model is based on crypto-speculation.

Think of the type of business involved with that, and there's your answer.

Re: Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions

#130

Post by twic »

elaus wrote: post #57
57844743385 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s wrong with paying market rates for a CEO? Do you think they should find a CEO below market rates? Have you donated money to Mozilla or Wikipedia?

What salary does the CEO of Wikipedia get and would increasing their salary to "market rates" improve Wikipedia or make it more viable?

Wikimedia doesn't have a CEO, but the executive director is paid $387,770, the CFO is paid $289,356, and there are nine other people paid over $150,000:

https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_salarie...

Hey, maybe if they paid them more, they could start running ads too!

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