Live data from Hacker News

Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

blog.mozilla.org

31–40 of 970 posts

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#31

What browser should I use then? I quit chrome in a futile attempt to be tracked less. They killed support for my adblocker.

fwiw I've been running brave for the past 5 years and it seems fine, they put a bunch of weird shit in it you need to turn off, but otherwise it...browses the internet well?

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#32
post #7

Does anyone else feel like the "Trust" angle is the only card they have left to play? Technically, Chrome is faster on JS benchmarks. Edge has better OS integration on Windows and comes by default. Safari wins on battery life on Mac. Firefox's only unique selling point is "We aren't a massive data vampire." If they clutter the browser with AI which inherently requires data processing, often in the cloud, they dilute…

Mozilla (in its previous form) has long been doomed. Mobile cemented it, I think. Browsers are part of the operating system and getting users to switch from the default is an incredible uphill climb. Especially when browsers are essentially utilities, there are so few unique compelling features.

That lack of connection to tech giants is a strength in the trust angle. And I think they’re right to be thinking about AI: people are using it and there does need to be an alternative to tech giants/VC funded monsters

Will they be successful? The odds are stacked against them. But if they’re not going to even try then what purpose will they serve any more?

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#34
post #7

Does anyone else feel like the "Trust" angle is the only card they have left to play? Technically, Chrome is faster on JS benchmarks. Edge has better OS integration on Windows and comes by default. Safari wins on battery life on Mac. Firefox's only unique selling point is "We aren't a massive data vampire." If they clutter the browser with AI which inherently requires data processing, often in the cloud, they dilute…

It's interesting because I've heard Manifest 3 was an effort to not make extensions quite have full trust capability and isn't as odious as it sounds but it's also Google, so...

Ah Manifest 3: Will still happily allow an extension to silently transmit all of your browsing and AI chat history to data brokers to be packaged and sold to the highest bidder.

While conveniently and regrettably unavoidably nerfing ad blockers :(

For your safety of course.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#35
post #11
post #4

It looks like they chose a Product Manager and MBA. Why can't we get a software engineer or computer scientist?

They had one. Until he made a fatal mistake of giving a tenner to the wrong people.

Translation: he had donated to ban same-sex marriage in California[1]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brendan_Eich#Appointment_to_CE...

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#36
> AI should always be a choice — something people can easily turn off.

One sentence later:

> It will evolve into a modern AI browser

One more sentence later:

> In the next three years, that means investing in AI that reflects the Mozilla Manifesto

I mean if you wanted to concretely see how much ignoring their users is in their DNA.

What a daring approach. Truly worth the millions he's gonna earn.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#37
The only answer is for them to go back to "plan A" and do their own things. Stop copying Chrome. Stop looking at Safari and Edge. Stop the rapid release nonsense. Go back to the fundamentals of speed, security, and stability on desktops and leave the rest to plugins. Once desktop is back on track, they should begin fixing mobile. When both are great, do nothing else except bugfix and performance fixes. We want this and nothing more.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#38
post #7

Does anyone else feel like the "Trust" angle is the only card they have left to play? Technically, Chrome is faster on JS benchmarks. Edge has better OS integration on Windows and comes by default. Safari wins on battery life on Mac. Firefox's only unique selling point is "We aren't a massive data vampire." If they clutter the browser with AI which inherently requires data processing, often in the cloud, they dilute…

Looking at their strategy doc, it doesn't seem like they hear their users at all. It's riddled with AI. In fact their aspiration is "doing for AI what we did for the web." Oh boy! https://blog.mozilla.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/278/files/2025...

I will eat my hat if Google had nothing to do with the demise of Mozilla, what an absolute disgrace.

How incompetent can they be, how out of touch with their core (and arguably only) product ?

Nobody wants AI in firefox.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#39
If I were the CEO, I would:

- focus 100% on Firefox Desktop & Mobile - just a fast solid minimalist browser (no AI, no BS) - other features should be addons - privacy centric - builtin, first-class, adblocker - run on donations - partner with Kagi - layoff 80% of the non-tech employees

I worked for them for many years, I guarantee you that Mozilla will be fine without all the non-sense people, just put engineers in charge.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#40
post #26
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They had one. Until he made a fatal mistake of giving a tenner to the wrong people.

He gave $1000 donation to support a ban on gay marriage, to be clear.

Oh yes, totally worth it to risk THE FREE INTERNET because of that.
Post reply on HN