Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo • Hacker News Board

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#111

Post by lionkor » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:45 PM UTC

quchen wrote: post #46

miki_oomiri wrote: post #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 c…

To expand on Firefox mobile: if you haven’t tried it, give it a shot. uBlock Origin works just like on desktop. I have seen maybe five ads on my phone browser (including Youtube!) since buying it in 2019.

The only issue is that Firefox on mobile is visibly breaking a couple of sites every now and then; if you can put up with that for no ads (I can), then its great.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#112

Post by protoster » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:46 PM UTC

alberth wrote: post #25

Dumb question: who’s Firefox target user? Chrome is able to capture the mass consumer market, due to Google’s dark pattern to nag you to install Chrome anytime you’re on a Google property. Edge target enterprise Fortune 500 user, who is required to use Microsoft/Office 365 at work (and its deep security permission ties to SharePoint). Safari has Mac/iOS audience via being the default on those platform (and deep platf…

I use Firefox because I don't want to use a browser provided by an advertising company e.g. Chrome.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#113

Post by losvedir » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:46 PM UTC

lalaland1125 wrote: post #67

ecshafer wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And people don't have to all agree on the same things. People can get together to work towards cause X and then individually believe in mutually exclusive causes alpha, beta, gamma.

It's not really possible to do that when the opposing beliefs are so fundamental. Mozilla had, and has, a lot of LGBT staff. How could you expect those staff to work under and trust a CEO opposed to their very existence as equal members of society?

> It's not really possible to do that when the opposing beliefs are so fundamental.

Sure it is. I've lived and worked in the Middle East and in China. People do it all the time.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#114

Post by whywhywhywhy » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:47 PM UTC

0x3f wrote: post #102

WawaFin wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been using Chrome with uBlock Origin Lite and not even once I found a case when this version of uBlock was behaving differently (as less efficient) than the "full" uBlock Origin Maybe I'm just lucky, but even this argument is quite ... meh

Does it not still suck at blocking YouTube video ads? As in, you get a delay before videos start playing.

That's not sucking at blocking thats YouTube intentionally adding a delay to make it seem like their experience is degraded when it isn't. If you turn the slider up to full it only happens very rarely.

I'm sure this will all change eventually though and YouTube has a loophole planned so ad blocking on manifest 2.0 is impossible.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#115

Post by lovelearning » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:47 PM UTC

0x000xca0xfe wrote: post #92

lalaland1125 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not really possible to do that when the opposing beliefs are so fundamental. Mozilla had, and has, a lot of LGBT staff. How could you expect those staff to work under and trust a CEO opposed to their very existence as equal members of society?

What's so fundamental about marriage? I don't think childless couples (of any gender) should get any societal advantages yet I have no problem working with people that disagree. Why has everything to be black-or-white, left-or-right, with us or against us? That's not a productive way to think about others.

If there's nothing fundamental about marriage and it's just some weird coliving arrangement, then why ban it for only some groups in the first place? Nothing productive or even rational about it.

Why is the reaction seen as irrational or immature but not the action that triggered it?

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#116

Post by freedomben » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:48 PM UTC

perlgeek wrote: post #18

Fiveplus wrote: 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…

They also have the "extensions that can do real ad blocking" angle.

Indeed, manifest v2 support alone is a killer feature that will keep me on FF as long as they support it.

It definitely helps that it's also a great (though imperfect) browser.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#117

Post by Bolwin » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:49 PM UTC

DamnInteresting wrote: post #91

alberth wrote: post #25

Dumb question: who’s Firefox target user? Chrome is able to capture the mass consumer market, due to Google’s dark pattern to nag you to install Chrome anytime you’re on a Google property. Edge target enterprise Fortune 500 user, who is required to use Microsoft/Office 365 at work (and its deep security permission ties to SharePoint). Safari has Mac/iOS audience via being the default on those platform (and deep platf…

> Dumb question: who’s Firefox target user? These days, it seems to be people who: * Don't want to be using a browser owned by an ethically dubious corporation * Want a fully functional ad blocker * Prefer vertical tabs

Mind you, you can get all that and more in a browser like vivaldi. And that market is.. small. Vivaldi doesn't have to develop a browser engine

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#118

Post by netdevphoenix » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:49 PM UTC

I love Mozilla but this feels like marketing imo.

From the article: "AI should always be a choice — something people can easily turn off" and "Firefox will remain our anchor. It will evolve into a modern AI browser". I highly doubt you will be able to turn of the transformer tech features in an AI browser imo. And they won't make a separate browser for this.

This really feels like the beginning of the end for Mozilla, sadly.

Are there any true alternatives (not dependent on financing or any engines from third parties) to Google, if you wish to use the web in 2025?

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#119

Post by colesantiago » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:49 PM UTC

"The World’s Most Trusted Software Company"

I'm sure the new leader of the trojan horse (fox?) is not going to pivot to AI...

"...Third: Firefox will grow from a browser into a broader ecosystem of trusted software. Firefox will remain our anchor. It will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions..."

"It will evolve into a modern AI browser"

and there it is, the most "trusted" software company pivoting to AI.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#120

Post by 0x3f » Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 4:50 PM UTC

suprjami wrote: post #76

alberth wrote: post #25

Dumb question: who’s Firefox target user? Chrome is able to capture the mass consumer market, due to Google’s dark pattern to nag you to install Chrome anytime you’re on a Google property. Edge target enterprise Fortune 500 user, who is required to use Microsoft/Office 365 at work (and its deep security permission ties to SharePoint). Safari has Mac/iOS audience via being the default on those platform (and deep platf…

Ostensibly nerds. Linux users and maybe Mac users. Technical people who understand more about the software industry than all Mozilla Corp management since Brendan. It's difficult to monetize us when the product is a zero dollar intangible, especially when trust has been eroded such that we've all fled to Librewolf like you said. It's difficult to monetize normies when they don't use the software due to years of conti…

Yes, I would literally pay a nominal fee for Firefox if I were confident in the org's direction. As things stand though, the trust is gone as you said.