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Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

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Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#451

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Translation? Sounds like a great OS feature. I might want to use this in my PDF viewer and Office viewer as well. > Image search? Sounds like a web site, not a browser feature. > Live captions? Sounds like a great OS feature. I might want to use this in VLC as well. > Dubbing? Sounds like a great OS feature. I might want to use this in VLC as well. > Summary? Sounds like a great OS feature. I might want to use this…

> Sounds like a great OS feature. Cool, and some DEs make it possible to start implementing this for most applications today. But Mozilla is not KDE or Gnome, so the most they can do is to make this on their software, and make it easy to copy for the entire system. > Sounds like a web site, not a browser feature. Sounds like a bit of lack of imagination on your part. Do you think the same for text search? >

> But Mozilla is not KDE or Gnome

Exactly. Would be nicer if they did their own features somewhat right (including interfaces for configuration and disabling approachable for non-engineers) before they scope-creep the entire desktop.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#452
"Firefox will remain our anchor. It will evolve into a modern AI browser and support a portfolio of new and trusted software additions."

reading this genuinely disgusts me. I am so tired of this nonsense being shoved where it doesn't belong. I just want a fast browser that stays out of the way.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#453
Rather than develop its own AI (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45926779), Firefox should develop a system to pipe your html rendered browsing history in real time so external local services can process it (https://connect.mozilla.org/t5/ideas/archive-your-browser-hi...). See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45743918

Firefox probably won't suddenly have the best AI, but it could be the only browser that does this. Previous: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46018789

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#454
post #298

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of those things weren't very good before AI was applied. Translation specifically was pretty bad before Google applied machine learning methods to it around 2007 when it became very good almost overnight.

Google Translate isn't what's meant when tech CEOs say "AI" in 2025.

What tech CEO says is "a text box with magic" Google translate fulfills that and there are ways to integrate with LLM if technology marketing is important.

Unless it is nVidia's CEO, who wants to sell specific hardware, they mostly care about the buzz of the term, not a specific technology, though.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#455

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mozilla spent $260 million on software development in 2023.[1] How do you believe they spent it? Vivaldi employ 28 developers to produce an unstable Chromium fork and email program for comparison.[2] [1] https://assets.mozilla.net/annualreport/2024/mozilla-fdn-202... [2] https://vivaldi.com/team/

Well, I do not believe $260 million went to Firefox development. I would be surprised if the majority of that went to other non-Firefox projects like: Various AI initiatives (Mozilla.ai, Orbit, etc.) Mozilla VPN Mozilla Monitor Pocket Firefox Relay Fakespot Mozilla Social Mozilla Hubs ... just to name a few.

I think you're probably about as dead wrong as it's possible to be on this front. First they ship millions of new LoC to Firefox on a monthly basis so the engineering efforts are open for all the world to see.

Secondly, if more than half(!?!) was spent on, say, Pocket, or Fakespot, then you would see a rise and fall in spending coinciding with the onramp and closure of those programs over their lifetimes. But in reality we have seen a steady upward march in spending, and so the interpretation that passes the sanity check is that they fold these into their existing budget with the existing development capacity they have which is variously assigned to different projects, including(!!) Firefox, where again, their annual code output is monumental and rivals Google.

Again I have to note the blizzard of contradictory accusations throughout this thread. According to one commenter the problem is they are biting off more than they can chew and need to scale back all of the excessive Firefox development they are doing (and I recall previous commenters speculating that 30+ million LoC was not evidence of their hard work but "bloat" that was excessive and that they probably could cut a lot of it out without losing functionality). But for you, the obvious problem is they're wasting all that capacity on side projects and not putting enough effort in the browser.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#456
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Brendan Eich is a rich nerd who probably got cornered in a party by someone smart and signed $1000 check. It is like blaming me for giving $10 to an bump without checking what he was gonna do with it.

No part of this is true, fwiw. His salary at Mozilla was not high and he was a strong advocate of keeping executive compensation low (and as supporting evidence, that compensation shot up soon after he left). He may have made more from Brave, but that was obviously well after the donation. He also never backed down from his donation and the directly implied opposition to gay marriage, only stating that it comes from his personal beliefs and that he refused to discuss those openly. (I disagree with his position on gay marriage, or at least the position that I can infer from his donation, but I agree with his right and decision to keep it a private matter.)

I had... complex but mostly positive feelings about Eich in the time I worked for him (indirectly), but I can state unequivocally that he's not someone who would bend his principles as a result of getting cornered at a party.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#457

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This. I want a password/passkey/auth and bookmark manager that work across platforms and devices.

Don't you have this already? Chrome and Firefox both have these. Devices have solid password manager integration, I use mine across 3 OSes and who knows how many devices.

No passkeys, no authenticators.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#458

Having worked at Mozilla a while ago, the CEO role is one I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Success is oddly defined: it's a non-profit (well, a for-profit owned by a non-profit) that needs to make a big profit in a short amount of time. And anything done to make that profit will annoy the community. I hope Anthony leans into what makes Mozilla special. The past few years, Mozilla's business model has been to just m…

Super well stated and interesting point regarding (general) privacy.

I miss the days where Mozilla (Firefox) was known to be the "fastest browser." It worked and such an easy transition for users (including myself) who were tired of the bloated browser experience.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#459

Having worked at Mozilla a while ago, the CEO role is one I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Success is oddly defined: it's a non-profit (well, a for-profit owned by a non-profit) that needs to make a big profit in a short amount of time. And anything done to make that profit will annoy the community. I hope Anthony leans into what makes Mozilla special. The past few years, Mozilla's business model has been to just m…

Firemail should be the name of a free and privacy oriented email client wholly owned by Mozilla with a web and mobile app. I would sign up instantly and gradually migrate from gmail, while being assured for its sustainability.

“Free”. Therein lies the Mozilla problem. Everyone wants everything free.

It’s real hard to compete with Google who happily gives out free email and browser because they can monetize attention.

Re: Mozilla appoints new CEO Anthony Enzor-Demeo

#460

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Queer people aren't causes, they're people. Imagine I worked on the Brave browser, and in my personal time maintained a website aimed at discouraging personal relationships with him. This would probably make me difficult to work with, despite my personal views not impacting the quality of my work. You might say these examples aren't one-to-one, and you're right. My example doesn't actually push any legislation forbid…

If you were on a hiring committee, and your otherwise-qualified-candidate had a political opinion you objected to in this way, perhaps with a similar donation, would you refuse to hire them?

If you were about to hire a candidate and then found out that they donate regularly to the “Arrest kbelder and deport them to El Salvador” fund, would you hire them?
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