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New Search Strategy for Firefox

blog.mozilla.org

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Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#111

Post by thezilch »

mythmon_ wrote: post #78
_pius wrote: post #69

Note that Mozilla is making Yahoo reinstate support for Do-Not-Track, which it had dropped earlier this year. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2150981/yahoo-drops-do-not-tr...

Yahoo will only respect DNT for Firefox users. This is because DNT was essentially ruined after Microsoft turned DNT on by default in IE. Since it didn't represent an explicit user choice, it carried much less weight. It is an explicit choice in Firefox.

And how will they target only Firefox users? Should we expect IE to start masquerading as again?

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#112

Post by drewda »

"Google will also continue to power the Safe Browsing and Geolocation features of Firefox."

It's disappointing to hear that Firefox isn't yet using Mozilla's location services project [1].

Background: These are the services that will, say, take the SSID of your current WiFI access point and map that to a latitude/longitude. My understanding is that almost all commercial users subscribe to Skyhook Wireless's database[2], other than Google, which has built its own WiFi AP maps using its StreetView trucks.

I think Mozilla's "open" service, contributed by individual users, is a welcome alternative, since it means you no longer have to send your location to a large corporation on every look-up.

[1] https://location.services.mozilla.com/

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhook_Wireless

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#113

Post by bad_user »

DevX101 wrote: post #63

This is why Google built Chrome. Google's strategy has been to remove the layers between the user's intent to search and Google's own server. Every intermediate layer that Google does not control is a risk to their business. When viewed through these lens, many of the seemingly ancillary Google business units start to make strategic sense. Android (control the device), Chrome (control the browser), Fiber (control the…

> Every intermediate layer that Google does not control is a risk to their business.

Every intermediate layer that Google does control is also an opportunity for lock-in. Which is seriously starting to piss me off, as they are increasingly turning their back on open standards.

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#114

Post by joosters »

sroerick wrote: post #81

Mozilla is making some major moves these days. They've ditched Google as their main revenue source, partnering with Tor and Yahoo. Yahoo is angling to be a digital magazine, which I like as a business model much more than Google's. Firefox is making a strong case for itself as the privacy centric browser. I still remember when Firefox started gaining market share. Even non-tech-savvy people were getting firefox, beca…

I thought that Google was still far and away their main revenue source?

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#115

Post by threeseed »

pillowpants2 wrote: post #84
DevX101 wrote: post #63

This is why Google built Chrome. Google's strategy has been to remove the layers between the user's intent to search and Google's own server. Every intermediate layer that Google does not control is a risk to their business. When viewed through these lens, many of the seemingly ancillary Google business units start to make strategic sense. Android (control the device), Chrome (control the browser), Fiber (control the…

When viewed through these lens, many of the seemingly ancillary Google business units start to make strategic sense. Android (control the device), Chrome (control the browser), Fiber (control the tubes). You forgot Google Glass (control the eyes).

From all indications Google Glass is being shifted towards being an enterprise product e.g. helping people pack shelves.

So in this case it doesn't really apply.

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#116

Post by geekam »

bad_user wrote: post #113
DevX101 wrote: post #63

This is why Google built Chrome. Google's strategy has been to remove the layers between the user's intent to search and Google's own server. Every intermediate layer that Google does not control is a risk to their business. When viewed through these lens, many of the seemingly ancillary Google business units start to make strategic sense. Android (control the device), Chrome (control the browser), Fiber (control the…

> Every intermediate layer that Google does not control is a risk to their business. Every intermediate layer that Google does control is also an opportunity for lock-in. Which is seriously starting to piss me off, as they are increasingly turning their back on open standards.

I remember I started moving out of Google's claws when they started pushing Google+ everywhere. Today my primary browser is Firefox, Search engine is DDG (with occassional Google search), Email is FastMail. The dependency on Google had started to annoy me.

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#117

Post by panabee »

google has been apple's greatest competitor for a while. apple has > $160B in cash. mobile bing is comparable to mobile google. the strategic value of weakening google seems to far outweigh the financial value of defaulting to google search (assuming google is willing to outbid microsoft). so why hasn't apple defaulted to bing yet, and when will it?

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#118

Post by Ntrails »

mythmon_ wrote: post #78
_pius wrote: post #69

Note that Mozilla is making Yahoo reinstate support for Do-Not-Track, which it had dropped earlier this year. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2150981/yahoo-drops-do-not-tr...

Yahoo will only respect DNT for Firefox users. This is because DNT was essentially ruined after Microsoft turned DNT on by default in IE. Since it didn't represent an explicit user choice, it carried much less weight. It is an explicit choice in Firefox.

What if, and this is crazy I know, you needed an explicit action to track me instead of relying on users not knowing such a thing exists to avoid.

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#119

Post by dec0dedab0de »

throwawaymoz wrote: post #82
dragonwriter wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For the record, Google made billions off being Firefox's default search engine. They paid Firefox $300mil a year for three years, but that was only a small fraction of how much Google profited from Firefox searches. Not sure if it's still true, but three years ago they made more from Firefox than they did from Chrome. Google doesn't really make money from Firefox or Chrome (the browser), per se (except insofar as C…

Don't forget that Chrome users are more tech savvy on average than Firefox users, meaning they click ads less.

Anecdotally my experience has been quite the opposite. I know a few developers who primarily use Chrome, but besides that the rest are people that heard it was faster, or installed it by mistake as part of a bundle.

Re: New Search Strategy for Firefox

#120

Post by eatitraw »

yohui wrote: post #105
nnethercote wrote: post #53

Some more details: * This is a new, more flexible partnership strategy. * Continuing the existing relationship with Google was an option, but Mozilla chose to end the Google relationship. * All the options Mozilla considered had strong, improved economic terms (but the concrete numbers are not public). Because all the options had improved economics, that allowed Mozilla to really consider the strategic outlook. * The…

How does promoting Yandex and Baidu in regions where they are already dominant (Russia and China, respectively) align with Mozilla's new mission? I'm not sure how entrenching their hold on their home markets promotes user choice, innovation, or privacy.

What should they do in Russia? Help the second biggest player, which is Google? :)

Although TBH, in Russia there are mail.ru(with their search engine) and sputnik.ru (a search engine funded by company called Rostelekom. The majority of it is owned by state/government).

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