What if that default browser was IE and they're obviously trying to get people off of that because it's now legacy?
Should they only change the default browser to edge if it was IE before?
Doesn't seem fair to them...
Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
11–20 of 311 posts
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#12Am I reading this right that the problem is that during an OS upgrade the default browser is reset back to the default OS settings? While that is certainly an inconvenience, I find it hard to really expect an OS upgrade to carry over every user setting. Isn't all the user has to do after the upgrade is open Firefox (which is still installed) and click yes to "make this default" question?
Did you read the letter ? It answers your question. It's a short letter.
>Please don't insinuate that someone hasn't read an article. "Did you even read the article? It mentions that" can be shortened to "The article mentions that."
https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#13Am I reading this right that the problem is that during an OS upgrade the default browser is reset back to the default OS settings? While that is certainly an inconvenience, I find it hard to really expect an OS upgrade to carry over every user setting. Isn't all the user has to do after the upgrade is open Firefox (which is still installed) and click yes to "make this default" question?
Maybe you don't remember what a huge deal it was that Microsoft leveraged its desktop monopoly to gain market share for its internet browser. Bill Gates declaring that the browser is 'part of the OS' and can't be removed. The anti-trust trial in the US, the changes demanded by the EU...
The "Default Programs" control has very few settings; very few settings that need to be imported, but somehow Microsoft ignored the settings that just happen to give them an advantage. Mozilla is spot on here.
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#14Am I reading this right that the problem is that during an OS upgrade the default browser is reset back to the default OS settings? While that is certainly an inconvenience, I find it hard to really expect an OS upgrade to carry over every user setting. Isn't all the user has to do after the upgrade is open Firefox (which is still installed) and click yes to "make this default" question?
Windows has a history of carrying over user settings like that since the DOS times. You can literally upgrade from DOS through every version of Windows and end up with the same desktop background/widget colors/etc. I'm obviously biased because I work on a browser (specifically a browser that isn't made by Microsoft), but to me this is clearly about trying to capture the users who stopped using IE over the years.
>to me this is clearly about trying to capture the users who stopped using IE over the years.
But those users never used Edge ;) A cynical person could say preserving the previous choice is just Firefox's fear that once a user tests the new Microsoft browser they won't jump back to Firefox.
It also shows that Firefox doesn't have the greatest opinion of their users if it thinks all it takes for them to stop using Firefox is for it to require twice the number of mouse clicks to set it to default.
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#15Am I reading this right that the problem is that during an OS upgrade the default browser is reset back to the default OS settings? While that is certainly an inconvenience, I find it hard to really expect an OS upgrade to carry over every user setting. Isn't all the user has to do after the upgrade is open Firefox (which is still installed) and click yes to "make this default" question?
> I find it hard to really expect an OS upgrade to carry over every user setting
Why? Everything should always be carried over. Someone purposefully setup their environment and now because you upgrade their software they now have to re-setup N number of things?
No thanks. You need to eliminate as much friction as possible in all of the experiences you create. Even installations / upgrades / rollbacks.
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#16I just installed IE, I clicked on a URL in an email, I was asked which browser I wanted to use.
IE was on top, but I do not remember what my previous default was. I was however asked to choose.
I am not sure what other user experiences exist around this.
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#17What if that default browser was IE and they're obviously trying to get people off of that because it's now legacy? Should they only change the default browser to edge if it was IE before? Doesn't seem fair to them...
> Should they only change the default browser to edge if it was IE before?
There is a plausible argument for doing so in that case if Edge is a same-vendor, intended-replacement for IE.
> Doesn't seem fair to them...
How is it not fair to them that they should only their own bundled software as a replacement for bundled software from earlier versions of Windows, and not for third-party software that the user had to deliberately choose to replace their bundled software with? What possible conception of fairness could their be where this claim even makes sense?
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#18> These changes aren’t unsettling to us because we’re the organization that makes Firefox.
I'm not sure I believe you.
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#19I was pretty surprised when I installed Windows 10 and it changed to another default for my web browser. Even worse was it didn't reset the "do you want me as the default" in all of the other web browsers so I had to go and manually change settings.
Microsoft Edge is pretty nice especially compared to IE but this default to Edge should have only occurred if your current default is IE.
Re: Open Letter to Microsoft’s CEO: Don’t Roll Back the Clock on Choice and Control
#20Am I reading this right that the problem is that during an OS upgrade the default browser is reset back to the default OS settings? While that is certainly an inconvenience, I find it hard to really expect an OS upgrade to carry over every user setting. Isn't all the user has to do after the upgrade is open Firefox (which is still installed) and click yes to "make this default" question?
> I find it hard to really expect an OS upgrade to carry over every user setting True. However that default browser/file extension handlers preferences should be a priority to carry forward. It may be easy to set your new default browser, but it's one more thing I have to do to personalize my computer, instead of using my computer to do the tasks at hand. It's a fundamental difference between MSFT and AAPL's philosph…
> True. However that default browser/file extension handlers preferences should be a priority to carry forward.
Especially when you've previously been in antitrust lawsuits over abusing your position as the OS developer to take over the browser market.
> It may be easy to set your new default browser, but it's one more thing I have to do to personalize my computer, instead of using my computer to do the tasks at hand.
They moved it into the settings app, so this is no longer just "Open Firefox, click 'set as default'" anymore. Changing it in the Settings app is easy for us, but incomprehensible to less proficient users. I understand why they changed that, but it makes forcing Edge as default a huge dick move on MS's part.