Fakespot Is Acquired by Mozilla • Hacker News Board

Re: Fakespot Is Acquired by Mozilla

#381

Post by pseudalopex » Sat, May 06, 2023, 12:26 AM UTC

unethical_ban wrote: post #120

PaulHoule wrote: post #2

Normally I'd say... "They'd better write it in the bylaws that Mozilla isn't allowed to buy any more companies" but a system for identifying fake content on the web might (unlike all the other Mozilla acquisitions such as the thoroughly pizzled Pocket) improve the web browsing experience.

The problem with Pocket was that it was a separate brand name with a weird UX. If it had been branded as a new "reading list" feature native to Mozilla I don't think it would have caused a stir. I use Vivaldi now for two reasons: One, it is better than Firefox Mobile, and two, I like the ergonomics of its bookmarks and reading list sync. Having the ability for the browser to be a suite isn't crazy.

Pocket caused a stir because it broke Mozilla's commitments to privacy, interoperability, and FOSS. They removed an open source end to end encrypted reading list feature in development and replaced it with a proprietary 3rd party data miner. They promote it with the lie "privacy is paramount" still.[1] And they responded to correct guesses Pocket paid Mozilla by denying Pocket paid them for the integration until it came out Pocket paid them for referrals. Trying harder to hide Pocket's nature would have amplified the loss of trust.

[1] https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/pocket/

Re: Fakespot Is Acquired by Mozilla

#382

Post by pseudalopex » Sat, May 06, 2023, 12:47 AM UTC

derefr wrote: post #191

unethical_ban wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem with Pocket was that it was a separate brand name with a weird UX. If it had been branded as a new "reading list" feature native to Mozilla I don't think it would have caused a stir. I use Vivaldi now for two reasons: One, it is better than Firefox Mobile, and two, I like the ergonomics of its bookmarks and reading list sync. Having the ability for the browser to be a suite isn't crazy.

> If it had been branded as a new "reading list" feature native to Mozilla I don't think it would have caused a stir. I imagine Mozilla's thinking there was that they should position the feature so that people who already use Pocket will realize that Firefox isn't adding a separate reading list (like the Safari one nobody uses), but rather that you can just sign into your existing Pocket account in Firefox, and see y…

Did you mean making Pocket end to end encrypted like Firefox Sync? Pocket's business model was data mining. Or did you mean making a part of Firefox Sync send your data to a 3rd party data miner? I don't think it would have helped.

Re: Fakespot Is Acquired by Mozilla

#383

Post by pseudalopex » Sat, May 06, 2023, 1:37 AM UTC

derefr wrote: post #192

purpleidea wrote: post #14

I'd really love for Mozilla to focus on actually... you know... building a web browser. There are 1,000's of issues firefox needs to improve, from integrating native gnome-keyring support, to performance, to porting to rust, to... Let me PM or run Mozilla for a year. We won't buy any more companies, and we're going to focus on engineering.

Mozilla doesn't build Firefox (which is what I assume you're meaning here by "building a web browser.") Firefox — and all those system-integration features you're mentioning — are developed by Firefox Corporation. Mozilla is a separate company, with separate employees, that does everything except building Firefox. (This division was originally created to firewall off the corporate moneys donated to, and influence of…

Firefox developers work for Mozilla Corporation. Mozilla Corporation is a subsidiary of Mozilla Foundation. Mitchell Baker is CEO of both.

In 2005 they said a for profit subsidiary was for revenue flexibility. Where did you learn it was to limit corporate developers influencing Mozilla Foundation?

Google's sponsorship of Firefox continues. Most of Mozilla Foundation's revenue comes from Google through Mozilla Corporation.

Mozilla Corporation employees develop Gecko. They developed Servo until it was transferred to the Linux Foundation. They land code with no sign of Mozilla Foundation review routinely. Can you show a PR Mozilla Foundation rejected as "only serving corporate interests at the expense of the user."?

Re: Fakespot Is Acquired by Mozilla

#384

Post by smsm42 » Sun, May 07, 2023, 7:24 PM UTC

878654Tom wrote: post #365

smsm42 wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because Mozilla is supposed to be an alternative to Microsoft, Google, Apple,.. and not just "the same but with less money".

And how does this acquisition change that?

It shows that there's no strong-focused mission. Which is ok for a generic shareholder company - ultimately, not many care how exactly the profits are achieved, as long as there are profits. But less ok for a purposeful non-profit.