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Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

blog.mozilla.org

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Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#51

Post by djsumdog »

neuland wrote: post #15
mrarjonny wrote: post #4

DuckDuckGo, Start Page, or Qwant might have been a little more in the spirit of Mozilla and privacy. Then again it takes about half a second to change the default search to your own preference. Google is probably the most approachable for the vast majority of users. It is a sensible move in that regard.

Your right on a privacy front from an absolute perspective. But, it's almost certain that Google paid for this change. A stronger Mozilla (financially speaking) is good for privacy and free software. Also, normal users expect Google. So, having it in the default provides a more familiar experience for them to possibly switch to Firefox.

Yea, I mean wasn't the default provider of Yahoo before because they paid for it specifically.

It'd be nice if DuckDuckGo could afford it, but keep in mind, the privacy aspect of their service is a marketing bent. They still run mostly on AWS. If a government agency wants your DuckDuckGo data, they can just serve a warrant to Amazon instead.

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#52

Post by indubitable »

Things like this illustrate why it's a bit disingenuous to praise the nonprofit status of Mozilla as some huge distinguishing factor. Not only do the executives pay themselves more than generous salaries (1m for chair, 874k for director, 908k for treasurer) but nonprofit doesn't mean free from commercial concerns. They still need to make money to pay those salaries and support their projects. It seems wiser to judge the ethos of a company based on their actions and decisions instead of their corporate tax status.

[1] - https://static.mozilla.com/moco/en-US/pdf/2014_Mozilla_Found...

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#53

Post by throw2016 »

neuland wrote: post #15
mrarjonny wrote: post #4

DuckDuckGo, Start Page, or Qwant might have been a little more in the spirit of Mozilla and privacy. Then again it takes about half a second to change the default search to your own preference. Google is probably the most approachable for the vast majority of users. It is a sensible move in that regard.

Your right on a privacy front from an absolute perspective. But, it's almost certain that Google paid for this change. A stronger Mozilla (financially speaking) is good for privacy and free software. Also, normal users expect Google. So, having it in the default provides a more familiar experience for them to possibly switch to Firefox.

That's not how things work in the real world. This is a blatant conflict of interest, and its ironical inspite of the open source and privacy song and dance by Mozilla there is no transparency on the deal.

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#54

Post by brianbreslin »

djsumdog wrote: post #51
neuland wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your right on a privacy front from an absolute perspective. But, it's almost certain that Google paid for this change. A stronger Mozilla (financially speaking) is good for privacy and free software. Also, normal users expect Google. So, having it in the default provides a more familiar experience for them to possibly switch to Firefox.

Yea, I mean wasn't the default provider of Yahoo before because they paid for it specifically. It'd be nice if DuckDuckGo could afford it, but keep in mind, the privacy aspect of their service is a marketing bent. They still run mostly on AWS. If a government agency wants your DuckDuckGo data, they can just serve a warrant to Amazon instead.

Google was the paying provider before Yahoo. This has been how Mozilla makes most of their money the last 10 years.

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#55

Post by Frank2312 »

jonnycomputer wrote: post #3

I feel like the quality of deep search is diminishing; either there is less free content on the web, or search has been optimized for something else; I just get the same results over and over, not matter what combination of search terms I used on a topic.

What if it's actually an improvement in search results?

Everyone will search for something with a different set of words based on their experience. If most of those sets of words, all used to search for the same topic in the end, return the same results, isn't it an improvement?

Unfortunately, as you said, it doesn't help when trying to tweak the results you see to find your answer, but most people probably don't search in depth to find THE answer, but are looking for AN answer.

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#56

Post by anon49124 »

mrarjonny wrote: post #4

DuckDuckGo, Start Page, or Qwant might have been a little more in the spirit of Mozilla and privacy. Then again it takes about half a second to change the default search to your own preference. Google is probably the most approachable for the vast majority of users. It is a sensible move in that regard.

Mozilla would cease to be without a viable revenue stream. Either users need to pay or they're going to have to trade most of their privacy for a tiny bit of money for the same goal. Which is the better deal?

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#57

Post by [deleted] »

CoryG89 wrote: post #32
goptimize wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are not financially stronger if one day most of your income will come from a source which you are expected to strongly protect from.

It's not 'one day', the majority of Mozilla's funding has always come from 'search royalties'. Wikipedia says initial funding first came from AOL in 2003, then they had a deal with Google from 2004-2014. In 2014, it says they signed a deal with Yahoo. This is nothing new. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mozilla_Foundation#Financing

[deleted]

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#58

Post by Bhilai »

Mozilla's punch line "Built for People, not for profit" stands at odds with this since we know Google monetizes the heck out your search history.

Another interesting thing to note is Apple dropped Bing for Siri and Firefox stayed with Google. Sounds like Microsoft is not even trying.

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#59

Post by bitmapbrother »

Bhilai wrote: post #58

Mozilla's punch line "Built for People, not for profit" stands at odds with this since we know Google monetizes the heck out your search history. Another interesting thing to note is Apple dropped Bing for Siri and Firefox stayed with Google. Sounds like Microsoft is not even trying.

Was their punchline also at odds when they used Yahoo/Bing or was that different?

Re: Firefox Features Google as Default Search Provider in the U.S.

#60

Post by feikname »

jonnycomputer wrote: post #3

I feel like the quality of deep search is diminishing; either there is less free content on the web, or search has been optimized for something else; I just get the same results over and over, not matter what combination of search terms I used on a topic.

Agreed. I am getting irrelevant results WAAY more often than I used to, and it only gets worse.
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