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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.

#61

Post by carussell »

anon49124 wrote: post #56
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?

If you look at the lifetime of Firefox, in the second half there's a negative correlation between (product popularity + contributor experience) and (revenue + company size).

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

#62

Post by mseri »

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.

It could also be due to the quantity of indexed data

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

#63

Post by fenwick67 »

s17n wrote: post #46
amelius wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Still, Firefox could automatically switch to e.g. Duckduckgo whenever the user is in incognito mode.

Pretty sure Google doesn't circumvent incognito so what's the point?

Google certainly tracks people by their IP address, so your privacy is lesser with Google as your search engine than DDG.

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

#64

Post by kyrra »

Redoubts wrote: post #44
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My guess is the other way around: Yahoo backed out of their contract with Mozilla. The biggest difference for either of these companies this year is that Verizon now owns Yahoo, and probably doesn't want to pay for search market share. If the deal's a yearly cost or something similar, the bill's coming up in December.

They have to keep paying though https://www.recode.net/2016/7/7/12116296/marissa-mayer-deal-...

We don't know the exact details of the contract. And even if it was written as such, both parties could agree to a change in the contract that could allow either side to get out on certain conditions.

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

#65

Post by brador »

fedups wrote: post #40
brador wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> telemetry would include only basic, anonymised usage info to help them improve Firefox. This is unacceptable. Why can't I turn it off completely?

I believe Santosh83 means even if you leave it on, it will be anonymized performance data

You can't anonymize data in transit since it requires a sender IP which makes the sent performance data susceptible to interception and analysis by intermediaries.

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

#66

Post by kalcode »

indubitable wrote: post #52

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…

Why can't people get rich while making a difference? These same people could be working for other companies who are not fighting for our privacy and an open web.

I agree that what is considered high paying salary is completely insane these days with wealth inequality and the idea that such sum of money if more than an individual will ever have use for. But that is a different topic.

A non-profit status doesn't always mean charity. In Mozilla case they are a Foundation, another entity eligible for non-profit status. They have different goals than a charity.

One of the things they do to earn this status is grants. And they have lots of grants.

Now what is funny is you exclude the $0 the five Directors made. Also Mitchell Baker doesn't get their entire pay from salary. That why it is in the second column. Last salary report on her was $400k. Which is weird cause that was in 2014 the same as this public disclosure form. Not sure why you purposely left out the fact their salary isn't actually 1 millions. But total compensation.

So their 'disingenuous' nature isn't so black and white as a headline 'non-profit chair has a 1 million dollar salary'.

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

#67

Post by icebraining »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #41
lloydde wrote: post #30

Mozilla missed the opportunity to regain some of their authentic voice with this announcement. “This is part of our ongoing search strategy, announced in 2014 to evaluate and select the best search experience in each region as opposed to having a single global default.” is revisionist. I worked on a competing browser, Flock, in 2005 and Mozilla already had a strong and wonderful commitment to use the (local) best sea…

There was never any real commitment to the "best" search engine in a region. Mozilla has been paid by Google to be the default search since 2004.

I'd say they're using the best for the financial viability of Mozilla. Which in turn is for the best of their users.

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

#68

Post by Yoric »

amelius wrote: post #21
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.

Still, Firefox could automatically switch to e.g. Duckduckgo whenever the user is in incognito mode.

I love the idea. Would you mind mind filing a bug on https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/?

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

#69

Post by dralley »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #41
lloydde wrote: post #30

Mozilla missed the opportunity to regain some of their authentic voice with this announcement. “This is part of our ongoing search strategy, announced in 2014 to evaluate and select the best search experience in each region as opposed to having a single global default.” is revisionist. I worked on a competing browser, Flock, in 2005 and Mozilla already had a strong and wonderful commitment to use the (local) best sea…

There was never any real commitment to the "best" search engine in a region. Mozilla has been paid by Google to be the default search since 2004.

Both Bing and Yahoo have been the default search between now and then too...

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

#70

Post by Yoric »

throw2016 wrote: post #53
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.

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.

What do you mean "no transparency"? This has been announced officially, what else would you have expected?
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