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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.

#71

Post by pessimizer »

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.

SEO won. There were no economic incentives for Google to continue to fight it; they have no significant competitors. A better strategy for Google is to buy pieces of or provide services to the companies that dominate the first page.

Dollars put into the branding of being the best search aimed at the current userbase are been more effective than actually innovating on search anyway. People don't objectively rank search results between engines. They do defend their current habits, though, and solid branding material gives them something to tell themselves to counteract any (rare) arguments to switch.

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

#72

Post by fenwick67 »

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.

I think the problem is that making a worthless website (by this I mean worthless to users) is so cheap but also very lucrative for content farms. A webpage with garbage content but that has taken the right SEO measures has a good chance of getting on the first page and getting clicked, and these can be cloned ad infinitum with different content.

It's very easy now for good content to be hidden amongst clickbait.

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

#73

Post by pessimizer »

kalcode wrote: post #66
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…

A company's priorities are defined by how it spends its money. Very high salaries are a sign that a company is prioritizing the personal enrichment of particular people.

> A non-profit status doesn't always mean charity.

Many unambiguous charities have salaries just as high, and the same rationalizations.

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

#74

Post by orthecreedence »

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…

They just switched from Yahoo as the default. So it's not like there's only one company paying the bills (and pulling the strings).

> It seems wiser to judge the ethos of a company based on their actions and decisions instead of their corporate tax status.

I do. I judge them based off the tools they build and the fine line they walk between making boatloads of money and actually providing services for people who care about privacy. Sometimes they get this wrong, but they try really hard.

And, really, the alternative is Google. That's not to say Mozilla shouldn't strive to be the best that they can, but if they were to disappear, we'd be using a closed-source browser built by the biggest ad company in the world who has demonstrated over and over that your privacy is antithetical to their business.

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

#75

Post by Skylled »

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.

Their privacy-focused mobile browser, Firefox Focus, defaults to DDG.

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

#76

Post by jldugger »

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #11

I really just wish they would go back to letting the search bar change on the fly and remain that way until you change it back. With the little icon letting you know which service it is currently set to. Does anyone know why that functionality was removed? If I'm searching for anything other than my default chances are I'm going to be searching at least 3 different things before getting it right, but then I can't jus…

I'm on 56.0 until Ubuntu publishes an update but... if I click on the search glass icon, a dialog pops up with a set of suggested alternatives, and a change search settings button.

Did that actually change in Quantum?

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

#77

Post by nkantar »

Yoric wrote: post #68
amelius wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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/ ?

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1411340

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

#79

Post by 11backslashes »

dec0dedab0de wrote: post #11

I really just wish they would go back to letting the search bar change on the fly and remain that way until you change it back. With the little icon letting you know which service it is currently set to. Does anyone know why that functionality was removed? If I'm searching for anything other than my default chances are I'm going to be searching at least 3 different things before getting it right, but then I can't jus…

I use DDG as default, and have all my other engines set with keywords. Searching wikipedia (mapped to 'wk') for instance is as easy as:

ctrl+l

wk

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

#80

Post by kibwen »

carussell wrote: post #61
anon49124 wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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).

A fellow adherent to the Flying Spaghetti Monster, I see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster#Pirat... . Praise His noodly appendage!
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