Comment by GekkePrutser
5 years ago
Indeed, it also raises the question: Why do we pay for something like MS Office but not for a browser?
I think I'd pay 50/year or so for Firefox.. Even if Chrome is free. In fact I already donate about half that. But the point of course is getting a lot of people to do that so they can achieve independence from Google.
I wouldn't pay for a browser, they all track me, or try to, and experiment on me, and extract personally identifiable information which I am told is "anonymized" but you'd have to be a complete moron to believe that.
I'm already paying with all the data Mozilla and Google extract from me. In fact, they should pay me. I haven't asked for or wanted any of the new browser features which have appeared since, say, 2001. They all serve somebody else, not me.
Good user interfaces require financial incentive as far as I can tell.
> I haven't asked for or wanted any of the new browser features which have appeared since, say, 2001.
Netscape 4.80 is available for download here: http://www.oldversion.com/windows/netscape/
IE 6 is available here: http://www.oldversion.com/windows/internet-explorer-6-0
> and experiment on me
Yeah, what's up with these experiements? Sometimes I run htop and notice lots of Chromium processes with field-trial-id parameters. Don't think I ever signed up for this!
I am also actively looking for a way to fund Firefox.
I have donated to the servo project under the Linux Foundation and I'll possibly pay for Firefox VPN when it becomes available if I know the money goes into the corporation and not the foundation (yep, weird, but the corporation is where the browser gets developed. And money only goes from the corporation to the foundation, so if I want to support the development of the browser I guess that's how it has to be.)
but if they are already taking money from Google, why should I donate to Firefox?
IMO companies that aren't getting direct money from ad businesses deserve my donations more.
There's no guarantee that reaching independence from Google will stop Firefox from getting Google money, disabling features that made Firefox different or cutting jobs.
Most of their revenue comes from Google (for providing it as the default search engine in the browser) because they can't get enough revenue from donations to pay for their work. If they got enough money from donations, they wouldn't need to rely on Google's spare change.
Do you realize that 0 donations go to Firefox development?
Firefox development is done by Mozilla Corporation (that doesn't accept any donations, AFAIK). A part of their earnings are given to their owner, Mozilla Foundation, that you are suggested to donate to, and it may not be a bad idea, but it does not finance Firefox development in any way.
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