Firefox, Recipe for Failure?

[Win7User512]

Firefox 5 was launched as planned and on schedule this week--and also marked the "end of life" for support of Firefox 4. Mozilla's rapid release schedule, and the strategy to essentially make each new release a requirement to continue support paint Firefox into a corner where only loyal hobbyists can reliably use the browser.

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[Maguscreed]

I disagree, I see people doing back flips for their favorite browser all the time. Regardless of whether it be FF, Chrome, Safari, Opera, whatever.

So long as It remains free and the updates easy to apply I don't think it will be a huge deal. Plug-in support does need to catch up though. At the very least they could stop auto disabling plug-ins for no reason I actually had to get an add-on that kept my plugins from deactivating when I updated. ...and despite FF's statements to the contrary they all worked just fine.

 

[Gornot]

What about developers which extensions you use every day? "End of support" is end of support, they are literally forced to constantly keep up with the Firefox team in order for their extensions to stay compatible and be downloaded by end users... You.

What happens when many of extensions you may use every day simply stop working (I'm not just talking about compatibility and "cheating" to get incompatible extensions to work with newest versions of Firefox; I'm not even sure that's all it takes for an extension to continue working) while other popular browsers continue building new versions and additions while still (very easily, I assume) allowing extensions/apps/accelerators etc. to continue working altogether? Will you still stick with Firefox?

I surely as hell didn't.

 

[Maguscreed]

I'm stuck with it at this point it would take me months to set up everything the way I like it on another browser ...there's also that problem me and chrome have the one where neither one of us seems to function properly when the other is around...

If you want to move on feel free. I'll pop open i.e. if I have to for a compatibility issue. Though it's much more likely I'll just find another way to do what I need to do.
Just for reference though last update they disabled all my extras saying they were not compatible anymore. I used a tool re-enabled them all, out of roughly 70 plugins addons and themes. 1 didn't work right. I think they just red-flag everything every time a new version comes out, and I will agree it's lazy on their part because they obviously aren't testing them.

 

[xarden]

What about developers which extensions you use every day? "End of support" is end of support, they are literally forced to constantly keep up with the Firefox team in order for their extensions to stay compatible and be downloaded by end users... You.

What happens when many of extensions you may use every day simply stop working (I'm not just talking about compatibility and "cheating" to get incompatible extensions to work with newest versions of Firefox; I'm not even sure that's all it takes for an extension to continue working) while other popular browsers continue building new versions and additions while still (very easily, I assume) allowing extensions/apps/accelerators etc. to continue working altogether? Will you still stick with Firefox?

I surely as hell didn't.

I do hope developers keep up with the game.

It surely as hell will keep my job easier, than having to consistently try and configure 'browser x' to work with 'website v' and 'plugin w'. The latter two which are archaic and built for 'browser h' many years ago, but is still a requirement for certain departments.
We as a university need to keep up with technology, which means I have to include all the latest stable software in my images.
If the vendors can't play catch up, then looks like we'll have to find alternative options because I really dont want to have to write up more patches and workarounds for broken software.

Unless what you're saying is that 'browser x' needs to be backwards compatible with prior versions? Sure, I'l agree to that. But not if it sacrifices security.

 

[Maguscreed]

I'l agree to that. But not if it sacrifices security.

I would guess that would have to be their defense being as how I said above I've been using dozens of (incompatible) plugins for quite some time now.

 

[Wallonn7]

Add-on Compatibility & Rapid Releases

 

[mr pc]

uh - I just got an update for 3.6.17 to 3.6.18 and some add-on updates. I am still using my 3.6 regularly but do have 5.0 on another profile.

is 3.6.18 not legit?

am I playing with fire....fox that is

 

[Maguscreed]

lol for some reason my old xp laptop is still running that version
never updated any higher and I never bothered to change it since I hardly use that old laptop.

 

[KazeNoKoe23]

I don't really care what the build number is so long as it still works.

 

[yowanvista]

Its just a way to keep off people from using old versions, Mozilla is adopting the chrome-way which is itself good

 

[Maccman]

uh - I just got an update for 3.6.17 to 3.6.18 and some add-on updates. I am still using my 3.6 regularly but do have 5.0 on another profile.

is 3.6.18 not legit?

am I playing with fire....fox that is

I was on 3.6.18 till last night when an automatic update put me to 4.0.1. For me it is just a bit of a learning curve and it is still probably better than IE9.

 

[goodlad]

when I got my laptop, the vendor had installed FF 3.8.x for me, later when I came back home and connected it to my LAN it upgraded to 4.0.1, - the add ons which I used in 3.8.x were working good for me so no complaints. Other than the factor some times my task bar shakes as if it got an earth quake (may be due to excessive windows open heh!) I never had this prob in XP+FF, I came across this only on w7+FF4.0.1

now, 5 series is released, I would like to take that but my required addons might not be working or at least FF would state that and I don't know how to enable a non-working one at least to test tht.

 

[mr pc]

FF 3.8?

anyways, 3.6 is holding out - it's configured perfectly for me and i love my chromifox theme.

 

[GeneO]

I think it is great and a step in the right direction. I have been running nightly builds for quite some time and they have been really solid - I haven't had any issues. Gets us features and fixes faster. Lets keep it moving forward and fix any serious issues as quickly as possible.

 

[UberlegenKlient]

I fully understand what they're doing, in the right context, it's important, and obviously brilliant.

A year from now these changes will begin to produce the more obvious results. This update is no different, technically, from a x.1 update/upgrade, therefor, it doesn't matter. It's only a number.

At least, this is how I see it.


Although, while they have been somewhat open, I think they should be more forward, and not fear MS and Google catching on, because, it will happen, no matter what they do. But maybe the recent trend of Chrome adoption going through the roof has something to do with Mozilla being tight lipped about their onward strategies.

 

[seekermeister]

I tend to agree with the article, and I'm just a home user.

 

[Skulblaka]

Honestly don't mind nor care, just another update.

 

[Buddahfan]

If you Google this story by entering "Firefox Stops Security Support for 4" you get a lot of links but none of them are Mozilla links.

I am using 5.0, however I don't believe this story. There is no link in the story to a PR or Mozilla blog stating what the author said.

Until I see a Mozilla link on this I will continue to think that the story is wrong.

Anyone got that link?