Pocket Integration -- The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back

[drank...@gmail.com]

(I apologize if you get two copies, gmail indicated that this was a members only list, so this is a repost after joining)

Thank you for pocket integration,

I was finally so utterly insulted and revolted at the arrogance of the new wet-behind-the-ears developers at mozilla with the unwanted inclusion of pocket that I found QupZilla. A blazingly fast browser that renders exactly like Firefox with seamless flash-player and java/javascript, and it comes with AdBlock by default. Total source code size 3.6 meg (with git overhead) git clone git://github.com/QupZilla/qupzilla.git qupzilla (home: http://www.qupzilla.com/)

I have been a strong supporter and user of both Firefox and Thunderbird since the 1.0 days. I have cringed at the loss of direction in Mozilla since the "rabbit-pellet" release cycle started in the 3.X days, but stayed.

Above all an open-source project should be trustworthy to provide a consistent core product across releases, and no project should ever force users to dig through about:config with each release to turn off add-ons that they did not want or choose to install. More importantly now, to insure mozilla hasn't disabled security measures the user has put in place just to allow mozilla's new unwanted addons to run.

This asinine pocket integration was the final straw. When the mozdevs have become so arrogant as to presume what addons I want and what I want on my toolbar and to disable my noscript protections to allow it to run -- that crosses a line. To disable my chosen security features to allow their unwanted and unneeded addons to run was the final straw. That compromises my system and totally and completely violates the last thread of trust that remained with mozilla:

noscript.default;about:blank about:pocket-signup about:pocket-saved

Mozilla knows a line is crossed when what is packaged directs you to a 3rd party site to create a new account and divulge yet more personal information, which without any stretch of the imagination, will lead to yet more unwelcome and unwanted spam, subject you to yet more collection of your browsing habits, (and god knows what else). Since when does mozilla provide free toolbar advertising space for 3rd-party add-on developers? We are all big boys and girls and are all well aware of where to get add-ons for Firefox should we choose to.

A line is crossed when mozilla puts its commercial interest ahead of those of the community. (In a formal relationship, this is called a breach of fiduciary duty) Without the community, there is no mozilla.

The argument by mozilla that pocket (and other addons) should be part of Firefox because "normal users know nothing about addons and are confused by having to install them" is a "KNOWINGLY FALSE STATEMENT" by mozilla, in a surreptitious attempt to play the community for fools, hoping we are all dumb enough to think "Oh, those poor users, mozilla was really just watching out for use..." B.S. How dare mozilla float, a false argument that amounts to no more than spin, or political talking points, in an attempt to dupe them into believing that mozilla was really just looking out for the user.

When mozilla was concerned about the touchstone of open-source, development proceeded for years with code being stripped from Firefox and moved to addons because it wasn't necessary or essential to the core browser. Now mozilla seems to ignore this cornerstone when it is no longer convenient.

At the very least, when FF reaches this level of bloat, it would make a whole lot of sense (and probably reduce the number of Crash Reporter reports to zero) if Firefox was split into:

MozillaFirefox-core
MozillaFirefox-addons

which would end up with greatly improved performance for Firefox-core that no longer consumes 4-18% of the CPU at idle. It would not surprise me at all if split binary-packages sizes looked something like after the split:

MozillaFirefox-core 8.4 M
MozillaFirefox-addons 29.0 M

It just strikes me as utterly arrogant for an open-source project, and the developers in particular, to stray so far from what the core of a project was to be choosing for me what add-ons I have on my tool bar and to disarm my chosen security measures behind my back to do it.

It is sad, really. Firefox was such a good product. Sad that the new crop of mozdevs have so little respect for the community and so little respect for the open-source corner-stone of user-choice. Those of us who have built the open-source movement over the last 30 years are completely aghast.

If mozilla ever wanted to find a direct way to alienate and shoot the middle-finger at the community, you have successfully done so in the direction you have taken both Firefox and Thunderbird. In fact, I don't think you could have found a more insulting way to do it. The community can only hope that the management at mozilla will recognize it totally and completely lacks the needed wisdom and experience to insure the continuation of Firefox as a true open-source project. When you no longer respect the community or the principals your project was built on, it is your direct best interest to correct the path you are on.

David C. Rankin, J.D., P.E.