Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox extensions..
-
- Posts: 308
- Joined: October 14th, 2013, 1:20 pm
Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox extensions..
Quicksaver whose addons are OmniSidebar, Tab Groups, Beyond Australis, FindBar Tweak, Puzzle Bars and Omnibar Plus
and
Geoff Lankow whose most popular addons are New Tab Tools, Open With and Shrunked Image Resizer.
announced dropping support for their addons.. https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/commen ... nymore_im/
Since Mozilla said no when the CTR developer Aris asked for an API to modify the UI, than CTR will probably be dead too once Mozilla allows only web extensions.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1328244
Than there is the DownThemAll developer who will jump ship once the WebExtensions switch is pulled.
https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/dev- ... 02367.html
So, yea.. looks like the future Firefox is gonna be fast, but with much less addons and customization than the Firefox of past.
Any thoughts, or predictions?
Edit: Greasemonkey developer has troubles rewriting his addon too. Looks like he will try at least. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... 6IyDUWnTQc
and
Geoff Lankow whose most popular addons are New Tab Tools, Open With and Shrunked Image Resizer.
announced dropping support for their addons.. https://www.reddit.com/r/firefox/commen ... nymore_im/
Since Mozilla said no when the CTR developer Aris asked for an API to modify the UI, than CTR will probably be dead too once Mozilla allows only web extensions.
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1328244
Than there is the DownThemAll developer who will jump ship once the WebExtensions switch is pulled.
https://mail.mozilla.org/pipermail/dev- ... 02367.html
So, yea.. looks like the future Firefox is gonna be fast, but with much less addons and customization than the Firefox of past.
Any thoughts, or predictions?
Edit: Greasemonkey developer has troubles rewriting his addon too. Looks like he will try at least. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic ... 6IyDUWnTQc
Last edited by PadaV4 on February 1st, 2017, 8:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
- mightyglydd
- Posts: 9813
- Joined: November 4th, 2006, 7:07 pm
- Location: Hollywood Ca.
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
Firefox 57 has landed..developers abandoning their Firefox addons..PadaV4 wrote: predictions?
#KeepFightingMichael and Alex.
- the-edmeister
- Posts: 32249
- Joined: February 25th, 2003, 12:51 am
- Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
It's not just that developers are abandoning their Firefox extensions, but the types of extensions that will be available for Firefox as Web Extensions will be very different that what we are accustomed to seeing for Firefox in the past.
I doubt if "Web Extensions" in Firefox will be much different than what's been available for Chrome and other WebKit-based browsers, a weak imitation of what has been available in Firefox. IMO, Mozilla is looking for "parity" with Chrome and in the process they are sacrificing what has been unique about Firefox since "day one".
Maybe Mozilla is on the right track with the changes over the last year or so, as Firefox usage has crept up over that last 8 or 9 months. And with Web Extensions Firefox users may have access to the same extensions that are available for Chrome, so it may be easier for users to migrate over to Firefox from Chrome.
But IMO with Firefox having the same capabilities (or limits based upon your viewpoint) as Chrome, other than minor "look and feel" how is Mozilla going to distinguish Firefox from all the WebKit / Blink browsers out there?
I doubt if "Web Extensions" in Firefox will be much different than what's been available for Chrome and other WebKit-based browsers, a weak imitation of what has been available in Firefox. IMO, Mozilla is looking for "parity" with Chrome and in the process they are sacrificing what has been unique about Firefox since "day one".
Maybe Mozilla is on the right track with the changes over the last year or so, as Firefox usage has crept up over that last 8 or 9 months. And with Web Extensions Firefox users may have access to the same extensions that are available for Chrome, so it may be easier for users to migrate over to Firefox from Chrome.
But IMO with Firefox having the same capabilities (or limits based upon your viewpoint) as Chrome, other than minor "look and feel" how is Mozilla going to distinguish Firefox from all the WebKit / Blink browsers out there?
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Mine has wandered off and I'm out looking for it.
- GHM113
- Posts: 707
- Joined: December 16th, 2015, 3:59 am
- Location: Moscow, Russia
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
I think you can add Tree Style Tab to the list:
https://billmccloskey.wordpress.com/201 ... omment-145
https://billmccloskey.wordpress.com/201 ... omment-145
You mean that we can rebuild Tree Style Tab with the sidebar API. However, I think that you don’t find out what is the essence of TST.
I believe that TST’s unique value is a natural compatibility for other tab-related addons, and sidebar API based TST loses the value.
If I rebuild TST using such a sidebar API, it can probably provide tree-like GUI in a sandboxed frame, working instead of Firefox’s native tabs. But, probably other addons can’t cooperate with it, because most addons’ authors think about only their addons and Firefox’s native tabs. Even if new TST became available based on the sidebar API which can’t cooperate with other addons, it’s useless. Moreover, then I’ll receive more and more requests for the sidebared TST, like: Please add the feature provided by another something major tab-related addon, like “copy tab title”!
If addons based on new APIs can cooperate with others casually around Firefox’s native features like current TST, I passively agree to the decision of killing low level extensibility for legacy addons. Basically Firefox should be more safe and stable for non-power users – I think so. If new APIs truly can build addons which cooperate with others seamlessly with enough rich entry points, then I’ll have no reason to negate migration from legacy way to the new way – except that it is a hard work.
Sorry for my poor English.
- Drumbrake
- Posts: 1177
- Joined: February 14th, 2011, 2:34 am
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
Parity with chrome?the-edmeister wrote:(...)
I doubt if "Web Extensions" in Firefox will be much different than what's been available for Chrome and other WebKit-based browsers, a weak imitation of what has been available in Firefox. IMO, Mozilla is looking for "parity" with Chrome and in the process they are sacrificing what has been unique about Firefox since "day one".
(...)
Why not call that with its real name now, i.e. "selling out" ...
That's not just to insult them, because who in their right mind and with a modicum of respect for what Firefox is (was) ,would ever come out with a way of crippling it and make it as utterly useless as Chrome, throwing away capabilities that have always been unknown to all other browsers like it was nothing?
And the whole argument behind that, "security", doesn't really hold water: some rogue or questionable extensions will likely make their way in Firefox regardless, and if that wasn't enough already, why deny them some friendly help, like the case of WOT:
Current users who are okay with the risks can re-enable the add-on in the Add-ons Manager.
-
- Posts: 6403
- Joined: February 3rd, 2009, 6:29 pm
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
People are assuming that many Chrome extensions will be available to Firefox 57 users.
What is Mozilla going to do if developers don't want to port their extensions?
What is Mozilla going to do if developers don't want to port their extensions?
Last edited by morat on February 17th, 2017, 5:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
- Frank Lion
- Posts: 21173
- Joined: April 23rd, 2004, 6:59 pm
- Location: ... The Exorcist....United Kingdom
- Contact:
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
Ride out the storm and go to the fallback position I mentioned here, I reckon - http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... #p14727590morat wrote:What is Mozilla going to do if developers don't want to port their extensions?
In the age of the Eloi that we are now in, I doubt that most will notice the difference.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke (attrib.)
.
.
- Virtual_ManPL
- Posts: 2052
- Joined: July 24th, 2008, 5:52 am
- Contact:
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
It's more like Mozilla abandoning their loyal Firefox extension developers for Chrome ones...
Virtualfox persona
Tired of constant Firefox UI changes? XUL extensions are not working anymore? Try SeaMonkey, Waterfox Classic, Pale Moon.
Tired of constant Firefox UI changes? XUL extensions are not working anymore? Try SeaMonkey, Waterfox Classic, Pale Moon.
-
- Posts: 1279
- Joined: April 11th, 2014, 7:34 pm
- Location: Sydney Australia
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
isnt this the same kinda thread that i bought up awhile ago? Firefox 57 ?
- Frank Lion
- Posts: 21173
- Joined: April 23rd, 2004, 6:59 pm
- Location: ... The Exorcist....United Kingdom
- Contact:
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
Yep - http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... #p14722024-Arch- wrote:isnt this the same kinda thread that i bought up awhile ago? Firefox 57 ?
Even so, there'll still be 3 or 4 more identical threads on the same subject nearer Firefox 57.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke (attrib.)
.
.
- mightyglydd
- Posts: 9813
- Joined: November 4th, 2006, 7:07 pm
- Location: Hollywood Ca.
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
^^ It's been discussed since waaaaay before then...
https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08 ... x-add-ons/
https://blog.mozilla.org/addons/2015/08 ... x-add-ons/
#KeepFightingMichael and Alex.
- the-edmeister
- Posts: 32249
- Joined: February 25th, 2003, 12:51 am
- Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
This subject is liable to be a topic of discussion for many years, as has happened with Australis.Frank Lion wrote:Yep - http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic ... #p14722024-Arch- wrote:isnt this the same kinda thread that i bought up awhile ago? Firefox 57 ?
Even so, there'll still be 3 or 4 more identical threads on the same subject nearer Firefox 57.
.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Mine has wandered off and I'm out looking for it.
- the-edmeister
- Posts: 32249
- Joined: February 25th, 2003, 12:51 am
- Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
"Selling out" would be like Opera did by dumping Presto for WebKit. And similar to Vivaldi (a group of developers formerly with Opera, as I recall reading) creating yet another WebKit derived Blink browser and Brave building off Chromium / Blink.Drumbrake wrote:Parity with chrome?the-edmeister wrote:(...)
I doubt if "Web Extensions" in Firefox will be much different than what's been available for Chrome and other WebKit-based browsers, a weak imitation of what has been available in Firefox. IMO, Mozilla is looking for "parity" with Chrome and in the process they are sacrificing what has been unique about Firefox since "day one".
(...)
Why not call that with its real name now, i.e. "selling out" ...
At least Mozilla is leaving some "user choice" of rendering engines by developing Rust / Servo to have another than just WebKit / Blink / Chromium based browsers.
Some days I wonder if Brendan Eich was still around Mozilla if this Web Extensions crap would be happening or if a wider scope of "traditional" API'a would be made available.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Mine has wandered off and I'm out looking for it.
- celtic_superhero
- Posts: 53
- Joined: April 12th, 2015, 7:37 am
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
Well, we should be "thankful" for Mozilla then for allowing us at least to have a Chrome flavored browser with a different engine. Oh wait, both variants are bad, no matter if it is Chrome flavored with a different UI or Chrome flavored with different engine.
There is already a Chrome flavored browser, and it's countless of bastard offsprings so why creating another one. Bad if a company runs out of own ideas or is losing believe in their own superior creations.
Selling out is indeed the correct term. Mozilla sells their customization and feature loving user base for the simple less educated mass of users who want a simple stupid browser without anything advanced inside.
What is even worse is the following: Mozilla gets the impression that it is "the right move" as now where power users have been bleeding out for quite a long time and the simplification of the browser is increasing speed, suddenly the market share is rising again. So, Mozilla will increase the process of dumbing down the browser to gain more market share.
Let's admit it: Firefox is dead. At least the one we respected and loved in the past.
There is already a Chrome flavored browser, and it's countless of bastard offsprings so why creating another one. Bad if a company runs out of own ideas or is losing believe in their own superior creations.
Selling out is indeed the correct term. Mozilla sells their customization and feature loving user base for the simple less educated mass of users who want a simple stupid browser without anything advanced inside.
What is even worse is the following: Mozilla gets the impression that it is "the right move" as now where power users have been bleeding out for quite a long time and the simplification of the browser is increasing speed, suddenly the market share is rising again. So, Mozilla will increase the process of dumbing down the browser to gain more market share.
Let's admit it: Firefox is dead. At least the one we respected and loved in the past.
-
- Posts: 1279
- Joined: April 11th, 2014, 7:34 pm
- Location: Sydney Australia
Re: Lots of developers abandoning their Firefox addons..
just look at a Open Source Browser such as ( Epiphany ) . its a simple Browser without Extensions or Themes. but people use it, i sure as hell dont. i think Mozilla an prolly other Vendor Browsers are doing the same to cut costs of it downceltic_superhero wrote:Well, we should be "thankful" for Mozilla then for allowing us at least to have a Chrome flavored browser with a different engine. Oh wait, both variants are bad, no matter if it is Chrome flavored with a different UI or Chrome flavored with different engine.
There is already a Chrome flavored browser, and it's countless of bastard offsprings so why creating another one. Bad if a company runs out of own ideas or is losing believe in their own superior creations.
Selling out is indeed the correct term. Mozilla sells their customization and feature loving user base for the simple less educated mass of users who want a simple stupid browser without anything advanced inside.
What is even worse is the following: Mozilla gets the impression that it is "the right move" as now where power users have been bleeding out for quite a long time and the simplification of the browser is increasing speed, suddenly the market share is rising again. So, Mozilla will increase the process of dumbing down the browser to gain more market share.
Let's admit it: Firefox is dead. At least the one we respected and loved in the past.