Re: Linux and Software Freedom

>>    Except that mozilla.com offered Firefox 5.0.1 to Windows users -- it
>>    simply shouldn't have done that.
>> As a download, yes, not as an update. Confusion abounds. Even if Mozilla had not made the download available, something that was sort of required by our release mechanics, we'd still have the confusion.

i disagree that there should be a confusion,
though - i do like the Chrome updates policy in terms of seamless
providing of the new features,
nether-less if there are some big staff or it is another security fix.
Half here half there isn't a nice
experience for a mass usage, as for me and whom i know.



I think - users that may want to know the difference may
>If someone gets caught up in such a situation, and they open the About
>window to find Firefox saying it's up to date, but with a lower
>version than they saw cited in the "gossip," and decide to distrust
>the dialog, and research it anyway, then will they not come out of the
>experience with more trust in what Firefox says? The learning process
>may be arduous, but the results would be positive, would they not?
go through this possible situation.

(http://www.palemoon.org)
"Top news:
Mozilla has released 5.0.1 which incorporates MacOS specific
workarounds for MacOS specific bugs on the Firefox source code. This
version will be skipped as they don't apply to Pale Moon's platform."
in News section "Mozilla has released 3.6.19 and 5.0.1 which
incorporate MacOS specific workarounds for MacOS specific bugs. These
versions will be skipped as they don't apply to Pale Moon (being
Windows only, Mac OS is not a supported platform)."


I think - it is very good experience -  if you have the auto-update
like in Chrome and don't bother
at all if your Firefox is the newest for some platform and if you may
need something
additionally to be up to date. That is good for corporations kind of users.

If it asks the user about - update right now or start on quitting the
FF or schedule
- it would be better. Because - yes - it is cool when such a platforms
- asks for your decisions.
The problems could be in the method of questioning, but that is another story.

Anyway - my thoughts are ending on a need of for-corporations fork
with a certain func.

Personally, i dislike - even the start-up dialog or what's there -
which say's me kind of
"HEY! it's a new version, that is cool and this is a new cool.."
It is better to provide the link under About to the Firefox Features
page, make it better.
Bringing the users to future-rama exhibition (also - make an UX
museum, why not?)
of inner-developed UX experiments
i'v seen many.
Lead to involving people into a voting and finally - development..

I know it is kind of mission but i can't see Mozilla succeed on it.
It all shouldn't end into i go here to complain but should lead
into i go here and i Develop. This "feature was mine" conception
have a nice start in Add-ons, it has proved the value, now it could
be a next step.

Still - there should not be one version for all - just - could be
as starting version for a new-comers to review the view of Mozilla team
on Firefox.

I'll repeat - Particular strength of Mozilla is a customization,
it became a kind of pro browser for pro internet surfers, not that
1-2-CloudApp solutions. Advance on it as far as you could imagine,
make the B2G kind of API's and their use -- a standard for a future Web,
and you'll be respected from a non-tech user - just because he sees a
real difference, and from a hackers - because you are best at
underlying cutting-edge.


--
Well, there are more obvious fails of Mozilla, i have posted about
webfwd to some moz-maillist,
there are hundreds of millions that don't use Mozilla due to simple
marketing fails, not
even due to a tech..
As this topic has such a great naming - i'll advance a little, i'll
only give one advice among other
obvious and a bit of reasonable questions :

Mozilla, please,
Describe to the world that Mozilla is One of a Kind, Unprecedented,
Fully Open Source, pro-Freedom,
Tri-Licensed under a Coolest Licenses,
Foundation-Community-Developed browser out there.

One Of A Kind, you imagine? can't be compared to any Chrome or kind.

Now i see -     Firefox Free Download 6.0 for Windows English (US)
on the main page of mozilla.com (i'm on Linux BTW, yeah i know, MS is
the platform of choice for Moz corp now?)

"Firefox FREE DOWNLOAD"
wow, that is so..
do you know how many people in the world
realize that Free could, possibly, be for Freedom??
Do you imagine?

Are there people thinking that Mozilla shouldn't be afraid of such a statements?
Does Mozilla should be shy?

Are there a statistics from Manifest page?
"We Believe in an Open Web"
are there now a major players that Openly believe in Closed Web?
--


 I hope Mozilla's Betafarm project or kind would, finally, unite these
and other possibilities,
i have posted to some Mozilla's survey not so long ago, i think there
were a lot of ideas from
that survey. I hope, BTW - Mozilla would always - provide a feedback
on results, publish that
is not private etc. Open data rocks:)

having now the feedback system like here and there is a worst take for
a Usability.

I know - that is a very hard mission, Mozilla is small and not for
profit(?) etc., that is why i think - Betafarm,
or kind, if
would be leaded in a right way for giving more power to users, actually.
I could only help with a concurrent social networks we develop now, pre-install
the Mozilla somewhere, i'll make it because i know the story and some
back-ends of Mozilla,
but how many people care to make a research on some brand they use now?
How many people and for what sense, actually, would love Mozilla
netherless of bugs or other problems?
How many know it and like it for idea? Not many in my area, almost
nobody knows (i'd say- less than 5%),
 actually - what are Open Source and Software Freedom about, in some
half of the world.
And that isn't a problem of translators, i18n or even l10n. That is
the problem in which the source, Mozilla, fails,
i think.


That versions flow -- how an where to show it --  as for me as a
designer - it depends on many things like marketing research,
that isn't clear for me as a Mozilla user. So i'll waste the time and
provide over and over the solutions that may already
be somewhere in that mess of feedback systems, developers blogs etc.
Though - there are
https://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.marketing/topics
and http://guides.mozilla.org/Marketing
to try..