Re: No plans to change the version number scheme

On 24/08/2011 23:15, Chris Ilias wrote:
> On 11-08-23 9:08 PM, clay wrote:
>> On 08/23/2011 3:16 PM, Chris Ilias wrote:
>>> On 11-08-23 6:11 PM, clay wrote:
>>>>
>>>> ...now can we maybe discuss getting the full UA string back too?
>>>> <d&r>
>>>
>>> Why?
>>
>> Oh, I dunno... Perhaps because it's the quickest, easiest way to get a
>> bunch of information from a drone that wanders onto the support group
>> with an issue.
>>
>> Although there are some who would rather flaunt their expertise sending
>> drone to places they never knew existed or cared to visit, just to dig
>> up the same info.
>>
>> Personally, I think it just looks cool.
>
> What makes you think it's the quickest easiest way?
>
> Right now, I use this snippet to get more info from a user:
>
> <quote>
> We'll need some more info about your Firefox setup. Go to
> Help-->Troubleshooting_Information, then click [Copy all to Clipboard].
> Open a reply to this post, and go to Edit-->Paste to paste the info from
> your Troubleshooting Information page.
> </quote>
>
> The 'copy to clipboard' function means you don't have to teach the user
> how to select/copy text, plus you get more info than what the UA
> provides. That's why the about:support page was created!
>
> The only case where I think it would easier to get version/OS info is if
> the user inadvertently provides it, like looking at their newsgroup
> posting headers. But in that case, you're not getting it from the About
> window anyway.
>
> What about people who think the UA is version number?
> <http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.support.firefox/msg/17146dc76ed33d77>
>
> And of those people,
> What about those you think "Mozilla 5.0" is the version number?
> What about when an extension adds its own version info to the UA?
> What about extensions that completely change the UA to something else?

Put simply, this change to the version number and where it is located 
seems to me to be more for the benefit of the developers rather than the 
average or slightly above average end user. I can understand what the 
developers are doing, I just don't agree with their rationale for doing 
it. As a former marketing man (retired) I can recall the simple mantra 
the vendor/product manager who thought they knew their customers better 
than the customer themselves invariably suffered the consequences!

Furthermore, retaining the hitherto information in the 'about firefox' 
location should not prevent the developers from providing more 
information in the new location Help>Troubleshooting Information.

Please note, I'm still a big Firefox fan!

Brian