Saturday, October 17, 2009

FireFox Being A Bitch

500x_current_ballot_design1

Pretty sure you guys know that Microsoft can’t bundle IE with Windows, any more (at least in the EU). Microsoft submitted yet another Ballot Screen proposal to the EU, where the browsers will not be listed by their market share, but in alphabetical order. The first one would be Apple’s Safari.

Firefox User Experience Designer Jenny Boriss barks:

This ordering is about the worst option possible. Microsoft wrote in their proposal that 'nothing in the design and implementation of the Ballot Screen and the presentation of competing web browsers will express a bias for a Microsoft web browser or any other web browser,' but this is exactly what the current design does. Windows users presented with the current design will tend to make only two choices: IE because they are familiar with it, or Safari because it is the first item.

Link

It’s obvious that the EU will never approve any Ballot Screen where IE is listed first. But seems like Firefox will have a problem with everything unless Firefox is put up first!

Jenny continues barking and goes on to say, that she doesn’t have a problem if the browsers are listed according to market share, as long as IE is excluded (??!!!). And how is THIS fair?

If users want to use a different browser, they will, regardless of their position on the Ballot Screen. I use Chrome on Windows, and Safari on Mac.

There are idiots who refuse to give up IE (seriously people, it’s bad enough you are using Windows, do you really need IE as well to make bad things worse?!).

At the same time, there are users who believe that nothing is better than Firefox. I seriously doubt, position in the Ballot Screen is going to make that much of an impact.

The fox should stop whining so much. Now even their statements are getting ridiculous. I have linked to her blog as well, above. Feel free to read her complete whining. Sheesh.

4 Opinions:

Agnel said...

I use firefox. You need to know the right plugins to work for your machine.

Chrome sucks in its own ways, still it is decent enough.

IE, I use that only while filling in my time sheet, cos it doesn't work on FF well enough :P

Q8NRI said...

Hi Raj, Good to see you back!

Well she is playing safe...check the disclaimer on her blog:

(Note: This is my personal opinion and doesn’t reflect Mozilla’s official position or any formal statement from Mozilla)

So actually I dont think Mozilla can do anything about it but yes such statements will dent the users confidence in FF.

L o r d R a j said...

SV,

Disclaimers are always a good idea. :D

About denting the confidence of the users.. well, I don't think many people really bother about the official statements.

There is no denying that Firefox is a better browser than IE.. I just feel that such whiny statements should be avoided.

Especially when they don't make any sense.

L o r d R a j said...

It's worse that it comes from someone who is working for Firefox.

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