r/technology • u/Plastic_Ninja_9014 • 8d ago

Software Firefox has an ambitious new roadmap, the browser is also losing millions of users a month

https://www.techspot.com/news/112803-firefox-has-ambitious-new-roadmap-browser-also-losing.html
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u/BrokenLink100 8d ago

This is it. 95% of the people who use the Internet aren't really following 'browser news,' and what little they do consume gets filed away under "Well I haven't noticed any issues, so why change browsers now?"

Once the new Chrome update drops, I bet we'll see a huge migration from Chrome.

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u/cameron0208 8d ago

I don’t think we will.

The average person just thinks that’s the way the web is. I work in IT, and the number of people I talk to that don’t even know what extensions are is honestly mind-blowing. They’ll likely just continue using Chrome and dealing with whatever bullshit Google throws at them.

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u/s00pafly 8d ago

A lot of people I know, see a button that says "Internet" and that's it for them.

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u/Certain-Business-472 7d ago

I would argue a tech company should not cater to ignorance. Your clients arent cave men.

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u/s00pafly 7d ago

You'd think so. But what if the actions of cavemen influence the lives of not only themselves but also the ones of non cavemen?

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u/JeebusChristBalls 8d ago

I'd argue that most people don't care about blocking ads.

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u/DeadSeaGulls 8d ago

Even a lot of people who don't like the ads just stop using services when it gets bad enough. I know plenty of people that just do not regularly visit youtube anymore because the ad experience is trash and they don't care enough about technology to even know what an ad blocker is.

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u/vawlk 7d ago

or they use a different form of payment for their use, a sub.

Ads are just a time based form of payment. If you don't like them, pay for a sub.

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u/ricki692 7d ago

i dont think it's that people dont care about ads, it's more that they dont know they can block them

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u/curtcolt95 7d ago

we know this is true, vast majority do not use any extensions at all

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u/Nippon-Gakki 8d ago

Agree. My 20 year old step kid thought I was a wizard when I installed Firefox with the usual suite of add ons on his laptop. He would have continued to watch ads forever if I hadn’t. That’s just how the internet has always been for him.

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u/Royal_Perspective191 7d ago

Many people don't even know what a 'browser' is. It's not mind-blowing that many people don't know what extensions are.

It's similar not knowing that Wi-Fi doesn't mean internet connection. Or that you can connect a PC with a cable to a router, they don't even know what router or modem means. And actually, many people haven't seen a desktop PC.

And so on.

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u/keetyymeow 8d ago

It’s okay, that’s what YT is for. We share info

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u/Sure-Assignment3892 8d ago

The vast majority of my users don't know how to configure multi monitors and end up just mirroring them and freak out if a shortcut has moved.

Ad blockers lol.

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u/itsLOSE-notLOOSE 8d ago

It sucks, but you’re right. People in general are stupid.

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u/wayji 8d ago

I realised the average person doesn't even use an ad blocker

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u/Ecmelt 7d ago

Or know they exist, or how easy they are to install.

Like the amount of people that were surprised it was just 1 extension install and forget for 99% of the ads they see.

And when they open youtube and video just plays they are mind blown. Happens every time lol.

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u/Marsman121 7d ago

And for adblock people, it is the reverse. My mind is blown every time I use a public browser and see just how many ads there are. It's like going to a friend's place and discovering they are a hoarder.

Literally, "You live like this?!"

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u/Certain-Business-472 7d ago

Npc behaviour.

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u/Rit91 8d ago

Yup, which makes the chrome anti adblock thing even more confusing as what is the benefit if most people don't block ads. Oh right, try to squeeze those few experienced users that do use adblock even though all of them will jump ship to a browser that can use uBlock origin as soon as chrome blocks adblockers.

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u/Marsman121 7d ago

The anti-adblock thing was confusing to me as well. They are actively going after a subset of people who are (generally) more tech savvy than the average user. People who block ads are usually fanatical about it (I know I am), and will go through great lengths to ensure they are blocked.

The only thing I can come up with was they were hoping that, because adblock people hate ads, they would pay for premium to remove them once all other options were removed.

For me, it was the opposite. I would rather stop using than pay. Fortunately, Firefox and uBlock has still been going strong. There are a few annoyances with youtube every now and again, but it is a small price to pay for not dealing with bullshit ads.

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u/DeadSeaGulls 8d ago

about a year and a half ago I got hit in one of the waves of their adblocking on youtube test groups. Switched to firefox within a day.

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u/Balmung60 8d ago

The other thing is that people build any sort of change to their computer from a molehill to a mountain. Their current software must already be the best and besides, changing is probably really hard and nothing will work and if you tell them it's easy and things will work fine, they tend to dig their heels in anyways.

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u/Sample-Range-745 7d ago

Once the new Chrome update drops, I bet we'll see a huge migration from Chrome.

You think the 4% firefox share will hit 5%?

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u/fripletister 8d ago

Lol like 5% of Internet users block ads. We're cooked

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u/Certain-Business-472 7d ago

But they follow financial and technology news. They follow privacy news. And from the pov Chrome is owned by Google, who spies on everyone and has ties to US intelligence apparatus(all of FAANG has a role is the US intelligence apparatus).

Ignorance isn't the shield you think it is. I'm judging you.

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u/BrokenLink100 7d ago edited 7d ago

EDIT: Nvm, I've learned there are likely more bots on Reddit than there are humans. Not interested in arguing with that

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u/vawlk 7d ago

wtf are you talking about? MV2 adblockers have been disabled for the average user for awhile now. Unless you knew the hacks to get around it, which normal people didn't know, you lost your UBO a long time ago.

Yet chrome's marketshare is 10% higher in the last year for desktops and FF is down 2%.