this post was submitted on 26 Aug 2023
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Firefox

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edited the heading of the question. I think most of us here are reasoning why more people are not using firefox (because it was the initial question), but none of that explains why it's actively losing marketshare.

I don't agree ideologically with Firefox management and am somewhat of a semi-conservative (and my previous posts might testify to that), I think Firefox browser is absolutely amazing! It's beautiful and it just feels good. It has awesome features like containers. It's better for privacy than any mainstream browser out there (even counting Brave here) and it has great integration between PC and Phone. It's open-source (unlike Chrome) and it supports a good chunk of extensions you would need.

This was about PC, but I believe even for Mobiles it looks great and it allows features like extensions (and I hear desktop extensions are coming to firefox android?), it's just a great ecosystem and it's available everywhere unlike most FOSS softwares.

So why is Firefox's market share dying?

I mean, I have a few ideas why it might be, maybe correct me I guess?

  1. Most people don't know how to use extensions well and how to use Firefox well. (Most of my friends in their 30's still live without ad blockers, so I don't think many are educated here)
  2. It's just not as fast as Chrome or Brave. I can't deny this, but despite of this, I find it's worthy.
  3. It's not the default.
  4. Many features which are Google specific aren't supported.
  5. Many websites are just not supporting firefox anymore (looking at you snapchat), but you would be right in saying this is the effect of Firefox losing it's market share not the cause (at least for now) and you would be right.

But what else?

I might take time (a lot of it) to get back at you, thanks for understanding.

occasionally I’ll find websites that don’t work 100% because they were coded primarily for chromium based browsers. FU Google

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[–] KLISHDFSDF@lemmy.ml 76 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Because not only do you (the end user) have to go out of your way to get it, but you get spammed by Microsoft/Edge and Google/Chrome to install a "faster" and "more secure" browser. Additionally, on the mobile side, Apple is preventing all iPhone/iPad users from picking a real alternative browser that isn't just webkit re-skinned, putting half the population at a disadvantage and to their own corporate interests.

[–] Disgusted_Tadpole@lemmy.ml 17 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The Apple part might change quite soon, with the EU’s Digital Market Act. Apple will have to allow users to download apps from other markets than the Appstore.

[–] KLISHDFSDF@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That would be great! Hopefully they don't screw it up and decide to make the feature available only if you're in the EU.

[–] rusty@lemmy.world 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

They're absolutely going to make it available only in the EU unless other countries also push for it with legislation.

It's also going to have a lot of scary "Are you sure u want to compromise your safety?" boxes.

[–] Holzkohlen@feddit.de 8 points 1 year ago

With these companies nothing would surprise me.

[–] QuaternionsRock@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Don’t get your hopeS. JIT compilation is an integral part of all modern JavaScript engines, and JIT compilation requires violating the static W^X principle that is currently mandated by iOS for security. Not to mention that allowing third party browser engines would probably increase Blink’s (Chrome, Edge) market share more than Gecko’s.