Technology Will Firefox rise like phoenix from the ashes in 2024?

[vtqhtr413]

Content source

https://www.ghacks.net/2024/01/07/will-firefox-rise-like-phoenix-from-the-ashes-in-2024/

2024 will be an interesting year for web browsers. Google will make changes to its dominating Chrome web browser that may affect part of the browser's userbase negatively. There is the move to Manifest V3 for extensions, which may impact content blockers, privacy extensions and some other extensions negatively. There is also Privacy Sandbox and the end of third-party cookie tracking, which bakes tracking into the browser directly to give Google even more control over user data while making it more difficult for others to keep up.

A main question that comes up is if other browsers will benefit from this, and if they do, which will benefit more than others. There is a chance that most Chrome users simply don't care about all of this. If the sites they visit continue to work and if Google's "privacy" euphemisms worked as well, then Chrome may not lose much, if anything at all user-wise. Chrome users have two core options when it comes to switching browsers. They can select another Chromium-based browser, Brave, Vivaldi, Opera or even Microsoft Edge come to mind. It seems a logical choice. They get the same web compatibility as in Chrome, can continue using all their extensions, and import most of their browsing data as well. It is a seamless process.

Will Firefox rise like phoenix from the ashes in 2024? - gHacks Tech News

Can Firefox rise from the ashes in 2024 to gain new users and marketshare? There is a chance that this will indeed happen. Here is why!

www.ghacks.net

 

[oldschool]

There is a chance that most Chrome users simply don't care about all of this.

Not only a chance, but rather a great probability that most users simply don't care about any of this. I've been a member of this forum for 7 years and my wife could give a rat's ass about privacy on her phone, iPad or anywhere else. I gave up trying persuasion long ago.

 

[MuzzMelbourne]

Not only a chance, but rather a great probability that most users simply don't care about any of this. I've been a member of this forum for 7 years and my wife could give a rat's ass about privacy on her phone, iPad or anywhere else. I gave up trying persuasion long ago.

Ditto...

 

[misterman2100]

There's the argument of operability, Why use something that doesn't work and then need to switch to a different browser? Seems devs don't give a flying flip about Firefox, breaking websites and thus frustrating potential users. By the by, I convinced my wife recently to use it on her phone purely for the adblocking capabilities compared to Chrome, although the aforementioned makes it a tough sell for the desktop.

 

[oldschool]

By the by, I convinced my wife recently to use it on her phone purely for the adblocking capabilities compared to Chrome, although the aforementioned makes it a tough sell for the desktop.

I did likewise, suggesting Brave to my wife and .... zilch!

 

[Ink]

What's the author smoking?

 

[MuzzMelbourne]

I have only recently adopted Firefox as my goto browser since moving to Linux, but, I have to say, once hardened, it leaves Safari for dead. And uBlock makes YouTube videos actually enjoyable. Very happy thanks...

 

[enaph]

I guess that being the "only non Chromium" browser isn't enough to regain the once lost market share

 

[brambedkar59]

I did likewise, suggesting Brave to my wife and .... zilch!

Before doing the pitch, you were supposed to be Brave & roar like a Lion. Well, did ya? I think not.

Just like this author, people at r/Firefox seems to overestimate the skills of an average internet user which hate change with a passion.

 

[oldschool]

I guess that being the "only non Chromium" browser isn't enough to regain the once lost market share

And I'm not sure the changes will lead to more market share for Brave or any of the other alternatives either.

 

[Arequire]

If you are a pessimist, you may see Firefox losing another million or two of its users in 2024. Mozilla CEO and executives getting another raise, and Mozilla continuing to push non-Firefox products and services using Firefox as the driver.

Or a realist.

There's the argument of operability, Why use something that doesn't work and then need to switch to a different browser?

That's what made me drop Firefox as my daily driver. Dishwasher died, went to purchase a new one and the website wouldn't render properly in Firefox, so I was forced to use Edge (which I had not long dropped too, ironically).
I still use Firefox as a secondary browser, to compartmentalize the stuff I want to keep away from prying eyes, but for my primary browser, I want one that lets me browse uninterrupted. Firefox, sadly, doesn't do that.

 

[TairikuOkami]

FF will struggle for 1-2 years and then it will die or move to Chromium, it is as simple as that.

 

[oldschool]

FF will struggle for 1-2 years and then it will die or move to Chromium, it is as simple as that.

This may be an indication of what's to come:

Firefox: Prepare for non-persistent background page · Issue #2969 · uBlockOrigin/uBlock-issues

Description Admittedly, I am a bit late at this. See: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/Background_scripts#convert_to_non-persistent https://discourse.mozilla.o...

github.com

 

[mlnevese]

The average internet user probably doesn't even know Firefox exists.

 

[SpiderWeb]

Personally think Firefox will do just fine. Remember when Internet Explorer was the infallible king of browsers? I never thought it would be up-ended by Firefox and Chrome back in the late 00s the way it did. All it takes is one big misstep and people start migrating. The biggest competitor of Chromium is Safari/WebKit anyway. People spend way more time browsing on their phones than on their desktops now.

Back to Internet Explorer, it took a long time for people coming from IE get used to Chrome/Firefox but they eventually did. Once people get tired of Google's games they will make the move to something better.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

People spend way more time browsing on their phones than on their desktops now.

Nope. I only browse on my phone if it's absolutely necessary, I find many sites are garbage on a phone.

 

[Captain Holly]

Once people get tired of Google's games they will make the move to something better.

Agreed. I got tired of Google's games long ago. I am also tired of MS games too. I switched to Linux Mint on my daily driver laptop full time. FF is my default browser with the Linux version of Chromium as a backup. So far I have had no problems with either one. In Linux FF seems to be updated more often than Chromium. I will keep on using FF until/if/when there is a bad problem with it.

C.H.

 

[SpiderWeb]

Nope. I only browse on my phone if it's absolutely necessary, I find many sites are garbage on a phone.

Ok people outside of MT. We are a different breed. Especially younger people probably don't even know that Firefox exists or that all the other browsers are just Chromium reskinned.

 

[MuzzMelbourne]

I switched to Linux Mint on my daily driver laptop full time... In Linux FF seems to be updated more often than Chromium. I will keep on using FF until/if/when there is a bad problem with it...

Ditto...

 

[ErzCrz]

I like Firefox a lot though making it default with such integration between Microsoft and Edge used to be harder. You can log into your Microsoft Account in Firefox these days and while it's slightly heavier on my system it's a lot less intrusive. I use Thunderbird so using Firefox along side it makes sense. Sure, there were several subscriber emails for donations this month and I might do a one off at some point, it's still far less than the hassle and ads I would get from Microsoft, case in point the new Windows Outlook replacement for Mail which has ads in it.

Anyway, yes, rising already and never really ever got to ashes