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Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by jacquesm on Thursday October 07, 2021 @06:47AM (#28784599)
Exactly that. If they got rid of their hobbies then this sort of scam wouldn't be necessary. Yes, it's a scam: bait and switch.
Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by xfitm3 on Thursday October 07, 2021 @07:33AM (#28784915)
Remember Mozilla is ultimately a non profit and must spend a healthy percentage of their income every year. Mozilla is just representing the collective self interest of those it employs. People wanting to keep their cushy job.
Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by denton-scratch on Thursday October 07, 2021 @09:02AM (#28785661)
"Mozilla" isn't a non-profit. Mozilla, as such, isn't a thing.

Mozilla Corporation (which is where your donations go - you can't donate to Firefox as such) is a taxable, profit-making company.

Mozilla Foundation wholly owns Mozilla Corporation, and is a non-profit. But you can't donate to Mozilla Foundation.

(I don't know how you can be a non-profit that wholly owns a profit-making corporation; I'm not an accountant, and I'm not familiar with US tax law)

Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by jefftk on Thursday October 07, 2021 @09:40AM (#28786095)
Donations go to the Foundation, not the Corporation: https://donate.mozilla.org
Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by denton-scratch on Thursday October 07, 2021 @12:03PM (#28788117)
Thanks for correcting me. I'm sure you'll excuse my confusion.
Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by slothtrop on Thursday October 07, 2021 @09:28AM (#28785955)
Sounds almost farcical.
Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by denton-scratch on Thursday October 07, 2021 @12:16PM (#28788329)
Almost?

The history of Netscape and Mozilla is sufficiently farcical to fuel an entire 6-series comedy franchise. Were it not for the jaw-dropping salaries that the absurd execs draw, I'd laugh.

Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by 0des on Thursday October 07, 2021 @08:12AM (#28785212)
I prefer they'd spend it on their browser engineers and whichever arm legislatively opposes existing browser monopolies.
Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by protomyth on Thursday October 07, 2021 @08:47AM (#28785512)
Remember Mozilla is ultimately a non profit and must spend a healthy percentage of their income every year.

And Harvard has a multi-billion dollar endowment that they hoard. Mozilla is doing it wrong.

Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by throwaway2037 on Thursday October 07, 2021 @09:43AM (#28786135)
A quick Google search tells me the rule in the United States IRS is: <<Generally, a private foundation must meet or exceed an annual payout requirement of five percent of the average market value of its net investment assets to avoid paying taxes.>>

Harvard endowment is so huge for two reasons: (1) fundraising, (2) earning more than 5% per year for long, long, long time. But they still must spend 5% per year of their massive endowment.

Running a non-profit with only an endowment (no fund-raising) for more than 20 years with is hard to do.

Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by craftinator on Thursday October 07, 2021 @08:40AM (#28785458)
You'd think from the messaging that they don't have nearly the funding today that they had 5 years ago, when in reality their funding has grown by ~50% during that time...
Re:Mozilla to put ads in Firefox address bar suggestions by jamienicol on Thursday October 07, 2021 @12:17PM (#28788368)
Which "hobbies" do you think are unnecessary, and how much do you think they cost?