In fairness though, that first behaviour you've described sounds like a straight-up bug. I very much doubt that anybody at Firefox HQ intends this to be the case.

I get that bugs can be annoying, but "my browser has an annoying bug" is a million miles away from "my browser monitors when I search for competitor's software and warns me that I shouldn't use it".

Sounds like this is unique to you and your system? I've been using Firefox for casual browsing for years and I experience none of these issues. As in I don't even know what you're referring to honestly because I've never seen such things in all these years of having it. Chrome is set as my default browser btw.

The only "pop-up" - if you can call it that - I ever get is the one telling me a new version of FF is available for download.

FWIW: I also have this bug on one of my installations.

You’re more annoyed by ff than Edge embedding a buy now pay later feature?

I use Edge and although I have heard of the feature it has never been presented to me. Firefox on the other hand prompts me for unwanted Mozilla offerings and puts Disney ads in the browser.

Different smells, same fecal matter

The year is 2022 and everything is now equal. The human race has decided to never use nuance again.

Worlds biggest corporations trying to stop you from installing a free community built browser is the same as it asking you nicely once to become the default

Chrome isn’t hawking a news platform on the new tab page with sponsored links, pushing you towards a co-branded VPN, or showing ads for random media properties.

Good lord Firefox has fallen from grace in search of revenue. I still use it as my daily driver but they’re killing the golden calf in an attempt to save it.

What do you suggest they do in search of revenue? Are you donating to FF?

Yes. But I’m not delusional that my contribution matters.

They should search for revenue like all community projects. Get companies that have a stake in FF existing because they distribute it — Canonical, Red Hat, AWS, Oracle to put up cash and pay developers to work on it.

The only FOSS models that have a track record of success are:

* Run ads which is really shady.

* Be a true community project and be developed by the people who use it.

* Be open core and sell proprietary features.

* Sell consulting and documentation.

Firefox of all things, isn't a "free community built browser". That's just so out of touch.

And they have been acting very scummy for at least a decade, at least.

And there we go on talking about nuance...

Not even in the same ballpark, sorry.

Why? They’re both nagware using the same patterns to get users to make them the default browser. The only difference is that MS can put the notifications in the OS and Google can put the notifications on Search.

Same game, Firefox is just in the minor leagues because they don’t have valuable digital real estate in addition to the browser.

Yeah. I love Firefox but I wish they'd stop trying to make me use Pocket or their VPN.

Or putting "suggested links" on my new tab page, and adding news. I really don't care what kim kardashian had for dinner.

Sure, it can be turned off but it seems like every few weeks I have to go hunting around to turn some new spammy shit off. And even though I sync my settings through firefox sync, these adware 'features' don't seem to sync their settings when I turn them off.

Yup. Sometimes it looks like they are trying to intentionally sabotage an otherwise great product. The regressions in UX are infuriating.

Still, it is the only non-WebKit option out there, so there's that. And they at least claim to care abour user's privacy.

I've got a theory google owns pocket and just does it to make us look stupid for using Firefox with some random trash bolted on. Also remember Firefox hello or whatever messenger was once bolted on?

Mozilla acquired pocket in 2017. Probably one of the reasons they push it heavily.

https://blog.mozilla.org/en/mozilla/news/mozilla-acquires-po...

Ah OK, Mozilla owns pocket essentially.

Ffs I meant to say google