Mozilla agrees with me and announces a new approach

Mozilla agrees with me


A little over a month ago I wrote in Linux Adictos un artículo llamado Mozilla keeps getting it wrong. We need a better browser, not political correctness. In the same I complained that the Foundation devoted its resources to political activism instead of making a better browser.

Of course I'm sure I had nothing to do with the decision, but, the Mozilla Foundation appears to have reached a similar conclusion.

En an entry from his blog titled Change the world, change Mozilla, Mitchell Barker, the president of the Mozilla Foundation wrote:

This is a time of change for the Internet and for Mozilla. From fighting a deadly virus and fighting systemic racism to protecting individual privacy - one thing is clear: an open and accessible internet is essential to the fight ...

… As of late, it has become clear that Mozilla is not properly structured to create these new things - and to build the best Internet that we all deserve.

Today we announce a major restructuring of Mozilla Corporation. This will strengthen our ability to build and invest in products and services. that will give people alternatives to conventional Big Tech. Sadly, the changes too they include a significant reduction in our workforce by approximately 250 people. These are individuals of an exceptional professional caliber and staff who have made outstanding contributions to who we are today.

As I shared in the internal message sent to our employees today, our 2020 pre-COVID meeting plan already included many changes: building a better Internet by creating new kinds of value in Firefox; invest in innovation and create new products; and adjusting our finances to ensure long-term stability. The economic conditions resulting from the global pandemic have had a significant impact on our income.

Mozilla agrees with me. These are the internal and external changes

Mitchell Barker describes what the changes will be:

So from now on we will be smaller. We will also organize ourselves very differently, acting faster and more agile. We will experience more. We will adapt more quickly. We will partner with allies outside of our organization more often and more effectively. We will meet people where they are. We will be great at expressing and building our core values ​​in products and programs that speak to today's issues. We will unite and build with all those who seek openness, decency, empowerment and the common good in life online.

Efforts will focus on the following areas:

  • New Product Focus: Mozilla must be a multi-product Internet organization. It should be focused on solving problems, building new products, and engaging with users.
  • New Mindset: It will shift from a defense and protection mindset, to one that is proactive, curious, and engaged with users.
  • New focus on technology: The Foundation will seek to provide leadership, test products, and attract business to areas other than traditional web technology.
  • New Community Focus: Mozilla will seek to expand its relationship with other communities to contribute to a better Internet.
  • New focus on economics. A range of different business opportunities will be explored to ensure project financing without sacrificing values.

Beyond the activism and political correctness-inspired verbiage in which Mrs. Mitchell Barker wraps the ad, the truth is that the Mozilla Foundation finally seems to have understood how the real world works Or not?

Steve Klabnik, author of books on programming, contributor to several open source projects, and former Mozilla employee, comment on his Twitter account talking about the post:

I notice that none of these points involve "reducing executive compensation", I wonder if something is going to change there or if it will still be the bottoms who get the brunt of this.

Klabnik quotes a thread from another programmer that put together a chart comparing executive compensation (Up) and navigator market share (Down).
The comment that someone makes in the same thread is very interesting. Because I asked myself the same question:

Why was Mozilla hit hard by Covid while most other tech players benefited?


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  1.   luix said

    The restructuring is very good, the pandemic is just an excuse, instead of saying: we were not doing the best we could.