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Ask HN: Would you pay a monthly subscription for Firefox?

3 points by alfiedotwtf ↗ HN
Now that we know that Firefox is in danger (and by extension the open web), we as a community must now vote with our wallets - let Firefox fend for themselves and be overtaken by a monoculture, or support Mozilla financially ourselves.

I ask that Mozilla think about having the option for a monthly subscription model. No extra features for paying (e.g $5/month for Firefox), but at least as paying users we will know that it's helping to support the open web and the survival of Mozilla as a whole.

Would you become a monthly subscriber if you had the option?

13 comments

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cable2600
Not while I can use Chrome for free. Mozilla cut their own rope when they got rid of Brandon Eich and caved into SJWs, and they conservatives boycotted No-Zilla.

For $5/month I'd better get features that the free people don't get.

alfiedotwtf
With that attitude, we're going to see the open web turn into Google AMP in no time.
onyva
People like me would have not supported Mozilla if Eich was still there.
caryd
No. There's nothing special about Mozilla. There are a thousand browser options. You are very mistaken if you think chrome is the only option.
alfiedotwtf
Name all the browsers that don't use Chromium's Blink as it's render engine
onyva
Which thousands? And which other organizationS support the open web and are trustworthy?
senojretep356
Why not just subscribe to pocket VPN or one of their other services. It does seem to be mismanagement when you can't make $430m in revenue into a profitable company.
ggm
We don't "know" this. We know they renewed the $400m US contract with Google. and we know they laid of 250 people but the two do not become "join the dots" to a risk issue for firefox.

We're told there is a pivot. We have not been told FF is being thrown under a bus.

cycomanic
I am be happy to support Mozilla financially and make the less dependent on Google. However, I believe charging for Firefox would be incredibly counterproductive, because it would very quickly reduce Firefox market share making them less relevant. I think the route of using value add like the VPN service (still waiting for Europe! ) is the correct approach.
marichards
I would not.

Firefox still invades the privacy of most users. 1. Install Firefox 2. Type privacy in the search bar 3. Google is now tracking you

It embraces dark patterns that invade privacy, whilst criticising other companies for their devices that invade privacy.

Mozilla need to understand how they are part of the problem before I'd start paying for them. As a privacy campaigner, should I pay for a product that invades it by default? It's hard to... I use them because they're the lesser evil.