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Ask HN: Why does Mozilla now allow to pay for Firefox?

4 points by rene_d ↗ HN
I am a happy Kagi user (10usd), I pay for ChatGPT (20usd) und would happily pay for Firefox which is my main browser.

Why does Mozilla not allow to pay for Firefox directly, and only offers supplemental paid products like Mozilla VPN?

I understand that most people would still use FF for free, but what economic reasoning is there to not even allow donations / supporter-tier subscriptions?

(In case there is such an option any pointers would be higly appreciated!)

7 comments

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[deleted]
(comment deleted)
uberman
I'm under the impression/belief that Google gives them a ton of cash to directly support firefox and that part of thier business is in a good financial position, while it is all the other initiatives that are under the other arm of thier business that desperately need financial support.
comprev
"Keep your friends close but your enemies closer"
sylware
Because google may stop financing them, and they will never be able to "keep up" since the technical abomination (the word is fair) which is the "javascript web" requires tons of resources. Financing firefox helps google as some sort of anti-trust regulation protection, I don't think the US administration has the intent to regulate Big Tech, a bit similar to the firearms industry. Maybe the US administration is actually totally unable to do it (EU is trying, but it is still _REALLY_ shy).

I recall some firefox dev about how google blink (and google online services) are going into the shaddy/ultra-complex parts of the "javascript web" to break firefox, namely making firefox an significantly less optimal javascripted browser for google services than google blink, or even their brother (apple is a vanguard/blackrock company too) engine, webkit (blink was forked from webkit).

The only way out is all critical(utility/etc in the US) online services which can reasonable be handled by noscript/basic (x)html standard, have to be (like they mostly were before...).

I personnaly do not like firefox neither since it is a c++ kludge abomination, to pathological level, and pulling a c++ compiler makes things even worse (rust syntax is toxicely complex like c++, then this is not a way out, may be worse). No, if you code c++, you are not smart, at best brain-washed , but surely toxic.

Am4TIfIsER0ppos
Because they want to embezzle the money for pet projects with goals like "We need more than deplatforming"
yamumsafknho
because they earn more from selling your privacy in bulk

and they dont have to deal with chargebacks or customer complaints

brilliant right

i know i know