Ironman273 Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 75% of the people who download Firefox don't become active usersMozilla, the organisation behind the Firefox browser, is asking for help. It says: "we need to improve our ability to retain users". August 8, 2007 7:30 PM According to the Mozilla wiki: "In order for Firefox to reach our market share goals, we need to improve our ability to retain users. Currently, approximately 50% of the people who download Firefox actually try it and about 50% of those people continue to use it actively." Firefox's claims to success have been supported by clocking up the number of downloads, encouraged by payments from Google, but it turns out that 75% of the people making those downloads don't "continue to use it actively." Mozilla also has a 12-point plan to increase retention levels, though it's actually an 11-point plan with one item repeated. Well, I'm not convinced that 25% is such a bad figure. I remove at least 90% of the programs I download and try, often within seconds. Sturgeon's Law applies. But Mozilla does have a real problem, which is that the days of easy pickings are over. Microsoft's IE7 works well and so far hasn't had the sort of security problems that afflicted IE6. (In fact, Firefox suffered from more vulnerabilities than IE, in 2006, according to IBM.) It also has competition from Apple's Steve Jobs, who has publicly committed to wiping Firefox out. Whether he's just blowing smoke remains to be seen. Frankly, the 12-point plan doesn't seem to offer much of real value (ZDnet has made some comments on the ideas). Nor does spending big bundles of cash on TV advertising. If you have any other ideas, they need them over at the Mozilla wiki. Every Windows user has benefitted from Firefox -- even the ones who didn't download it -- because it forced Microsoft to get off its rear end, improve the product and compete for users. Netscape folded because its marketing strategy was a shambles, and because it couldn't keep up with Microsoft's product development. (Netscape abandoned v5 and gave the code away to Mozilla; Netscape 6 was rubbish.) Now Redmond is back on the road, it would be a terrible shame if Mozilla went the same way. Guys, you are not going to win by "1. Change the Firefox icon label to closer resemble action of getting to web". You need to build a better product and come up with a better marketing strategy. Preferably soon. Source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbo Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 Ok, this is going to be off topic, but I had to say that your signature made me laugh big time!! HAHAHA! It's ok, sorry, move along now :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcyoncmdr Posted August 10, 2007 Share Posted August 10, 2007 I believe it. I downloaded Firefox on all of my systems for an alternative to IE should a page not load in Opera correctly because it is developed for IE or FF only, not standards. Most of the people I know also have FF installed, but use IE mostly. Quite often it seems to have been a novelty that people tried but didn't take the time to customize, and they just went back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicholas-c Veteran Posted August 10, 2007 Veteran Share Posted August 10, 2007 most people are unable to change and adapt to things and new things (like the FF UI) scares them, 99% of people dont care about millisecond speed times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solardog Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Completely makes sense and I doubt it will ever get much better. The things that make Firefox so great are the extensions/customization and the vast majority of people will never use any of them. Think beyond your geek enclave to the wider world of average joes, almost none of them give a crap about Download Statusbar, NoScript, FlashGot, Greasemonkey, IE Tab..etc. We all know that these things are what make FireFox great, but most people have no idea and are not going to be willing to learn or care. As much as it sucks this is just how it is. Ultimately most people want their computer to be as complicated as their TV, anything beyond turning it on and watching it is too much. K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) is just the way it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trong Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 I quit Firefox pretty quickly. I started using it again last month after not using it for about a year and stopped using it within a week. I just didn't like it. BTW, TVs can be pretty complicated but no one even bothers looking at the settings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironman273 Posted August 11, 2007 Author Share Posted August 11, 2007 Firefox was the first browser that I used that actually had me stick with it. I had tried the other IE-type ones, Opera, Netscape, etc. but I liked using Firefox. When IE7 came out I actually stuck with it since it did what I needed out of a browser and didn't balloon the memory usage. I'm interested in seeing what Firefox 3 will have to offer, since 1 was such an improvement over IE6. Kind of off-topic, pages like this make me laugh and not come back to sites that use it: I was just looking for information on the OSx86 project when I got the error. I didn't need the information that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PermaSt0ne Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 i wouldn't doubt it since people don't like change; but i forced my friends to be active users with Firefox. i deleted all the shorcuts to IE and put a giant firefox icon on the desktop. i require it to be on their pc's if they ever want me to fix / customize there systems, so they just put up with it and don't complain. now most of them are in love with firefox because of the add-on and theme features Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argonite Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 (edited) I love Firefox and all, I have a smooth theme, compact design, and about 6 extensions, but this is true. IE is not going anywhere. I also personally don't take the approach of forcing someone to deal with Firefox by deleting their shortcuts and adding your own big one, even if it does convert them. I find that it comes out like saying "why do you have MS Office? Let me flood your computer with OpenOffice links whilst threatening no-service if you don't allow me to. I'm being a great friend aren't I?" Edited August 11, 2007 by billyea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKDarkJedi Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 I believe it. I downloaded Firefox on all of my systems for an alternative to IE should a page not load in Opera correctly because it is developed for IE or FF only, not standards. Most of the people I know also have FF installed, but use IE mostly. Quite often it seems to have been a novelty that people tried but didn't take the time to customize, and they just went back. I don't quite understand your statement. I thought Opera used a the same basic rendering engine (NCSA, I think) whereas as Gecko (the rendering engine for Firefox) is actually standards compliant. If a webpage is written to the w3 standards, it works in Firefox. There's no two ways about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halcyoncmdr Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 (edited) Opera uses the Presto engine, not Trident like IE or Gecko like FF. In actuality the standards compliance goes Trident < Gecko < Presto. Here is a list of a bunch od layout engines as well... As a side note, Presto is also used in the Wii browser, Adobe CS2 and CS3. If a webpage is written to the w3 standards, it works in Firefox. There's no two ways about it. Gecko is not 100% standards compliant, but it is A LOT more compliant than IE. Edited August 11, 2007 by halcyoncmdr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tym Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 I just think there is way to much hype to firefox. I don't use it. I use opera. I just think firefox oversold itself with the "most secure" browser claim. I have cleaned up a several computers with spyware and such, and Have had the same question asked severl times, But I use firefox, and a firewall, How did my computer get so bad ?? Security has nothing to do with the browser, or the firewall, Its knowledge and common sense. Screensavers from screensavers.com is a BAD!! thing. Not to change the subject but its the same thing with firewalls, To many average users believe there puter is bullet proof with a firewall. It simply dosen't work that way. Imho, firefox should of went with pitch "fastest browser". That is somewhat true. By default firefox is a pretty quick. It just takes plugins to really make it work well and that can be frustrating to find which ones to use, how to set them up, make sure they get along with each other well and not crash the browser. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin-uk Veteran Posted August 15, 2007 Veteran Share Posted August 15, 2007 Sounds about right :p Im one of those users, lol. Mostly because firefox takes forever to startup and takes up lots of memory, making it slugish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slow Posted August 15, 2007 Share Posted August 15, 2007 yep, i'm one of them, although i use it every now and again because of it's supposed better security. I do general browsing with IE because it loads faster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexcyn Posted August 15, 2007 Share Posted August 15, 2007 I know a few people that are like that. They will download and install it, but only use IE. I don't know, I just hate IE. Ever since I found out Firefox existed I've used it from then on. :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spenser.d Posted August 15, 2007 Share Posted August 15, 2007 Ya don't have to look far to see why. IE7 has all the features that the majority of the market uses. In all reality, most people could care less about themes or extensions or some of the other things it offers. I mean, what's the point of being a 'better' browser if all the things that purportedly make you better are things that most people never use. -Spenser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
npe Posted August 15, 2007 Share Posted August 15, 2007 I have Firefox installed but rarely use it because it takes too long to load. The only time I use it is when I need to use DownThemAll and open pages that are not compatible with IE7. I didn't know people still use toolbar (especially geeks)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwjw1 Posted August 15, 2007 Share Posted August 15, 2007 I.m not surprised...it was something free to download and check internet speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aahz Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 I've found that turning people on to Firefox simply must involve you importing their info and setting up some basic extensions for them. Without that Firefox is just a vanilla alternative to IE to most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePitt Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Im one of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glassed Silver Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 count me to those for obvious reasons... i dont want my browser to start up for ages and yes, i dont want it to look like its not written for my OS interface... and for some stuff how firefox does its jobs i just dont like... Glassed Silver:mac edit: / addition: that "no i dont love IE, you shouldnt either, i wont let you in" thingy is retarded childish arrogant crap... and mostly the noobs or loser use words like geek that often... "geeks" don't feel a need for compensation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bi0haZarD Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 I've switched..... from IE to Firefox and haven't looked back since..... and have converted about 60 people now.. all of whom still use Firefox. dunno what the rest of you are complaining about... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lighthalzen Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Ever since IE7 came out, I went back and use that. But when I am on my Macbook Pro, I use Firefox. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
:: Lyon :: Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 I use firefox just because of its lovely extensions.. if not, bye Firefox... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abc@home Posted August 16, 2007 Share Posted August 16, 2007 Download every version of FireBird/Firefox starting from 0.6, had been active user for around 2 or 3 months during 0.6 ~ 0.7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts