General information

Long Live Firefox!

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Until I became a librarian, I never gave much thought to web browsers. In the past I used Safari when working on a Mac, Chrome on my Android tablet, and showed the typical disdain for Internet Explorer. If I ever used Firefox it was purely coincidental, but now it’s my first choice and here’s why.

This month Mozilla launched Firefox 34 and announced a deal to make Yahoo their default search engine. I wasn’t alone in wondering if that move would be bad for business (if you’re like me, you avoid Yahoo like the plague). Mozilla also raised some eyebrows by asking for donations on their home page this year.

I switched to Firefox a few months ago, prior to all the commotion, when I came across Mozilla’s X-Ray Goggles, an add-on that allows you to view how a webpage is constructed (the Denver Public Library has a great project tutorial using X-Ray Goggles that I highly recommend). I was pleasantly surprised to find a slew of other resources for teaching the web and after doing a little more digging, I was taken by Mozilla’s support of an open web and intrigued by their non-profit status.

At the library I frequently encounter patrons who have pledged their allegiance to Google or Apple or Microsoft and I’m the same way. I was excited to update to Lollipop on my tablet and I’m saving up for an iMac, but I cringe when I think about Google’s privacy policies or Apple’s sweatshops. Are these companies that I really want to support?

I was teaching an Android class the other day and a patron asked me which browser is the best. I told her that I use Firefox because I support Mozilla and what they stand for. She chuckled at my response. Maybe it’s silly to stand up for any corporation, but given the choice I want to support the one that does the most good (or the least evil).

Mozilla’s values and goals are very much in line with the modern library. If you’re on the fence about Firefox, take a look at their Privacy Policy, Add-Ons, and see how easy it is to switch your default search engine back to Google. You just might change your mind.