I worry that this is yet another reduction in degrees of user's freedom to tweak, tune and adjust FF. Back when FF killed all XUL extensions, it lost one of its most uniquely valuable propositions. Yes, the change was required to make the browser more secure but at the time we were assured that new APIs supporting the lost functionality would come. It's been nearly three years since the change was announced and the functionality of several of the most popular extensions (like Tab Mix Plus) are still impossible to implement in Firefox.<p>I strongly support the mission of the open web but as a heavy FF user I'm not happy with the prevailing attitude at Mozilla that seems either against user customization.
> <i>My main assumption is that 3% of users shouldn't want/need this thing, and 97% of users shouldn't be paying startup costs for it.</i><p>Removing user freedom because "users shouldn't want/need this thing" seems like a Google move.
The biggest problem with user.js is the documentation, or rather lack thereof. Instead, mozilla should provide full documentation on how this file works and mainly which fuctions are available (FULL LIST) and what they do. In general, the config in firefox is a hot mess and user.js is not the problem.
There are already third party utilities that inject dlls or monitor the mozilla windows to allow features lost when legacy extension support was removed.<p>I saw on ghacks the other day about ThunderBirdTray which is a 3rd party executable that watches Thunderbird to restore the functionality lost when MinimizeToTray stopped working.<p>Improved privacy, better download managment(DownloadThemAll what it used to be able to do), OS integration, ect have for the most part been eroded away.<p>Eventually things seem like they will escalate to the point you'll have to use CheatEngine, a suite of 3rd party programs running in the background, or special compiles of the browser made by 3rd parties like WaterFox or yourself to get chrome or firefox to do anything in addition to loading a webpage, and to stop it from doing a lot of unwanted things.
I understand the point of having the file every time I switch the FF version or the machine I'm running it in. It's portable and keeps me away from <i>having to get near</i> the teeth-grindingly awkward 'about:config' interface.<p>"checking for this file needlessly causes additional IO early on startup" is probably the lamest reason to get rid of it.
I am using ghacks user.js[1], which makes fingerprinting harder and improves my privacy online. Removing user.js would mean less privacy for me.<p>[1]: <a href="https://github.com/ghacksuserjs/ghacks-user.js" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/ghacksuserjs/ghacks-user.js</a>
I doubt that it's 3% of users, I have user.js and also disabled telemetry. I would suspect there is not small amount of people who have both user.js and telemetry disabled same as me...
I'm never sure what base Firefox is targeting. Sometimes with changes like these it seems like the casual user base but then you look at the changes they advertise (e.g. built in privacy) it's not stuff casual users care about. In the end the statistics show it's not attracting either side.<p>It's gotten to the point non-Google Chromium based browsers have higher usage share than Firefox. It makes me wonder how much longer Google will keep shoveling cash over to Mozilla as the numbers drop.
The way I configure Firefox is, I have two files in Firefox's installation directory: (1) /pref/local-settings.js, which tells Firefox to load (2) /firefox.cfg, where all my actual settings are.<p>Is this what they're thinking of removing, or something else? I'll be pretty pissed off if they remove that. It's the only way I was able to switch the Firefox—the browser has far too much cruft by default, I need a very easy way to take it all out on any new machine.
Just saying the following...<p>Only someone who is either in support for Mozilla's constant moves AGAINST power-users and in benefit ONLY for Chrome/simple-users and diversity/intelligent-features-hating-leftists - or falling for Mozilla using their usual trendy buzz-words like speed... or security... can still put a bit value into that team of losers over there at Moz-HQ!<p>Mozilla... fully living anti-feature fascism since 2013!<p>-----------------------------<p>Why has Mozilla-new and their new user group of “progressive/leftists” a general problem with browsers like Vivaldi/Brave/Waterfox/Seamonkey or Pale Moon and customization and choice in general? No matter how hard people try to ignore that very simple issue and constantly are in denial it has anything to do with politics… it is in direct correlation towards the change of the mentality of what is considered “politically correct” today! First the public shared oversimplfied reasoning… Mozilla-new removed most power user features (and they will also remove userchrome.css in the future) to be attractive to Chrome users, to make Chrome users switch away from Googles product. The point is that Chrome users or general simple users do not accept and like “bloat” – so it was decided that all the “conservative features” had to go to enable Firefox more compatible with their needs.<p>-----------------------------<p>Now here is where politics are kicking in, and things get a LOT MORE messier… Mozilla-new has turned into a fully customization/choice and politically-moderates and conservatives hating “heavily left leaning developer” – as that would (at least also theoretically) appeal to the majority of Google Chrome users or general people with the same opinion – which have because of their ideology and believe much less tolerance and understanding for everything which provides choice/which is more conservative aligned. Mozilla-new has fully turned into a company which just betrayed their own creation and origin user-base as it was not compatible with “leftist/progressive visions/ideas” and their world-view! But there is a major problem with Mozillas way of thinking… No matter how much they try to appeal to “leftist/progressive” simple/Chrome users with ongoing feature removals and morality adjustments – The majority of this user base will stay loyal to Google and Chrome – no matter how much Mozilla tries to persuade that kind of users to use Firefox instead. Mozilla-new will only be seen as an imitation facility who additionally got greedy and jealous – who tried to adopt Chromes simple add-on system, it’s development mentality and political mentality for the sake of broadening Mozillas shrinking user-base!<p>-----------------------------<p>Mozilla-new is humiliating everything which is true and honest FOSS with their actions. Real Open-Source developers have standards, morals, loyalty… all that what Mozilla-new is missing. They abuse the legacy of a real unique and once amazing past – which just was discarded for being “non-inclusive and non-liberal”<p>-----------------------------<p>What they forget is that a honest and real liberal and inclusive concept would mean also to keep features of users who have a different opinion, mentality and especially skill level! As i see it this is a common problem with this new kind of “leftist/progressive” opinion of so many developers and it’s management today – which also affects the users they gain – they make use of concepts they do not at all understand and honor. While the users of such groups are wildly attacking people and organizations who go a different way – and not wanting to become simple and minimalist just for the majorities sake. If something is swimming into another direction it is seen as threat and danger seen as mortal enemy to the today established system what is seen as “the only correct and acceptable one” – this has direct influence on the vision how a product is developed!<p>-----------------------------<p>Nobody with a sane mind would want to support radical right-wing visions – but the issue is that today everything is getting attacked and in conclusion removed just because there is the chance that it could point to a very small degree towards a moderate middle-ground or even moderate conservative ground – all what is moving away from your typical “leftist/progressive” concept. Mozilla is supporting an excluding concept – which may be nicely wrapped as “inclusive and socially correct” but in reality fully excluding a minority who also has rights – the group of users who are sitting in the already mentioned middle-ground/moderate-conservative-ground and do not like that everything gets intentionally dumbed-down or removed to put everything out of the way for a less tolerating/accepting and rather aggressive/dismissive user group – which Mozilla wants on board.<p>-----------------------------<p>And that is in the end the ultimate reason why people and software which are sticking out from the crowd do get so much despised and demonized – or even receiving threats (Classic add-on archive) or getting in an active way monitored and even the smallest mistake is recorded and used in time to blacklist the projects or people which refuse to play the established and discriminating game of today.