I’ve been working most of today on a couple of Mozilla bug fixes. Although I’ve been keeping an eye on the project, doing bug triage, and writing testcases for years, this was interestingly the first real code I’ve worked on for Mozilla. I even got permission from management at my employer to do coding work. I’ve been using LXR, bugzilla, and the mozilla.org website off and on all day. After a break for supper and to help get the kids in bed, I come back to resume work and am stunned to find that the world changed while I was away.
The revised mozilla.org website looks shiny, but it will take me some time to adjust. I thought I’d mistyped something for a second.
So what changed?
- Mozilla.org announces the formation of the Mozilla Foundation, a new non-profit organization to manage the code and coordinate development. AOL pledges $2 million in cash over the next two years, as well as equipment, domain names, and trademarks to help launch the organization.
- Mitch Kapor is the new chairman of the Mozilla Foundation.
- Netscape employees are laid off.
- Netscape.com rebrands as Netscape Network. The Download Netscape link is buried as “Browser Central”.
I’d been thinking that all the rumors floating around for weeks about Netscape 7.1 being the last Netscape browser ever were just confused by the new Mozilla roadmap where future development was switching to the Mozilla Firebird browser. Apparently they weren’t so inaccurate. I’ll miss Netscape, but I switched to Mozilla quite a while ago. Still, as I mentioned yesterday, Netscape 7.1 is a great browser and makes an excellent final release.
I think today’s developments will be a positive thing for Mozilla and the Web. Mozilla finally gets to determine its own fate. With deep appreciation, I wish the best to all the Netscape developers that have worked on this terrific browser. Thanks for your hard work!