Microsoft + Mozilla = cooperation!

Gomer_X · Post by **Gomer_X** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:18 am

Here is a post from a Microsoft blog about the Microsoft guys meeting with some people from Mozilla to collaborate on an RSS icon for IE 7. They decided to use the RSS icon from Firefox!

I never thought I'd see the day that Microsoft would collaborate with an open source project rather than coming up with something of their own. We're living in strange times.

Judland · Post by **Judland** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:26 am

From the blog entry...

This isn’t the first time that we’ve worked with the Mozilla team to exchange ideas and encourage consistency between browsers, and we’re sure it won’t be the last.

My question is, what on Earth would Microsoft's team have to offer (in the way of ideas) that we'd want to have appearing in Mozilla or Firefox?

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:27 am

Judland wrote:My question is, what on Earth would Microsoft's team have to offer (in the way of ideas) that we'd want to have appearing in Mozilla or Firefox?

Security flaws and bugs maybe?

Judland · Post by **Judland** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:32 am

Yeah, good one!

And system monitoring tools so Microsoft can keep tabs on what their users are doing.... just like in IE.

I'm so glad I ain't one of their customers.

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 11:41 am

Judland wrote:Yeah, good one! And system monitoring tools so Microsoft can keep tabs on what their users are doing.... just like in IE.

I'm so glad I ain't one of their customers.

Yeah no kidding! I bet ya they're building DRM crab into the kernel of Vista, I know Apple is doing stuff like this, I'm not going to use proprietary operating systems in the future, you can't trust 'em these days!!

Gomer_X · Post by **Gomer_X** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:39 pm

Judland wrote:
This isn’t the first time that we’ve worked with the Mozilla team to exchange ideas and encourage consistency between browsers, and we’re sure it won’t be the last.
My question is, what on Earth would Microsoft's team have to offer (in the way of ideas) that we'd want to have appearing in Mozilla or Firefox?

I'd say just "encouraging consistency" is enough. A web browser interprets HTML and decides how to render it, and there's a lot that's ambiguous. Agreeing on how things are going to be done is better for everybody.

Microsoft doesn't have to cooperate. Maybe they're learning it's just easier to work with other people than to invest so much energy in promoting proprietary standards. IE 7 needs to be really good, and it's not going to happen without stealing from Firefox. They're too far behind to innovate at this point.

CptnObvious999 · Post by **CptnObvious999** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 12:59 pm

Gomer_X wrote:
Judland wrote:
This isn’t the first time that we’ve worked with the Mozilla team to exchange ideas and encourage consistency between browsers, and we’re sure it won’t be the last.
My question is, what on Earth would Microsoft's team have to offer (in the way of ideas) that we'd want to have appearing in Mozilla or Firefox?
I'd say just "encouraging consistency" is enough. A web browser interprets HTML and decides how to render it, and there's a lot that's ambiguous. Agreeing on how things are going to be done is better for everybody.

Microsoft doesn't have to cooperate. Maybe they're learning it's just easier to work with other people than to invest so much energy in promoting proprietary standards. IE 7 needs to be really good, and it's not going to happen without stealing from Firefox. They're too far behind to innovate at this point.

Too true. I doubt they'll start supporting web standards but its a start even if it is one little icon

Judland · Post by **Judland** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:29 pm

As long as Microsoft "adopts" our (as in the open source) way of doing things.... fine. It's Microsoft trying to force their way of doing business onto Mozilla is what I hope doesn't happen.

Although I don't use Mozilla or Firefox, I'd still hate to see the institution go downhill. As we're all well aware, everything that Microsoft touches turns to *hit.

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 2:31 pm

Judland wrote:Although I don't use Mozilla or Firefox

You're a Konqueror-guy I take it?

Judland · Post by **Judland** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:17 pm

Tsuroerusu wrote: You're a Konqueror-guy I take it?

All hail the mighty Konqueror!

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 4:43 pm

Judland wrote:All hail the mighty Konqueror!

Yeah no kidding, Konqueror is great!

Combine Konqueror with amaroK, digiKam and KPlayer and you've got an amazing killer combo!

Speaking of the next Apache, when you think about it, it might just be Konqueror!

Wally Balljacker · Post by **Wally Balljacker** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 6:03 pm

Tsuroerusu wrote:
Judland wrote:All hail the mighty Konqueror!
Yeah no kidding, Konqueror is great!

Combine Konqueror with amaroK, digiKam and KPlayer and you've got an amazing killer combo!

Speaking of the next Apache, when you think about it, it might just be Konqueror!

Eh, I don't get what all the hoopla is around Konqueror. Personally, I think it sucks as a web browser. Firefox, and the many Mozilla based browsers have far better web site compatibility, and Gecko pretty much kills KHTML. Not to mention the insane amount of extensions for Firefox. Sure, Konq is a nice file manager, but it doesn't do anything Nautilus doesn't do better.

Tsuroerusu · Post by **Tsuroerusu** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:15 pm

Wally Balljacker wrote:Eh, I don't get what all the hoopla is around Konqueror. Personally, I think it sucks as a web browser. Firefox, and the many Mozilla based browsers have far better web site compatibility, and Gecko pretty much kills KHTML. Not to mention the insane amount of extensions for Firefox. Sure, Konq is a nice file manager, but it doesn't do anything Nautilus doesn't do better.

I don't wanna get into this GNOME vs. KDE flame war, it's been going on for the last 8 years, no need to continue the darn thing.

Personally I like the start-up speed of Konqueror as a web browser, and it just seems snappier than Firefox to me, that's why I use it 50/50 with Firefox, which I also really like but I'm not particular excited about the GNOME file dialogs in 1.5.

Personally, I really dislike Nautilus, I just can't stand that one, it fires up in the background whenever I use Totem, it's APITA to edit file associations.... I can go on.

Judland · Post by **Judland** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 8:59 pm

Wally Balljacker wrote:Personally, I think it sucks as a web browser. Firefox, and the many Mozilla based browsers have far better web site compatibility, and Gecko pretty much kills KHTML. Not to mention the insane amount of extensions for Firefox. Sure, Konq is a nice file manager, but it doesn't do anything Nautilus doesn't do better.

And thankfully, as a Linux user, you have a choice. To each his own.

I've tried Gnome and all the mish-mash of apps. that make up the bulk of the Gnome "suite" and they're not for me.

Just a personal choice, which is what Linux is all about.