How is firefox essential to the open web?

JoshTriplett 23 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

We've seen what happens when almost everyone uses one browser engine (Internet Explorer): that vendor gets undue influence over the direction of the web, and their proprietary extensions make it difficult for others to compete.

We would end up in the same place if everything is based on Blink/WebKit; arguably we're partway there already.

Hopefully Servo will provide a competitive browser engine and full browser in the future as well, with the bonus of being great for embedding. But it's not quite there yet. And other potential competitors have their own problems. Firefox is, for the moment, the most popular and only viable browser not based on Blink/WebKit.

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laristine 5 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

More competition is better than less.

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fancyfredbot 15 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Firefox provides one of two browser engines.

If there's only one browser engine the Web immediately closes up like a giant impenetrable clam. All of humanity will be left outside, doomed to scrape forlornly on the shell with our nails and dream of the pearls within.

	▲	Klonoar 12 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Blink and WebKit have diverged enough that there are minimum 3 engines now, not 2.

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pjmlp 24 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

If what is left are Chrome forks, the Web is gone, replaced by Chrome OS Platform.

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cgyvbunji 24 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

How is firefox not essential to the open web?