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StyxKee
join:2001-07-05
GTA, Canada

StyxKee

Member

[FireFox] Ads are coming to Firefox's Tab Page

Ads are coming to Firefox's New Tab page, browser maker Mozilla announced on Tuesday.

»news.cnet.com/8301-1001_ ··· ag=title

Previously, it was privacy reason to disable the Firefox New Tab page feature. Now, a new reason. I have not used the New Tab page, is it similar to the quick dialer in Opera?

Racerbob
Premium Member
join:2001-06-24
Webster, NY

Racerbob

Premium Member

Wonderful news. Hopefully there will be a way to turn them off ?

jap
Premium Member
join:2003-08-10
038xx

jap to StyxKee

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to StyxKee
Disheartening as it is, thanks for the heads-up.

Classic marketing droid bullshit spew:
Mozilla's general counsel and head of the business affairs group, said that the plan was consistent with Mozilla's core mission. "We wanted to get away from being this window into the web that doesn't bring value," to users
It's a browser, you twat! The value is exactly to be a "window to the web". My window, not what some corp pays you to tell me is my web.

God but I loath marketeers. It's a revenue stream for you, nothing more. Say that and I'll have a modicum of respect.

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX to StyxKee

Anon

to StyxKee
What I've done since they introduced the "New Tab":

in about:config, change the preference 'browser.newtab.url' to 'about:blank'
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to StyxKee

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to StyxKee
The "feature" is ONLY for NEW users ...at least for now.

In about:config also change to:

browser.newtabpage.enabled;false
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

That's also accomplished by clicking on the little square in the right corner of the new tab page as a toggle.

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX to Mele20

Anon

to Mele20
What's a "new" user, though? (other than one who simply hasn't learned yet how to modify preferences) I install Firefox "new" all the time (which each new release).

(I've never wanted to completely disable the New Tab. There are add-ons which use it to advantage. I just always want a [truly] blank page when I open a new tab.)
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to BlitzenZeus

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to BlitzenZeus
Yes, but it is not nearly as effective (or satisfying) as actually stomping on it in about:config.

If you plan to use new tab page sometimes then, yes your suggestion is best but if you hate the entire idea (even with ads out of the picture) then you should kill it completely in about:config.

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb to anonomeX

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to anonomeX
said by anonomeX :

What's a "new" user, though? (other than one who simply hasn't learned yet how to modify preferences) I install Firefox "new" all the time (which each new release).

(I've never wanted to completely disable the New Tab. There are add-ons which use it to advantage. I just always want a [truly] blank page when I open a new tab.)

I'm wondering the same thing. The article keeps mentioning these "New Users". I would assume that they are talking about people who have never used Firefox at all, and don't know all the configuration changes that one can make to it (like we all do on this site).

So, if you are in that group, and install Firefox clean, and open a new tab, what do you get? A blank page with maybe one web page on it (the first page you went to). Under this new setup with the ads, this user will see ads or links to sites that may interest them, to help show them what is out there on the web.

As long as the current options / configurations that we all use to modify the functionally of "New Tab" continue to work, then I don't see a problem with this modification.

However, if we can no longer go into about:config and modify things, and the only option is to use something like ABP to turn off the ads and have the "New Tab" be a blank page....then we have a problem.

--Brian
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to anonomeX

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to anonomeX
The Mozilla blog does not make clear what a "new" user is other than saying:

"Currently, if a new Firefox user opens a new tab, this is what they see:

blank_newtab

Their tiles – those nine rectangles that populate over time with the most frequent and recent websites they visit – are empty. The new tab page isn’t delivering any value for them.

Directory Tiles will instead suggest pre-packaged content for first-time users."

I simply use the internal updater to update and I am on the ESR channel so only one update per year (besides the security fixes). I have Fx so tweaked that it would be a big headache to do it any other way...even abandoning a possibly corrupted profile is a huge thing. But I do plan to install an Australis version separately from my Fx 24.3 ESR so doing that will make me a "new " user? I don't know. But I will install it offline so that I can kill crap like New Tab Page so I don't have endure it for even one second (I hate it more than anything Mozilla has ever done with Fx since Phoenix days...hated the same thing passionately when Opera did it before Mozilla did). It is totally worthless junk if you use a good tabbed browser extension and there are several excellent ones. I can't understand why Mozilla would think its users don't use tabbed browser extensions as that is the very heart of Fx and the reason for using it over SeaMonkey or other browsers. But brand new users wouldn't know about these extensions so the New Tab Page is aimed at them exclusively seems to me.

jmorlan
Hmm... That's funny.
MVM
join:2001-02-05
Pacifica, CA

jmorlan

MVM

It sounds like the promotional tiles will appear only for users with no browsing history and will be replaced gradually by commonly visited pages. Users with a browsing history who upgrade their version will see the same nine tiles they always did.

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX

Anon

Hmmm... I see the need for a new preference:
'browser.newtabpromos.enabled' --> changed to 'false' from the default 'true'


(maybe even a new add-on that replaces promos with a "This space for rent" sign?)

Ian1
Premium Member
join:2002-06-18
ON

Ian1 to jap

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to jap
said by jap:

God but I loath marketeers. It's a revenue stream for you, nothing more. Say that and I'll have a modicum of respect.

No kidding.

»adage.com/article/specia ··· /291641/

""Mozilla is moving from a dumb window to the internet to a smart agent on behalf of the user, putting the user first," Mr. Herman said."

Oh? More useless ads and clutter is putting "me" first? Why thanks! Do they really imagine there's a single person on the planet smart enough to use the Internet who would believe that crap?

IndianaGuy
@comcast.net

1 recommendation

IndianaGuy to StyxKee

Anon

to StyxKee
Kinda reminds me of phone telemarketers. (which we all hate)

Moz has gotten greedy and wants to make money, big money and they think they know how to do it.
Mele20
Premium Member
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI

Mele20 to Ian1

Premium Member

to Ian1
said by Ian1:

""Mozilla is moving from a dumb window to the internet to a smart agent on behalf of the user, putting the user first," Mr. Herman said."

Oh? More useless ads and clutter is putting "me" first? Why thanks! Do they really imagine there's a single person on the planet smart enough to use the Internet who would believe that crap?

Sadly, there are tons of Fx users who will think just that. Probably 90% of Fx users in the USA will think that. Much less in Europe.

David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David to StyxKee

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Ok I am going to be devil's advocate:

Maybe ads for more development revenue? considering the guy who made that "flappy bird" app supposedly was making 50k a day I can see the potential here for development money

therube
join:2004-11-11
Randallstown, MD

therube to StyxKee

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to StyxKee
Also mentioned in Security: Mozilla Will Serve Ads Within Tiles Of Its New Tab Pages.

howardfine
join:2002-08-09
Saint Louis, MO

howardfine to David

Member

to David
said by David:

Maybe ads for more development revenue?

Of course. Mozilla needs money like any organization and anything like this people should be grateful for. The new tab window is usually blank anyway so what's the harm? The browser is free and people are complaining? And it's only until it learns your browsing habits to put more useful stuff in there?! Jeez. How many of you live in that page anyway?

David
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
Granite City, IL

David

Premium Member

said by howardfine:

said by David:

Maybe ads for more development revenue?

Of course. Mozilla needs money like any organization and anything like this people should be grateful for. The new tab window is usually blank anyway so what's the harm? The browser is free and people are complaining? And it's only until it learns your browsing habits to put more useful stuff in there?! Jeez. How many of you live in that page anyway?

Anyone that has an iphone with free apps know about iAds already and look at the money apple brings in. I can see mozilla cashing in on it. So to end I am in agreement on you post.

anonomeX
@comcast.net

anonomeX to howardfine

Anon

to howardfine
said by howardfine:

How many of you live in that page anyway?

Do a search at AMO for "new tab"... nearly a thousand add-ons do something with New Tab, many of them adding to or changing the appearance (images, calendars, lists, etc.) for many users to "live there". Here's one: »addons.mozilla.org/en-US ··· /moment/

I don't think Mozilla's change will hamper any of these add-ons; I'm just remarking on the "living-there-ness" of the page.

Ian1
Premium Member
join:2002-06-18
ON

Ian1 to StyxKee

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I don't think people take issue with Mozilla needing a revenue stream.

The issue (to me) is with the asinine ways of describing the purpose of it. The purpose is the same as any internet advertising. It's annoying when companies describe advertising as being as some sort of benefit to the user. We know what it's for...

In any case, it's a non-issue to me unless they disable the ability get rid of it.

tonyram57
join:2001-11-08
Brooklyn, NY

tonyram57

Member

Wonder if the AdBlock extension which I won't use Firefox or Chrome without will block the ads. I hate ads with a passion so I hope it does.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

Oh the sense of entitlement. A website needs revenue... you want to block their ads, but view their content. The website isn't charging you, but you feel the sense of entitlement that you shouldn't see ads? If you didn't buy it then you are the product.

tonyram57
join:2001-11-08
Brooklyn, NY

2 recommendations

tonyram57

Member

Okay smart guy. I know they need revenue. I block them because they are annoying. They flash and popup in the middle of the screen. That is why I block them.

Wily_One
Premium Member
join:2002-11-24
San Jose, CA

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While I understand Mozilla's need for revenue, I think this will turn out to be a huge blunder on their part. All it will do is piss people off and drive them to Chrome.

I'll wait and see how bad it turns out to be before deciding if I continue using FF.

I also block ads, not only because they're annoying but because they can be malware vectors. Same reason I block scripts by default, and don't have Java.

Ian1
Premium Member
join:2002-06-18
ON

1 recommendation

Ian1 to StyxKee

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Topical news.

»www.theonion.com/article ··· n,35244/

chachazz
Premium Member
join:2003-12-14

chachazz

Premium Member

Mitchel Baker, Chair of the Mozilla Foundation:

Content, Ads, Caution

The gist of the Tiles idea is that we would include something like 9 Tiles on a page, and that 2 or 3 of them would be sponsored — aka “ads.” So to explicitly address the question of whether sponsored tiles (aka “ads”) could be included as part of a content offering, the answer is yes.

These sponsored results/ ads would not have tracking features.
chachazz

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*Feb. 13 update: More Details on Directory Tiles

Original blog entry: Publisher Transformation with Users at the Center

plencnerb
Premium Member
join:2000-09-25
53403-1242

plencnerb

Premium Member

I just tried to click on the link for the Feb 13th update, and I got this




Looks like there is an invalid security certificate for that page.

So, just wanted to point that out.

--Brian
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

It's fine in Firefox, and you appear to have something out of date in waterfox.