Mozilla Plans to Drop Version Numbers from Firefox

This is WAY worse than their marketing scheme of quickly updating version numbers. I agree that they needed to move to a faster update schedule. But call it FF4.1 not FF5.

firefox has jumped the shark

Glad I don't use Firefox any more. They've lost the plot.

I can imagine their creative meetings:

Guy 1: "Let's rapidly update version numbers!"
Guy 2: "That may be hard to keep track of"
Guy 1: "Good point, we'll remove them all together"
Guy 2: "Then how are people going to know what version they are using?"
Guy 1: "We will name them after Animals!"
Guy 2: "Like Apple?"
Guy 1: "That's a fruit, dumbass!"
Guy 2: *facepalm*

Wow, Firefox just keeps screwing up. Hide the status bar, hide cache options, hide version numbers, what next - the address bar? Idiots.

Mozilla's really been screwin' the pooch as of late.

This is just as if not even more stupid than doing the Google Chrome thing adding a version number every 6 weeks. Goddamn, what the hell is wrong with you people? Who are you hiring as product manager because they need fired.

Am I the only person who thinks this makes sense?
If Firefox is going to have a fast release cycle, why keep incrementing the numbers everywhere. Why not just have the three versions like they do, and use the release date as a version number.

A big FU from a tech support guy... FU Firefox you just make ours life a lot more harder dumb ass!!!

I agree they should drop the version numbers if they plan on releasing a ton of updates, would you want a company like AVG to have a version number for each virus def update? same thing no? Maybe they should call it FF2011

Big deal. It makes sense for numerous releases. You can just go off of the date of the release anyways. Won't be any different.

They could just give a release date for certain features instead of a specific version. Of course, this will mean that they'd have to keep things running on schedule. But it could work!

Sigh. I'll give them one more "version" before it's time to dump them. If they don't bring er' down to a 50 meg foot print like I get with IE then so sad panda....

Firefox 3.6 is still running smooth for me.
As an added measure incase I never need to reinstall my OS, I'm keeping a backup of the v3.6 install file.

I got a feeling Mozila will eventualy remove it all together and force people into using their latest...if thats the case I guess Chrome or IE would be my new browser.

These days Firefox is harder to keep track of than a salmon in a river...

This is a brilliant idea. For people who update all the time and have the latest version of FF it make no difference if it is called 4.1, 5, 2012, XIX or whatever. All it matters is that you have FF and its latest version.

If removal of the version numbers help using extensions and no longer breaks compatibility, it a good idea. Otherwise, not.

Personally, I'm all for "Super Firefox Turbo"

I'm still perfectly happy with how Firefox behaves, the GUI changes (after I've tweaked them heavily), etc. What's most annoying is this insecure design to keep up with Chrome by using artificially large version number jumps, which would otherwise just be routine point releases, and now hiding them from the about dialogue is just asinine.

This reminds me of AMD when it was losing the battle with Intel over CPU speeds. So it decided to change its model numbers to not reflect at what speed they ran at. I think it was a desperate move for AMD to cover up its failings in developing its CPU's and I think Firefox is doing the same.

WTF!? I have been using Firefox for 3 years but I have been disappointed recently. Version number jump (they should use 4.0.5 for minimal update then 4.1, 4.2) and now, dropping them? I don't get it.

i couldnt agree more with this

You know there will be a version number somewhere in the code probably on the first line someone will write a routine to tell you that

This is so stupid.

I have an idea for them, make the version number after the compilation date (e.g. Firefox 11.08.16), tada! no more version worries.

I think it would be interesting.

Changelog would read:

2011-05-26
2011-06-18
2011-08-01
2011-10-07

etc.

And the Help -> About screen would tell you which update you have by date of release (2011-08-01).

if it ain't broke don't fix it. i guess they have nothing better to do.

I disagree with Mo. In the IT world version numbers are important. When you run into issues with versions its good to know what level you're at should you need to roll it back. Versions allow you to compare specific versions on more than one computer, for example, to see if same issue(s) exist on another computer with same 'version'. Also, I write queries for inventories and uninstall packages that are based on version numbers.

Just my 2cents.

Personally, I doubt that this will make a lot of difference. However, if they are smart, there will still be some means of identifying what "version" the currently installed software is.

I mean, think of it. They still need some means of versioning, otherwise, their own update program would never correctly identify whether or not an update is needed. Even a date / time stamp would work.

Yea, great idea, take away the one reason people ever look at the About screen. Better idea, rename About to Version, and leave it alone. You get to drop the About screen, and I get to keep my one click Version access.