Mozilla Plans to Drop Version Numbers from Firefox

By Douglas Perry
published

Perhaps it is just me, but does Mozilla have odd ideas these days?

The latest twist from the Firefox maker: hide the version numbers of the browser.

Product manager Asa Dotzler argues that there is no need for a version number anymore. What counts is the fact that a user knows when the browser checked for an update and that the browser is up to date. No need to confuse him with any additional information.

I can't say that I agree with Dotzler and would say that dropping the version number from the About window would confuse Firefox users, especially during a rapid release cycle. So, if you are waiting for a certain feature that is supposed to arrive in a certain version how would you know that your browser is already supporting it - since those automated updates don't always become available right away for everybody? Dotzler says you can simply consult the hidden about:support window, but I find this to be rather silly. Especially developers and IT manager need to know the version number and making it more difficult for them to find the version numbers is an unnecessary move.

There was no information which version of Firefox will be dropping the version number first.

Douglas Perry
Topics
Software
59 Comments Comment from the forums
  • soccerdocks
    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.
    Reply
  • firefox has jumped the shark
    Reply
  • Glad I don't use Firefox any more. They've lost the plot.
    Reply
  • _Cubase_
    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*
    Reply
  • killerclick
    Wow, Firefox just keeps screwing up. Hide the status bar, hide cache options, hide version numbers, what next - the address bar? Idiots.
    Reply
  • robertito
    Mozilla's really been screwin' the pooch as of late.
    Reply
  • bison88
    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.
    Reply
  • Vampyrbyte
    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.
    Reply
  • dogofwars
    A big FU from a tech support guy... FU Firefox you just make ours life a lot more harder dumb ass!!!
    Reply
  • TunaSoda
    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 ;)
    Reply