And really most of the effort is going to be in the beginning, once you’ve figured out what your new preferred brands are, it starts getting easier.
This is an EXCELLENT point, and I really want to emphasize it as much as possible. We're changing our habits at the moment, and that's hard as hell to do. Once we've changed them, then maintenance and tweaks are trivial in comparison.
I know that software is a very different industry, but Mountain Equipment Co-Op went through this in Canada. The end result is that the new Mountain Equipment Company is a for-profit, US-owned reseller of overseas crap, just like everyone else.
The problem I see is that browsers are still evolving significantly, and I'm worried about what will happen if Mozilla goes T-U. Sure we have the code, but will it continue to be developed after that point?
Having seen this FAR too often, I have a different view:
Capitalism and greed will determine when they go further.
There is no "if" about it. Mitchell Baker is in it to get rich by destroying the platform, and is sharing enough of the corpse's leavings with others to make sure they protect her.
I've had this wallet for 25 years. Should I throw it away because leather is evil?
Also, the point of this post was to get people to make informed judgements for themselves, not to come in and shit all over people for their decisions not meeting your approval.
Oh, they are. On my only remaining corporate social media feed (Facebook, because that's where my mom sees my stuff), I'm constantly getting bombarded with Superstore ads, where some manager is talking about a great Canadian brand they carry.
Perfect example of what I'm talking about. Sometimes the best solution involves buying from an American company. Hopefully not often, but reality is complicated.
There are a few tanneries left, although not many. It's a messy, toxic process that is often performed in countries with laxer environmental standards.
But your point is well taken. If a garment maker has to bring in leather (or another material), I'd like to know if it's from China, USA, India, or the UK before making my decision.
I feel like I didn't make my point as clearly as I hoped.
It's absolutely not all or nothing, and it's not "oh this product is only 93% acceptable so screw it." I just want people to look beyond a big fat maple leaf on the grocery store shelf and make some personal value decisions on what matters to them more.
My reasoning for buying product x might be different than your reasoning for buying product y, but I hope that we both put some thought into making the best decision for ourselves.
Absolutely. I just wanted to bring some additional awareness to what makes something "the most Canadian" (or alternatively "the least US"); and that it may be (a) more complex than a 'yes/no' checkmark, and (b) possibly different from person to person.
Would it help, Canadians, if an American said he was embarrassed for America right now?
Nope.
Would it count for anything if I pointed out that we were as blindsided as you by Donald Trump’s suggestion of annexing your country, and making it the 51st state? That he didn’t bring up his weird Canada animus until after he’d won the election?
Absolutely not, because if you were blindsided by it, you weren't fucking paying attention!
There is only one thing that would help a little bit: Fix your country. Round up the fascists and lock them away (or murder them, as the US likes doing to prisoners). Reinstate and enshrine protections for marginalized groups and minorities. Bring in universal healthcare. And find some way to make sure that this never happens again.
In short, bring your country into the 21st century.
It'll probably take you a generation to do it, and another generation before the rest of the world trusts you. So when my teenage son is retiring, the US might be invited - provisionally - back to the global table, and asked to behave like an adult.
Something else that needs to be understood about Mozilla: Money!
The Foundation was formed in 2003. Mitchell Baker, the first CEO, stepped aside in 2008 but stayed on as Chairperson of the foundation.
In 2018, she got nearly $2.5million in compensation as foundation chair.
In 2019 that rose to $3million
In 2020, she returned as CEO and received over $3million in salary.
In 2021 her salary was over $5.5million.
In 2022 it reached nearly $7million.
In 2023 it was $6million again.
Think about that for a second. Mozilla's market share has been struggling, and their financials have been weak; but their lead person pulled in over $26 million dollars over a handful of years.
This entire activity has been a long game to extract 'maximum shareholder value' into Baker's pockets.
I found it ironically frustrating that converting from Firefox to LibreWolf is harder than from literally any other browser, because there's no import mechanism.
It wouldn't be that hard to make a standalone tool to import bookmarks, passwords, and config settings, and would make LibreWolf a seamless transition for Firefox users. Instead, it's a frustrating process in re-creating years of tweaks.
A few years ago, I got my RPAL because I thought I was going to inherit my dad's rifles. (Turned out that he gave them to my uncle a decade before he died, but oh well.)
The process was fascinating, because it made me realize just how different the gun laws in Canada are, and how much responsibility is drilled in from the start. It also made me realize that a lot of the recent gun reform bills are unjustified bullshit.
Anyway, I have the paper and knowledge, but no guns. Don't particularly want them either, although it may become necessary very soon.
This is an EXCELLENT point, and I really want to emphasize it as much as possible. We're changing our habits at the moment, and that's hard as hell to do. Once we've changed them, then maintenance and tweaks are trivial in comparison.