DiCarlo: Everybody hates Firefox updates

>What major UI changes have there been since Tabs on Top in Firefox 4?

Also FF4 IIRC: Status bar (sometimes abused by Javascript to show scrolling text) was replaced by a floating text widget, and is only shown when actually transferring data.

FF13: New Empty Tab (Ctrl-T) now shows locations - and screenshots - of previously visited pages.

To me, minor things. But what kinda sucks it that the difference between the default set of options and what I have grows everytime..

When I was reading your comment, I realized that the only reason that I'm aware that UI changes has been made is that I've had to help my family/friends to adapt (find out where the buttons went).

As I've been using vimperator/pentadactyl for about five years, the interface has been pretty much identical for me. Yet another reason to like vimperator, I guess.

For what it's worth, I turned off tabs on top instantly, and do on any of the 5 or so computers I use. It just doesn't make any sense to me that the tab would contain the url input.

Meanwhile, I also install status4evah on all of them as well, because I actually USE that, and always did since Netscape 1.1 or whatever.

I also install the firefox 2.x theme.

I'm basically trying to keep the ui frozen in time as long as possible until they make it impossible for me to keep the UI moderately consistent withg the rest of my platform, at which time hopefully some less hateful browser will exist.

My beta version has totally changed the way https is indicated.

People had to be taught to look out for the blue identity block when accessing our secure sites, they are now left high and dry. The message has gone straight from "don't look for a lock you can't trust it" to there being no blue at all just a pale grey lock. The new version does happen to be much much closer to what chrome does.

As the article makes clear, users are not happy to relearn such stuff. Why should they be?

My experience matches Jono's. Before the rapid releases, I can't remember a single piece of feedback from the people I switched to Firefox (going back years). In a little more than a year people have started being annoyed by updates and I hear complaints. I still use Firefox (and support Mozilla's mission), but I no longer recommend it to others; some of my reputation is on the line too.

Given a really transparent update system, a comprehensive extension API which guarantees add-on breakage would be rare, and a conservative approach to UI change[1], then rapid releases getting speed improvements and HTML features out to users would be welcome. Mozilla had none of these when they started (they're still still only part way there).

John

[1] Check out how slowly Chrome's interface evolves. It's remained very very similar to how it started out. In comparison Mozilla have made big changes (mostly towards Chrome's look and feel).

One that I remember; my wife was mad because the home button apparently had changed its position after an update, being as flexible as Firefox is she had managed to restore its desired location. I am not sure if Home button location is major, but sure irritates people.