this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024

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The poll is over, and the result is clear: (berlin.social)

submitted 1 week ago by mina@berlin.social to c/firefox@lemmy.ml

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The poll is over, and the result is clear:

#FireFox users have very little interest for Chatbot integration into their browser.

I am very much aware that the people, who voted in this poll are hardly a representative sample, but more than 2.4K people is a better size than many "professional" opinion polls.

@mozilla & @firefox should take people, who actually care about their #browser choice, seriously.

I still seriously believe that #Mozilla's fate matters,

https://berlin.social/@mina/113102817500429735

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[–] superkret@feddit.org 166 points 1 week ago (3 children)

If I want to use a chatbot, I'll access a website that provides one.
My browser is supposed to be a program that lets me access the internet, and nothing else.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 51 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Or I'll have one installed as a separate app, which will have access to data on my system.

So either it's a separate app, or it's a website. I don't see a need for my browser to be that app.

[–] veroxii@aussie.zone 24 points 1 week ago

And if I really really really wanted one in my browser (which I don't but for the sake of argument) I'll look for an add-on.

Same reason I don't want my browser to filter or ban my content but I totally use unlock origin.

[–] cmgvd3lw@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 week ago

Couldn't be more accurate.

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[–] cmeio@lemmy.world 104 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Eventhough I am not pro chatbot, such a poll is unfortunately completely worthless. Only random samples (or at least representative ones) allow to say something about a group.

If we go into an AI fanboy forum and ask the same question, we may find 3000 people saying the exact opposite. It just means nothing whatsoever.

[–] xlash123@sh.itjust.works 34 points 1 week ago (2 children)

100%. I feel like the broad fediverse community is not a fan of generative AI

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[–] Vincent@feddit.nl 12 points 1 week ago

There's also the fact that it's a false dichotomy.

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[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 81 points 1 week ago (2 children)

We want lighter and faster browsers that load up less features, block all unnecessary data collection and spying and java scripts, consume less hardware resources, and don't choke and heat up 8-gb ram laptops just because I openned 1 tab.

I don't want Siri in my internet. I don't even like it when it automatically searches and returns suggetions for mere typing anything in address bar. If I wanted a chatbot, I know how to visit chatgpt or any site myself.

[–] KarnaSubarna@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 week ago

It's just an integration with LLM services and not AI baked-in the browser code. You can even self-host any such service (Ollama) and integrate Firefox with it. That will make sure your query is not leaving your network.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Just a minor nit pick but it's JavaScript, not Java Scripts (javascript and Java are massively different things).

Also blocking JavaScript on the web in 2024 is really not practical. Nothing will really work without it.

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[–] swag_money@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago (1 children)

aw man i missed the poll i would have voted "fuck no" to chatbot integration

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Would you rather have a AI or have your browser 2x slower?

That is the kind questions that were asked

[–] dessalines@lemmy.ml 22 points 1 week ago (2 children)

lol. I'd take a browser that's 10x slower as long as it has no AI or crypto.

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[–] Vincent@feddit.nl 10 points 1 week ago

No that was a different poll. This one asked "do you want 'enhanced privacy' or a chatbot in the sidebar" which, of course, is a false dichotomy.

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[–] el_abuelo@programming.dev 42 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Asking mastodon users whether they'd choose AI over Privacy is like asking Elon Musk if he'd rather end poverty or buy another mega yacht.

[–] JameUwU@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

As the "tech guy" who my family turns to for advice, I do not have a single family member other than my younger brother who has any interest in AI-assistance. My brother wants it to cheat in school.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 0 points 6 days ago

As the tech guy

My parents really like it - they like that they can say what they want to say and get it formatted for an email

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[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 38 points 1 week ago (1 children)

A representative 300 sample would give a more accurate result than a biased 2.4k sample. Bigger number doesn't mean better results.

That said, I'm not sure how to get representation from certain subgroups of the population, like the "never engages with polls" or "lies specifically to fuck with your data" subgroups.

[–] mina@berlin.social 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

@Buddahriffic

Yes, It was easier to do truly representative polls, when people loved answering questions and everybody had a landline.

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I remember a time when the phone or doorbell would ring and I would get excited to know who it was.

Now I seriously consider setting up a series of mirrors so that I can see who is at the door without giving up my ability to pretend like no one is home and my phone ringing causes an emotion somewhere between worry and rage.

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[–] EuCaue@lemmy.ml 35 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I mean, I don't have anything against the chatbot feature, but this is coming before the tab group functionality...

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[–] AntEater@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I wish Mozilla would just strip all the extraneous junk from Firefox aside from what is truly necessary for web browsing. No crypto, no Pocket, no chatbot integration, nothing AI related, etc. Any and all additional features should be implemented via optional plugins. They could rename the project something like Phoenix or Firebird or something like that.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 13 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I bet they wouldn't be so dependent on that google money if they stopped trying to chase every tech trend that pops up regardless of interest or popularity.

My perception of Firefox users is that most of us use Firefox for a reason, and thats usually some variation of moving away from big tech bullshit. I COULD be wrong but I certainly dont think so lol.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Where would the money come from then? donations? Or do you mean they should shrink, fire people and downscale.

I think it's too late for them to switch direction, not without a lot of people getting laid off. Though maybe that will ultimately happen if they finally end up bankrupt.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Or do you mean they should shrink, fire people, and downscale

I reckon I do. Google is like 80% of their funding or some shit, which hinders other search products while affecting user experience in other ways as well due to their influence. If they reined in the scope of their product, they could work on a lower budget which might allow them to work towards breaking free of that oversight. As I mentioned, I don't think most Firefox users want half this crap they're working on anyway, but they're caught in the tech "infinite growth" loop where they ""have"" to crank out bs features or else be considered irrelevant.

Just make a solid browser, work in solid mod support so I can make it my own, and maintain it. I have my own tools to use instead of pocket and whatever else, I don't need Mozilla to do that.

In terms of workers being let go, if they scale back they can at least let people go in a respectful manner instead of them just showing up to a sign on the door lol.

[–] Ferk@lemmy.ml 1 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

My worry is that the other 20% might actually come from other forms of partnerships and integrations not unlike what they probably had in mind with this, and that dropping Google might actually make them more dependent on seeking this kind of initiatives, not less.

I don't know how many people you actually need to maintain a browser. But if it's actually possible to do it without any kind of money from any of those sources in a way that can be sustained, then it would make more sense to make a fork (or alternative, like Ladybird) and just use that.

Like I said, I think it's too late for Mozilla to shift course, I don't expect they'll ever do that. At least not until they are forced by a competing project if it happens to become successful (or a similar huge wake up call that leaves them no alternative).

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[–] DudeImMacGyver@sh.itjust.works 24 points 1 week ago (1 children)

No shit

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 14 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Its shocking how out of touch they are

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[–] Zak@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago

computer scientists: we have invented a virtual dumbass who is constantly wrong

tech CEOs: let's add it to every product

Borrowed from here

[–] Lettuceeatlettuce@lemmy.ml 21 points 1 week ago (2 children)

why can't we just have a fast, reliable browser with a clean UI that is fairly customizable with really solid extension support?

Extensions/plugins were supposed to provide the framework if users wanted a bunch of bells and whistles.

and I refuse to believe that a company with the resources of Mozilla cannot do that.

Minecraft is basically that in game form. A powerful voxel engine that has a massive amount of support for mods and plugins.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Minetest is probably a better comparison

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[–] mina@berlin.social 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

as being a prominent and established way of accessing the internet without using a product owned by one of three three tech giants.

No niche browser can play the same role.

To me, hopping onto a running train doesn't seem to be the way to go when it comes to creating and keeping trust:

People, who think that cars are a terrible way of getting people around in cities, don't want another Tesla, they want a good bike.

Here we have a problem, common to many non-profits:

2/3

@mozilla @firefox

[–] mina@berlin.social 13 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Fake Professionalism!

I don't believe that CEOs, who demand a 7 digit salary, have the ability to understand the soul and heart of a collective of people (in the case of many #FOSS projects: some of the world's most skilled and talented programmers), who donate lots of their time and energy for a project they believe in, and hence lack the credibility and skills necessary for making them thrive in the long term.

Firefox's ever falling market share proves that.

3/3

#RFC

@mozilla @firefox

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Why not just PWA to side bar extension support? If users want that side bar to a chatbot. Boom easy. If they don't or any other option its there too.

If they really want to support local ai specifically focus on the web3 API stuff for it.

Just be a web browser dammit lol

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[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

OT but: How does this Mastodon/Lemmy integration even work? OP seems to be posting on Mastodon but we are commenting on Lemmy which makes everything look confusing.

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[–] imnotfromkaliningrad@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 week ago

please for the love of god almighty dont ad a chatbot or any other kind of gipity! even if one disregards all the concerns about privacy, software bloat and energy usage (climate change), one has to remember the purpose of firefox, or any other browser for that matter: loading websites. nothing more nothing less.

[–] something_random_tho@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 children)

I don't want an AI chatbot in the sidebar, but if it gives Mozilla a new, substantial source of revenue outside the Google search deal--and I can disable it--then I'm all for it.

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 1 week ago

I don't want an AI chatbot in the sidebar, but if it gives Mozilla a new, substantial source of revenue outside the Google search deal--and I can ~~disable it~~ enable it if I want to --then I'm all for it.

Ftfy

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[–] Eiri@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Okay someone has to say it.

The second F in Firefox is NOT capitalized.

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[–] tomtrottel@mastodontech.de 10 points 1 week ago

@mina @mozilla @firefox the absolut las thing I need in Firefox is a freaking Chatbot :) :) :) :)

[–] Uncle_Abbie 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I wish Mozilla would ask the end users what we want.

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[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Firefox user here: Fuck no I don't want a chatbot built into my browser.

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