Mozilla flips the switch on Firefox browser ads

[Shawn Knight]

Mozilla’s controversial in-browser advertising scheme is going mainstream. After announcing its intentions in February and testing the receptivity of ads this past year, the Mozilla Foundation is bringing ads to the masses on both desktop and mobile.

The ads are showing up as thumbnails, or Tiles, whenever you open a new tab. These thumbnails have traditionally been reserved for frequently visited sites as quick shortcuts. That functionality will remain but now, paid advertisements are being thrown into the mix.

In a blog post on the matter, Mozilla VP of Content Services, Darren Herman, said the first advertising partners are CVS Health and their media agency Mindshare North America as well as online accommodation booking site booking.com.

It’s worth pointing out that while Mozilla does collect information as it relates to ad performance (think page impressions, clicks and ad placement), it’s done in “aggregate form” which means none of it is personally identifiable.

The good news here is that users can opt out of the advertising program if they so choose. To do so, simply open a new tab page, click the gear icon at the top right of the browser window and select either Classic or Blank (Enhanced is the version with ads).

As you can likely surmise, Blank mode will simply show a blank new tab while Classic will show site history thumbnails only.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/58836-mozilla-flips-switch-firefox-browser-ads.html

 

[RustyTech]

But ads mean they will now read your browsing history, correct? Hmmm

 

[oldikes]

Switched from firefox to chrome a few weeks ago because it supposedly used less resources. Was barely the case and chrome randomly started crashing whenever I opened a new tab. switched back to firefox. Now I want to switch away again. Why does every modern browser have big problems?

 

[wiyosaya]

Yes, of course, Mozilla joins the masses. I will either be shutting off the tab page entirely or using classic.

I've got a lot of complaints about their tab page. In the beginning, I thought it fairly useful in that it was a quick link to oft visited sites, but recently, unless I pin sites I often visit, the tab page will often show sites I have visited only once and could care less about visiting on a regular basis.

Another browser goes to the trash.

 

[Experimentongod]

I love that they call this travesty "Enhanced" nice touch!

 

[treeski]

Personally I think new tab pages are due for a major overhaul. Showing a list of recent/most used tabs is pointless. Give me a way to organize and see a global view of my favorite tabs... sort of like a Windows 8 start screen of favorite sites.

 

[pmcardle]

I.E. all the way...

 

[wiyosaya]

I love that they call this travesty "Enhanced" nice touch!

What would life be like without a marketing spin?

 

[EClyde]

I don't care

 

[AJones]

Switched from firefox to chrome a few weeks ago because it supposedly used less resources. Was barely the case and chrome randomly started crashing whenever I opened a new tab. switched back to firefox. Now I want to switch away again. Why does every modern browser have big problems?

Try Maxthon Browser. No ads, very fast and dependable.

 

[Axiarus]

Personally I think new tab pages are due for a major overhaul. Showing a list of recent/most used tabs is pointless. Give me a way to organize and see a global view of my favorite tabs... sort of like a Windows 8 start screen of favorite sites.

Personally I think addons are great. Just set your new tab page to Google or download Speed Dial.

 

[Guest]

Didn't affect me, my new tab page just loads StartPage. Isn't it mostly advanced users who use Firefox anyways? I mean Chrome stole market share by bundling itself with other programs... People who want control over their browser stayed with Firefox. Meh...

 

[captaincranky]

Switched from firefox to chrome a few weeks ago because it supposedly used less resources. Was barely the case and chrome randomly started crashing whenever I opened a new tab. switched back to firefox. Now I want to switch away again. Why does every modern browser have big problems?

Strangely, I think part of the problem is with Windows 7. At least when the computer in question is an IGP platform. FF, even the very latest versions, runs way better for me on an antiquated eMachines w/ P-4 / 915 graphics / 1.5 GB RAM / XP SP-2. I can literally a couple hundred tabs without a problem.

On a later machine, Pent Dual core E6300 G41, 2GB RAM, Windows 7, I get bizarre video crashes, (The screen goes black, and only clears back to the page after running the mouse over the blacked out sections). It always seem to suck and leak RAM, then the Plug-in container crashes.

The only reason I can't blame it directly on Win 7, is I have "Video Download Helper" installed. Not sure how much of the issue I can blame on that.

Didn't affect me, my new tab page just loads StartPage. Isn't it mostly advanced users who use Firefox anyways? I mean Chrome stole market share by bundling itself with other programs... People who want control over their browser stayed with Firefox. Meh...

Yep, Chrome became a "drive by download" a long time ago. They try to stuff it to you even with Adobe Flash updates.

I figure that experienced users will block the ads, and the rest of FF's user base, will wind up having higher credit card debt(*).

(*) Given the average American's almost complete lack of sales resistance.

 

[m4a4]

So much negativity for ads that generally won't be seen? Whatever. It's not like it's a paid browser...

 

[captaincranky]

So much negativity for ads that generally won't be seen? Whatever. It's not like it's a paid browser...

Well, when you come right down to it, if more people donated, it might not have come to this. So I guess it's fair to say, "you get what you don't choose to pay for".

 

[cliffordcooley]

Personally I think addons are great. Just set your new tab page to Google or download Speed Dial.

Yep, this is mine. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/fvd-speed-dial/

 

[captaincranky]

Actually, ad content and revenue should be good for Mozilla. Mozilla in the past has had to rely on Google for donations. Which has to be awkward, since Google has its own agenda in the way of a browser.

A strange love/hate relationship that surely has to be. Getting a big chunk of your operating revenue from a company that's trying to put you out of business. (Although that isn't a stated objective of Google, it's definitely lurking somewhere in their subtext).

But ads mean they will now read your browsing history, correct? Hmmm

@RustyTech I suspect this is going to depend on whether they honor the "privacy mode" with respect to their own ads. As it stands now, when you're browsing in the private mode, you don't generate a browsing history. The only thing in the browser's memory is the forward and back pages. You can recall a closed tab, but not a closed window.

 

[gbhall]

Personally I think addons are great. Just set your new tab page to Google or download Speed Dial.

Yep, this is mine. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/fvd-speed-dial/

Looked at this: I wont install it as it insists on having java and video addons as well, which I do not allow.

 

[Ron Johnson]

I love that they call this travesty "Enhanced" nice touch!

What would life be like without a marketing spin?

We'd all like to remember, anyways.... If we could

 

[TS-56336]

Well this is ugly, but since FF gives users a simple on/off button to disable the ads, at least for now it is a non-issue.

Of course, if they are anything like Google, once they hook you on something like this they will keep adding to it so ads become harder to avoid.

 

[Guest]

They don't necessarily have to read your browsing history. You were able to see ads through other websites before, without them seeing your history, right? They could just get the new ads from the same service. I'm not saying that's how they are doing it, but to me it just seems possible that once service can serve up relevant adds by using another service without necessarily seeing your history themselves.

 

[Guest]

But ads mean they will now read your browsing history, correct? Hmmm

They don't necessarily have to read your browsing history. You were able to see ads through other websites before, without them seeing your history, right? They could just get the new ads from the same service. I'm not saying that's how they are doing it, but to me it just seems possible that once service can serve up relevant adds by using another service without necessarily seeing your history themselves.

 

[Guest]

How to get that new browser ?

 

[Guest]

Try Opera.

 

[Kibaruk]

If they need my support I'm in!

Mozilla deserves love and I'm not backing away when they need it, which is probably the reason why they need to use adds to generate some revenue in order to support the huge campaign they've done.

Also:

It’s worth pointing out that while Mozilla does collect information as it relates to ad performance (think page impressions, clicks and ad placement), it’s done in “aggregate form” which means none of it is personally identifiable.