New Firefox 3.6 themes: completely pointless?
I am a long-time user of Firefox, and generally think it to be a good browser. I’ve toyed with Google Chrome, but generally find myself coming back to Firefox.
As such, I recently updated my version of Firefox to 3.6. Having successfully upgraded, I am taken to this page:
Click to enlarge
(http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.6/whatsnew/)
How pretty! It proudly tells me:
Thanks for supporting Mozilla’s mission of encouraging openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web!
It’s here that I start to have issues (other than the ones you are abundantly aware of).
Issue 1:
How exactly have I “supported Mozilla’s mission of encouraging openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web!”? Because I’ve updated my browser? Feels like Mozilla are disappearing up their own sockets.
Issue 1a:
In addition to the above, if you click the link for ‘Mozilla’s mission’, you’re taken to a page that explains who they are and what they do. Point #2 on that page says:
We’re a public benefit organization
dedicated not to making money but to improving the way people everywhere experience the Internet.
Um: so what about all that kick-back revenue Mozilla get from Google by having them as the default search engine for Firefox? 
Issue 3:
From a web usability angle, this is the bigger one. On this ‘update’ page, the user is informed they can choose from over 35,000 themes for Firefox. At first, you think “That’s awesome!”
And then you mouseover some of these themes to try them out – only to realise that, for anyone other than a basic user with no bookmarks on their toolbar, or any toolbar extensions – the majority are unusable. Check out the screenshot below of how one of these themes looks on my version of Firefox with various extensions:
Click to enlarge
How is that any use to anyone?!
Rant over.
George
George Rosier runs this blog. It's somewhere he can vent his spleen about web design, usability, SEO, and other such nonsense that will no doubt mean nothing in 5 years' time.
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Issue 1: Usual marketing hyperbole, is there an organisation that doesn’t have a statement like this? Maybe something more honest would be better: “Thanks for making Mozilla Firefox #2″
Issue 1a: To be fair, you can’t write a web-browser without a diamond-encrusted keyboard.
Issue 2:
Issue 3: I agree completely. I tried the personas add-on a while back and when through the same steps… wow, how cool… then oh… it’s really annoying to use almost any of these, and I can’t find one I really like that doesn’t distract from the pages.. and urgh… uninstall.
All valid points – especially the diamond-encrusted keyboard. I can’t get out of bed in the mornings for less…
I couldn’t agree more … Life is only worth living for these minor details, but, as you say, these themes are utterly pointless, and, if anything, reduce the experience in their current state.