Firefox the god

This is a semi-literal translation of the original Dutch article. Therefore it may contain phrases that seem a bit unnatural to the English reader.

Is there any need at all for the advantages of the Internet browser Mozilla Firefox to be mentioned here? Just have Google search on those words, to find a big list of promotion websites on top. In addition, there are innumerable webmasters of small, personal sites and weblogs, that devote a page or banner to this uprising phenomenon. If you've really never heard of it before, you should take a look at those Google results. But know beforehand that it's all to be taken with a grain of salt! The praise of Firefox is overwhelming: how deeply buried into the results is the first source with a critical view?

Overwhelming is exactly the right word. The promotion of Firefox has become a true crusade, in the fashion of the Dark Ages. It's even covered in many newspapers and magazines that aren't specifically computer-related. That already can be called extraordinary, let alone that it occurs as often as with Firefox. Dutch fans call the application "mijn vuurvosje", which translates to "my little fiery fox". Have you heard anyone talk like that about Microsoft Office or "my little Internet Explorer"?

My little Internet explorer...

It's not just in the media that every criticism is bombarded with idealistic promotion. The true battlefield is the Internet itself: Firefox is praised all over. And while the newspapers and magazines are usually at least a little balanced in their statements, the opposite is true in the online war of Firefox. There are no disadvantages, so whoever doesn't acknowledge that it's the superior browser, is forced into a inquisition-like discussion. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that aims to be strictly neutral (NPOV), has articles about the criticisms of Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox. It seems to me (and others: notice the Talk pages) that the Firefox article is made nice and smooth, while the IE-criticisms are very severe. Because of all this there's a lot of pressure on the promotion of the browser. I think it also explains why Firefox gets so much publicity outside of the computer world: there's always some fanatic in the redaction, who can spread the word. And in doing so gets respect from his online pals.

Many fans hearing this, tend to immediately start defending Firefox. They proclaim a story about why it's such a superior browser, with arguments I've heard countless times before. Thousands of people go around shouting how this miraculous program changed their life. But soon, the best defense turns out to be a "good" offense, as anyone who is pro-Firefox apparently must be anti-IE. Everything is compared to Microsoft's browser, and so we see that the Firefox promoters are running a slander campaign: throwing mud. In Internet slang it's called IE-bashing. To prevent any misunderstandings: I'm not particulary opposed to the application Firefox, rather its promotion makes me angry. But the die-hard fans don't get that, as they will never stop bugging you until you either use their superbrowser, or are removed from their ideal little world (usually by a ban).

As if that's not radical enough, they don't just slander Internet Explorer itself, but also its users. Anyone using IE is a dumb sheep deserving nothing less than a computer cluttered with viruses and spyware. While I've experienced that a large part of the Firefox freaks themselves are docile sheep; in the middle of a movement like that, it's an easy choice. This also explains the mass-hysteria of many people, who go so far as to put Firefox-logos in their avatar and/or signature on forums, or on their desktop as wallpaper. Sure, they know the arguments to defend their life-changing browser, because they talk about them daily. Spyware, popups, W3C standards... But often they don't have what I'd call real knowledge: it's just a matter of being part of the movement, agreeing and being agreed to. But if you really want to claim to have studied the world of browsers, you have to at least acknowledge and mention the downsides of Firefox. Currently, a large part of the hype is based on prejudice: for example, using IE would inevitably get you in trouble with popups and spyware. This is boldly claimed by many, while until recently I personally had been using IE for years on Windows 98SE (!) without getting any rubbish and with a good popup blocker. But hey, maybe I stayed clean because I don't visit any underground warez-sites? (Nowadays I use Opera on Windows 98SE and 2000, by the way.)

Norwegian posters to promote Firefox

Most online forums have a topic, in which users can discuss what browser they use and why. It often gives me the impression to be made by Firefox fans, for Firefox fans. They have a lot of fun agreeing with eachother, and it's also a good opportunity to convert people! Interestingly, such a topic often has a poll linked to it. And Internet Explorer gets many more (anonymous) votes than you can find people actually posting that they are using it! So those topics are usually filled to the brim with Firefox praise, and a Netscape, Konqueror, Safari or Opera user every once in a while. But few have the guts to publically say they're using IE - probably because when they do, the Firefox freaks jump all over them. That'll be the first and the last time you mention IE... I even saw some idiot post a huge 1024x768 wallpaper of the Firefox-logo, totally devastating the page's layout and loading speed.

All this is part of a larger development: the uprising of OSS or open source software. Basically, OSS is software with freely available source code, allowing everyone to modify and redistribute it. This principle often brings together groups of people that coöperate in developing software, not as a profession but as a hobby. OSS can usually be downloaded off the Net for free. Now Firefox is one of the most speaking examples of this movement; another example is Linux as alternative to Windows, or OpenOffice.org to MS Office. Even though Firefox is the most extreme, most other major OSS projects are also promoted aggresively. I hope it's clear that I'm a strong opponent to that. Open source vouches for freedom, according to the leading organisation FSF of Richard Stallman. But he's got a peculiar definition of freedom. That's a subject on its own, that I got in trouble with on the Debian forums already - a page on it will probably appear later. Anyway, I certainly don't call a pressurizing mass culture "freedom". A culture that aims to put anyone in a corner, who is not willing to submit to their pressure. But again, to prevent any misunderstanding: it's not particulary the OSS itself I'm opposed to, but the attitude and point of view of the movement.

Despite all of this it's important to realise that the group of real fanatics is relatively small. Just about all of them are concentrated in the world of computer hobbyists and experts. Because I get in touch with such people a lot, I've experienced the Firefox phenomenon from near. Actually I still do: it's been tested on my computer since it was still called Phoenix. And it suddenly has become very popular; now, the cult is accepted in nearly all computer-related communities. Outside of those, most people aren't that radical, but they do accept the program because their acquaintences with "computer knowledge" advise them to.

Firefox conquering Europe

This is what I'd advise everyone: use Firefox if it works for you. Not because anybody thinks you should. Firefox does have downsides as well, even compared to Internet Explorer. To give just one example, which was crucial for my decision not to use Firefox: it's a so-called hog. I don't even need another webpage to tell me that, as it took the magical browser three times longer to start than IE on my former computer (Windows 98SE Pentium III 450MHz, 384MB RAM). And when started, it consumed so much memory and CPU-power that I could hardly do anything else simultaneously. Perhaps this problem isn't so annoying with a faster computer; which would be a ridiculous requirement for a browser! I also know IE loads so quickly because it's integrated in Windows; but that doesn't change the situation! (You've just seen the default discussion with Firefox fanboys.) Now for another example: Firefox can't be used on Windows 95. The highest supported version of IE is also outdated, 5.5SP2. So as a little test I tried surfing with 5.5SP2 for a while on my Windows 98SE machine (which supports up to 6SP1). Altough I did experience it crashing on certain pages, there hasn't been any infection of viruses, spyware or trojans. So I would not discourage users of Windows 95 to use IE5.5SP2, until they can afford a newer computer. Should they not visit the Internet at all? I think they should, with care of course. If it were easy, I'd recommend such people to switch to Linux, but that involves a lot of problems. Not just the cost of time, but just X+IceWM already gives a 486 with 16MB a hard time. And there's a lot more to say about why somebody shouldn't (be forced to) use Firefox, but I'm not going to elaborate on that now. The point is: you have to choose for yourself if you want Firefox, and utterly ignore the whole cult around it! Oh, and especially don't join them...

It is true that your average Internet user can get in trouble easily with Internet Explorer. But it's not true that surfing with IE will inevitably cause your computer to die; provided you stay away from "questionable sites" and (being a little sensible) you don't click Yes and OK everywhere. The greatest Firefox fan can come up with his huge research to disprove me on this, but I have myself proven that I'm right! But it has shown that most people aren't really good at this "surfing with common sense". I've heard a comparison with the following intent: why would you take a leaking wreck (IE) onto the sea because you have "common sense", when you also can hop into your well-built boat (Firefox)? This is a typical example of an exaggerated and incomplete comparison. Both browsers have pros and cons. Whoever sails out with a wreck and common sense, will inevitably sink. But I'm 100% sure that that's not so with IE, which I've proved myself. The risc you take using IE is constantly exaggerated, while the downsides of Firefox are concealed. For a large part, it's the user himself who determines the risc of surfing with IE. Because of that I agree that your average Internet user shouldn't surf with IE, because Firefox will protect him a lot better from malicious code and the like. But personally I'd loathe the Internet with a slow brick such as Firefox. And the fact that my former computer was not infected despite the constant use of IE, speaks for itself. It's not because I'm such an expert, because it should be fairly easy. Even my mother surfs with IE, which she has been doing safely for years now. The problem seems to be that the average Internet user isn't willing to change his bad habits, making his computer vulnerable to attacks when using IE. So partially the users are to blame, and partially Microsoft that doesn't secure its program better. But that won't keep me from choosing my best option.

Many other browsers are also safer than IE while still (in most cases) well usable, such as Opera. If you like Opera or Firefox, I'd recommend using one of those. I'm not a promoter of IE, I'm an opponent of the Firefox-cult. With this page I'm hoping to balance the perception of the world of browers a bit. But despite that it's still wise to prevent taking risks. Not at any cost, which is why I used to use IE on my former computer. But if you have a newer computer and the other possible disadvantages don't really bother you, why not choose for a safer browser? Firefox or Opera would only be an improvement. And as long as it's a practical tool to you, and not some god, I totally support using Firefox. As mentioned before my personal preference goes to Opera though, because I like its look and feel, and also because I don't even want to be associated to the Firefox madness.

To make a long story short: don't be impressed by the flocks of Firefox fanboys, but nonetheless take care where your computer's security is concerned. Firefox is certainly a solution for that, but not the. Dare to oppose people that constantly praise their miraculous browser, and totally bash others. And for those that think I'm exaggerating by speaking about a Firefox-cult: take a little look at spreadfirefox.com. But not using IE5.5SP2, as it will crash!