What happened to the Firefox Browser?

I never like it!

It's the browser I always liked the less.

Always used Firefox. Always worked better for me than the others. Haven't noticed any change in speed compared to Chrome, etc. They all seem to be the same with my connection.

Is that still around?

Just started this week to fuck up. Wasn't playing videos at all. Seems OK now but any suggestions to change?

It comes and goes but it still works the best with Adblock and without Adblock most sites are unreadable

That update from about a year and a half ago that really killed it. It was the update where a bunch of stuff broke when the update installed, the browser wasn't usable at all, people were unable to get help from Mozilla about it, so one of the developers tweeted a photo of herself with a can of beer in one hand, flipping the camera off with the other, saying "suck it haters" or something shitty like that. She should have lost her fucking job over it.

The August, 2020 update that took away about:config and broke a lot of features, causing the browser to crash constantly, soured me on Mozilla forever. I lost important bookmarks which I'd exported into a file to save, but which got corrupted when I tried to reinstall them into the new updated browser.

Since then there have been a ton of updates on both the PC and Android versions of Firefox, and the Android version is still useless. It hangs, crashes, doesn't save bookmarks, and a lot of webpages simply don't work on it, I have to switch over to Chrome. On the PC, Firefox only saves about half of your history, seems to be random as to what webpages it remembers you went to, and it can take up to 5 minutes to be usable once I open it. It routinely sucks up 100% of my CPU.

Man I have been using Firefox browser for years on multiple laptops and have never had any of the problems any of you are describing. Which makes me think it isn't Firefox that is the problem.

^ I agree, although there have been problems I don't remember the update from hell that r7 is describing. Firefox generally is pretty good about fixing problems. At least that's been my experience

I use it every day... the reader function.

^ What's the reader function?

I well remember when I was touting Firefox as the best browser I'd ever used. But that was years ago. Since then all their so-called improvements have completely screwed it up.

If you want what I now consider the best browser out there try Vivaldi. Like most browsers of today it's a Chrome based browser, but they have built in things that most browsers force you to install an extension to use, such as mouse gestures & a speed dial. Plus Vivaldi does not collect any history data from users.

Just look up the August 2020 Firefox update, r9. Here's one link, but there are many others.

Here's another article on the update in question.

I don't know why there's always someone on here who says "I don't remember it so it didn't happen" or "software never fails, it's just that you're stupid."

[quote] The August, 2020 update that took away about:config

About:config still works for me and I have the latest version of FF (although I only use it extremely rarely)

Oh, and Vivaldi is by far the best android browser IMO.

the reader function -- near the tool bar. lets you read articles that are blocked by paywalls. so far, the new yorker articles are the only ones i can't access.

about:config was removed from Android Firefox, r15.

Do all the complainers use it on Android devices? I've used it on laptops and desktops since I became aware of it 20 years ago, and the only problem I ever had was that the tabs were too light to read. But Mozilla gives you tab colors and choices, and I found one that's perfectly readable, in colors I like (black w/green accents).

I don't know why people are so personally invested in defending Firefox.

The main problem I had on the PC was with too much memory usage, which I know the super geniuses on DL think just means I don't know how to use a browser, but is a known problem with several solutions.

In an effort to be helpful instead of a big fat raging cunt, I'll post a page with some solutions in case anyone else here is having the same trouble.

Technical problems aside, I think Firefox lost its role as a browser. It used to be the counter offer for Internet Explorer when that browser pretty much had a monopoly. Soon after Firefox Chrome started and took over because it had the role of being super-fast. As a result Firefox was no longer the anti-IE. From there it went downhill because Firefox couldn't communicate anymore why they were the best browser. For a while they meddled through as anti-corporate browser, but soon other Chromium alternatives took on the same role and did it better. Today Firefox just doesn't have anything anymore that spells 'outstanding'. Whatever that browser does, there are five other browsers that do it just as well or better.

Personally, I tried Firefox last year and had problems with a streaming site that Chrome (in my case Opera) didn't get me. So my dry run with Firefox was a short one and I moved on. I may try Vivaldi next.

I can't find the Reader function. What does the icon look like?

They bought Pocket and made it a part of their default home page (in other words, they're using your browsing history for ad revenue) and they're shilling their own VPN service now.

I mainly have it installed just for testing purposes, but it's definitely sluggish to load up. Opera is even worse.

Works great for me

@r17, Thanks, I'll have to try that

I think the people who are not having problems are the people who are less tech savvy and don't use it that much and probably don't know FireFox from any other browser.

[quote]Man I have been using Firefox browser for years on multiple laptops and have never had any of the problems any of you are describing. Which makes me think it isn't Firefox that is the problem.

So in your world, if you're not having a problem it doesn't exist?

Any consensus of the best safe browser for PC?

R22, it's the little thing that looks like a page by the star for bookmarking, in the URL line.

[quote] Any consensus of the best safe browser for PC?

What do you mean by 'safe'? Safe as in safe to use in terms of least problems, or safest in terms of privacy issues? Brave browser gets a lot of accolades in terms of best protecting privacy. I never tried it, but I have never heard any criticism either. So that might be a browser for you to try. It's Chromium based.

I use the 'Group Speed Dial' extension on my main browser (Vivaldi) and on Firefox. I like its layout better than the on board speed dial Vivaldi provides. One thing I notice is when I bring up Vivaldi the speed dial page populates immediately with zero lag. When I bring up Firefox it takes forever for the speed dial to populate. And I notice other areas where FF is definitely slower. I keep Firefox as a secondary browser, but almost never use it.

Does anyone know of a non-Google based browser that allows you to block popup videos. I fucking HATE them!

^ um, Firefox

@r26,"I think the people who are not having problems are the people who are less tech savvy and don't use it that much and probably don't know FireFox from any other browser. "

What a dickhead thing to say, maybe the people who aren't having problems are tech savvy enough to work around them

@r27, "So in your world, if you're not having a problem it doesn't exist? "

Or maybe he's just relaying his personal experience to balance out the chronic complaining about Firefox

Here's a thought, if you're not having a problem with Firefox continue using it, if you are find a browser that's easier for you to manage

It's funny but I run a Chromebook. It's a google OS. Recently can't get on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu at all. Just because of a missing component in the Chrome browser. It's called WideVine CDN. Guess who owns WideVine - Google of course. Plus they don't update the browser on Chromebooks for some fucking reason. It's why their ads for the professional use of Chromebooks fall flat with me. Google has gotten to the point they're so big the left hand doesn't know what the right is doing.

Been using it since ever on my laptop. I don't have any problems nor do I see any big changes. Works great.

I work in IT and I have no problems with it. I use several extensions (as well as some of my own tweaks). I think the people having problems with it have very little technology knowledge. Quite the opposite of R26. These people probably pay someone to set up their shiny new computers and phones.

R34 = Bobby Firefox heir to the Firefox fortune.

OP is correct. It was the fastest browser, but now it gets hung up on so many sites. It also drains my battery more than any browser

Let me guess - the people complaining about Firefox really enjoy Internet Explorer!

@r38, "[R34] = Bobby Firefox heir to the Firefox fortune. "

Yep, I'm richer and smarter then you and don't you forget it

R41 "smarter THEN you "

Apparently not

^ Still richer, smartass

No problems here.

[quote]I think the people having problems with it have very little technology knowledge.

Yes, all those help forums and subreddits and tech blog posts about how to fix known issues with Firefox are just lies.

Also, Mr. Tech Guy, the phrase is "technical knowledge."

Does it matter whether people are tech savvy or not? A browser is a consumer product. It should "just work" for everybody using it,. the tech challenged and the advanced user.

R45 womp womp

R8 100% accurate

R46 It does just work

[quote] So in your world, if you're not having a problem it doesn't exist?

R27 I will attempt to put this in words even you can understand, computer problems are primarily from three sources, hardware, software (the operating system) and the browser software. If everyone is having the same problem then it is probably in the software, if just you or a few are having the problem it is probably in the hardware. A lot of people seem to be having problems with Firefox on cell phones, which means it is most likely the software, only a few are having problems with Firefox on computers, I am guessing on older bloated computers with registry problems. Knowing most people are not having problems can be helpful even if you can't see it.

Bumping because Firefox is acting up again. Here's one solution if you're having trouble.

The "it's never Firefox, it's always the users" crowd should scroll down and see the bug report on this problem and reconsider their stance that it's always user error.

A second solution if the one at r51 isn't working.

Keep in mind that this error started with the recent update, so if you haven't updated Firefox, you may not have a problem. It may not be happening on all versions of Firefox, either.

Why does Firefox use so much battery resources compared to other browsers?

[quote] Does anyone know of a non-Google based browser that allows you to block popup videos. I fucking HATE them!

[quote] ^ um, Firefox

Firefox has been a Chrome based browser for years.