Comments on: Rapid releases: one webdev’s perspective http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/ Laura Thomson's random thoughts and rants about tech and FOSS Thu, 17 May 2012 23:18:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Angus http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1703 Angus Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:00:57 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1703 as an end user the rapid release policy is horsedroppings. as an end user the rapid release policy is horsedroppings.

]]> By: Christopher Blizzard http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1659 Christopher Blizzard Thu, 25 Aug 2011 23:17:27 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1659 From our Chairwoman: http://blog.lizardwrangler.com/2011/08/25/rapid-release-process/ From our Chairwoman: http://blog.lizardwrangler.com/2011/08/25/rapid-release-process/

]]> By: Pete http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1643 Pete Sat, 20 Aug 2011 22:12:10 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1643 Laura, I'm not talking about a vision statement. I'm talking about a CEO who should give a binding direction right now as a reaction of the heated discussion and to show some employees a direction. And regarding the hidden version numbers: html5 is a moving target with a) specs coming and going and b) some time until they are implemented into the browser. To give you an example: the progress meter elements are now implanted in the latest firefox build. As a web developer, how shall I test if the clients browser supports it or not? For all other browsers except firefox, I can lookup a feature table like caniuse.com and I'm done. Any idea how this should work with firefox in the future? Laura, I’m not talking about a vision statement. I’m talking about a CEO who should give a binding direction right now as a reaction of the heated discussion and to show some employees a direction.

And regarding the hidden version numbers: html5 is a moving target with a) specs coming and going and b) some time until they are implemented into the browser.

To give you an example: the progress meter elements are now implanted in the latest firefox build. As a web developer, how shall I test if the clients browser supports it or not? For all other browsers except firefox, I can lookup a feature table like caniuse.com and I’m done.

Any idea how this should work with firefox in the future?

]]> By: Mook http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1640 Mook Sat, 20 Aug 2011 07:07:55 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1640 To extend your metaphor: You are Facebook, except for some reason all of your production machines are not under your control and pushes are staggered beyond your control; also, every time you push, people have to wait for twenty seconds for the page to load. Every time you push to production, all games like Farmville break and can't be played until their developer gets around to certifying it against the new page. You have plans to auto-certify eventually. There is some unknown but large number of people who have somehow managed to build moderately popular sites of similar games, who you can't reach, and can't certify yourself. That corresponds, in order, with 1) Mozilla doesn't control all the installs of Firefox and multiple versions in the wild simultaneously (and time needed to download); 2) addons on AMO; 3) addons off AMO. To extend your metaphor:

You are Facebook, except for some reason all of your production machines are not under your control and pushes are staggered beyond your control; also, every time you push, people have to wait for twenty seconds for the page to load. Every time you push to production, all games like Farmville break and can’t be played until their developer gets around to certifying it against the new page. You have plans to auto-certify eventually. There is some unknown but large number of people who have somehow managed to build moderately popular sites of similar games, who you can’t reach, and can’t certify yourself.

That corresponds, in order, with 1) Mozilla doesn’t control all the installs of Firefox and multiple versions in the wild simultaneously (and time needed to download); 2) addons on AMO; 3) addons off AMO.

]]> By: Bill D http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1637 Bill D Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:02:11 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1637 Laura - I'm a user, nto an add-on developer - but I've pushed Firefox and Thunderbird to family and friends and I keep them all maintained. Where this process has gone wrong is that users simply want their add-ons to work - and my mother doesn't want a message to say that if she upgrades some of her add-ons will be disabled. I've got Adobe Acrobat - Create PDF and Java Console disabled in Firefox and Eset NOD32 disabled in Thunderbird. I've had to edit install.rdf for Contacts Sidebar to work in Thunderbird - which it does, since it's just a version number change that was needed. I don't think Mozilla can push this off and say that the add-on developers should update more frequently - you need to find a way to stop breaking the full experience from using my browser and email client every 6-8 weeks. Again, as a user, I really like Firefox 4 - but there are no real changes in FF5 or FF6 that make a noticeable difference to me. I do hope you find a solution! Laura - I’m a user, nto an add-on developer - but I’ve pushed Firefox and Thunderbird to family and friends and I keep them all maintained. Where this process has gone wrong is that users simply want their add-ons to work - and my mother doesn’t want a message to say that if she upgrades some of her add-ons will be disabled.
I’ve got Adobe Acrobat - Create PDF and Java Console disabled in Firefox and Eset NOD32 disabled in Thunderbird. I’ve had to edit install.rdf for Contacts Sidebar to work in Thunderbird - which it does, since it’s just a version number change that was needed.
I don’t think Mozilla can push this off and say that the add-on developers should update more frequently - you need to find a way to stop breaking the full experience from using my browser and email client every 6-8 weeks.
Again, as a user, I really like Firefox 4 - but there are no real changes in FF5 or FF6 that make a noticeable difference to me.
I do hope you find a solution!

]]> By: Wladimir Palant http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1636 Wladimir Palant Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:46:37 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1636 Laura: Feel free to share them with whoever you want. I wish that I had more suggestions. So far this is the only one I could come up with: https://adblockplus.org/blog/on-rapid-releases-and-version-numbers Laura: Feel free to share them with whoever you want. I wish that I had more suggestions. So far this is the only one I could come up with: https://adblockplus.org/blog/on-rapid-releases-and-version-numbers

]]> By: groovecoder http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1635 groovecoder Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:45:25 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1635 A great post as usual, Laura. re: addon compatibility ... AMO already uses a tool to scan addon code and to give compatible addons the version bump. It seems like the same tool could be used to create bugs for incompatible addons. e.g., "AdBlock Plus uses the preferences.method() call which is deprecated in Firefox 8" ? A great post as usual, Laura.

re: addon compatibility …

AMO already uses a tool to scan addon code and to give compatible addons the version bump. It seems like the same tool could be used to create bugs for incompatible addons. e.g., “AdBlock Plus uses the preferences.method() call which is deprecated in Firefox 8″

?

]]> By: laura http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1633 laura Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:16:43 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1633 Wladimir: Thanks for your feedback, you raise some interesting points. (Do you mind if I share them?) Pete: Some of the community discussion has been really heated. It's part of the reason I wanted to post something. Re CEO/Chairman, there was recently posted a vision statement which is worth a read. I'd also encourage you to engage with anyone involved Mozilla all the way up to Mitchell - people are generally pretty approachable. Marcus: I just have moderation turned on to control spam (in addition to akismet). I go through and approve stuff daily or so, never had to censor anything that I recall. (I likely would if it was particularly obscene or something, but I'm happy for people to offer differing opinions.) Wladimir: Thanks for your feedback, you raise some interesting points. (Do you mind if I share them?)

Pete: Some of the community discussion has been really heated. It’s part of the reason I wanted to post something. Re CEO/Chairman, there was recently posted a vision statement which is worth a read. I’d also encourage you to engage with anyone involved Mozilla all the way up to Mitchell - people are generally pretty approachable.

Marcus: I just have moderation turned on to control spam (in addition to akismet). I go through and approve stuff daily or so, never had to censor anything that I recall. (I likely would if it was particularly obscene or something, but I’m happy for people to offer differing opinions.)

]]> By: Markus http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1631 Markus Thu, 18 Aug 2011 21:49:31 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1631 I'm surprised that there seems to be kind of a censorship when commenting your blog: Are comments that are not inline with your thinking not published? I’m surprised that there seems to be kind of a censorship when commenting your blog: Are comments that are not inline with your thinking not published?

]]> By: Pete http://www.laurathomson.com/2011/08/rapid-releases-one-webdevs-perspective/#comment-1629 Pete Thu, 18 Aug 2011 20:29:02 +0000 http://www.laurathomson.com/?p=136#comment-1629 The problem is not the rapid release cycle nor the version numbering. In fact it's bad very communication to a loyal user base: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=678775#c36 Also no statement of mozilla's CEO or chairman is heard. One can very easily get the impression that mozilla currently has no direction. The problem is not the rapid release cycle nor the version numbering. In fact it’s bad very communication to a loyal user base: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=678775#c36

Also no statement of mozilla’s CEO or chairman is heard.

One can very easily get the impression that mozilla currently has no direction.

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