I've been a Mozilla[1]'s Firefox browser[2] fan since it was a beta.[3] Starting in 2004, it was my favorite web browser. That wasn't just because it was open-source, but because it was so much better and more secure than Internet Explorer.[4] Things have changed. The browser itself is still good[5], but fewer and fewer people use it. And The Mozilla Foundation appears to be getting in deeper financial trouble
In Mozilla's 2019 annual report[6], Mozilla talks a lot about a "healthy internet for everyone," but does that include its vital programmers?
Also: What's Windows 10's fastest web browser in 2020?[7]
True, Mozilla and Firefox had been still producing important work. You need to look no further than the JavaScript[8], Rust[9], and WebAssembly languages. They were also champions of security and privacy. Projects such as DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH) [10]and overall security[11] improvements were great, but in 2020 Mozilla laid off numerous developers.
First, Mozilla laid off some of its most senior staffers[12]. These weren't office drones. They were top developers, such as Liz Henry, then the Firefox release manager, and today Twitch[13]'s, the live streaming platform for gamers, senior release manager.
That was bad. Then, in August, Mozilla laid off almost a quarter of its staff[14]. The Rust team was particularly hard hit[15].
Mitchell Baker, Mozilla Corporation[16] CEO and Mozilla Foundation Chairwoman, blamed this latest round on the coronavirus pandemic[17]. Baker added "that the old model where everything was free has consequences, means we must explore