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6010CEM_Public/20-21/Lectures/Mozilla.org

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Mozilla: setup Mozilla Netscape How this relates to the module How they get people to involve themselves Obligatory XKCD Licence for this work
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Mozilla:

setup

Mozilla

Netscape

file:img/Netscape_Navigator_2_Screenshot.png

  • Initially a commercial product, Netscape Navigator was the first commercially succesful web browser, released in 1995.
  • It beat Microsoft to monetising the still relatively new World Wide Web, because Windows 95 wasn’t designed initially to include a web browser.
  • Internet explorer was added as part of the Plus! package, and had few features in comparison.
  • Most business produced websites to support it simply because it would be present on more machines, not because it was better.

  • For too many reasons than we have time to discuss, Netscape declined as a company, finally making the decision to release it as an Open Source product and eventually create the Mozilla Foundation in 1998.
  • Many talked at the time of Netscape losing the ‘browser wars’ and failing. But since most remaining developers were left as millionaires, and the CEO as a billionaire, I fail to see this.

How this relates to the module

  • The Mozilla Foundation exists not only to promote and further their own software, but to encourage others to get involved in developing Open Source software.
  • They have full time staff, but in addition to this they have a large community of unpaid developers who support their work.
  • I will cover the advantages of being an Open Source developer in this situation in another lecture, as it is really a subject in its own right.
  • They are especially interested in promoting the engagement of students with the Open Source world, since having newer developers involved can really push software development in interesting directions.

How they get people to involve themselves

  • They have Firefox as a primary codebase, and seek code bugfix contributions from students.
  • Original code contributions are sought as well, but those would be from people who’ve been involved with the community for some time, or are exceptionally talented.
  • Thus far only one student taking this module has been asked to make an original code contribution.
  • Accordingly, this is the hardest form of contribution, receives the highest grade, is the most valuable in terms of post graduation CV usage and is the least taken by students due to the level of challenge it represents.

  • As well as having an active online community and a mentored bug fixing scheme that I’ve not found elsewhere in the Open Source world, Mozilla also hold yearly Expos where developers, companies and students can meet.
  • In the past we’ve taken students to the one in London.

  • Mozilla have a huge amount of documentation that requires revision and checking, so one of the assessment routes for this module is to do this.
  • HOWEVER in the past this has led to some truly awful content being uploaded to the Mozilla wiki pages in the last week, and the students responsible losing most of their grades as a result, so we are no longer allowing students to simply launch into wiki editing unmonitored.
  • The exact details of the assessment process will be covered in the assessment session, which will also be available online. There will also be opportunity for you to post questions in the relevant Teams forum.

Obligatory XKCD

file:img/image.png

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  • Mirrored to avoid bandwidth stealing

Licence for this work

  • Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International by Dr Carey Pridgeon 2016
  • (Licence does not cover linked images owned by other content creators)