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Let me pay for Firefox

(discourse.mozilla.org)
802 points csmantle | 6 comments | 13 Jul 25 08:38 UTC | HN request time: 0.001s | source | bottom
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lenkite ◴[13 Jul 25 10:07 UTC] No.44549029[source]▶
I would happily pay monthly for Firefox - but not to Mozilla Corporation. Will Pay to developers, development support and operations - not to pad the CEO salary.
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DangerousPie ◴[13 Jul 25 12:00 UTC] No.44549707[source]▶
How are you expecting to run an entity with developers, support, and operations without any leadership?

I don't know if you have ever worked in a larger team that lacked someone to make decisions, take responsibility and set a strategy, but in my experience that is almost always a disaster.

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1. homebrewer ◴[13 Jul 25 12:19 UTC] No.44549854[source]▶
Three examples off the top of my head — PostgreSQL, FreeBSD, and Debian — are doing just fine without someone "taking responsibility" (when have Mozilla's CEO ever done that?).

Debian has an elected leader that is not paid and has pretty limited authority overall.

There's also the Linux kernel, with Linus doing both managerial and technical work, running circles around Mozilla's leadership in both. He makes just a few millions per year, less than Baker did even two years ago AFAIK.

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2. rs186 ◴[13 Jul 25 12:39 UTC] No.44549988[source]▶
I think all of these projects have contributors who are getting paid at other companies for the work, notably Linux. Not quite so for Firefox. I mean, tell me where does Linus get his income? You think that can be fully replicated for Firefox?
3. DangerousPie ◴[13 Jul 25 13:19 UTC] No.44550251[source]▶
PostgreSQL is just a community of volunteers as far as I'm aware, not full-time developers employed by the project.

FreeBSD seems to have three paid directors: https://freebsdfoundation.org/about-us/our-team/

Debian has a leader and also seems to be more a volunteer organisation than a full company: https://www.debian.org/intro/organization

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4. walls ◴[13 Jul 25 13:36 UTC] No.44550377[source]▶
All of the people on Postgres, FreeBSD, and Debian combined make a tiny fraction of what the Mozilla CEO does.
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5. AJMaxwell ◴[13 Jul 25 15:53 UTC] No.44551296{3}[source]▶
Like what?
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6. a3w ◴[13 Jul 25 17:03 UTC] No.44551818{4}[source]▶
I agree that probably the three mentioned projects don't total a 6 million USD budget, which is the CEO salary at Mozilla, but is only close to it.