SeaMonkey:Reasons

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Suiterunner

I'd like to understand the reasons why people are interested to keep SeaMonkey alive. I know mine (BenBucksch) are very different from those of some users.

This has major influence on the way we're taking and the change we'll make to SeaMonkey in the future, in all areas: UI, merging with Gecko, infrastructure.

Developers

Christian Biesinger

What I want in Seamonkey...

• I want a browser for "me" not necessarily for "everyone"
  • Focus on "power users"
• Less focus on extensions, default install should contain stuff people want
• More control and choice to the user
• Integrated Browser and Mail/News-Client (needs not be same process, but should work well together, share settings, etc)

Ben Bucksch

Reasons to keep SeaMonkey

Developed 2 browsers based on it and need to keep them thriving

Problems with Firefox

• Extreme instability code-wise (impossible to base derivates on it)
• 'We're not accepting patches' shows general attitude of some developers

Desired changes to SeaMonkey

• Leaner UI (at least removing redundant UI)
• make browser and mail client different processes

Chris Thomas

Pretty much what Christian Biesinger said.

End Users

Owen Marshall

I can't really lump myself into the developers category; the best I can do is QA and documentation!

Personally, I prefer the SeaMonkey UI, and the tight integration between each component. I also think Firefox feels more like an exclusionary team rather than an open source project. But that's just me ;-)

What I would like to see:

• An update feature like Firefox, but a little more intelligent -- for example, in-place upgrading using the XPI's rather than downloading the installer... that may be totally impossible but would be awesome! I may learn Mozilla just to try implementing something like this

OK, that is what I would really love to see!

Davide Baroncelli

Well, I'd love to contribute, but I'm mainly a java server-side developer, and I'm afraid it would take some time before I could really do something useful for the suite. But I absolutely prefer it to FF: not for the "suite" thing, though: I do prefer the browser. I never use mail (using Eudora), chat (no IRC) or anything else (for web development activities I'd rather use NVU ;) ).

Why mozilla? Well: 1) Multizilla 2) Multizilla 3) Multizilla 4) Deeper configurability than FF (even wider with Multizilla...) 5) Searches from URL bar 6) Did I mention Multizilla?

David Madore

I can't stand the firefox user interface (the worst offender is the separation of search bar and URL bar: why anyone would actually like this waste of precious screen estate simply beats me; the sidebar is also pretty useless in comparison to seamonkey's). But it also looks as though many useful mozilla features (aka "bloat") were made into extensions in firefox, and, well, extensions just don't work seamlessly and they're a pain to install (random example, venkman: things may have changed, but last time I checked it didn't work very well with firefox, and probably not at all with thunderbird).

To summarize, it's not so much that I like seamonkey (though I do, and very much) than that I dislike firefox/thunderbird.

Vladimir Simovic aka Perun

I like the Websuite-Concept (all-in-one). Because when im online i'm using the Browser, the Mail, the Adressbook and from time to time the IRC-Client (Chatzilla). And why should i now install 3 different Programms for this. Since the first time on the Web (around 1997) i'm using a Websuite (at this Time Netscape 4.x) and from Aug./Sep. 2002 Mozilla 1.0. For very short time, between NN 4.x and Mozilla 1.0, IE6&OE. But this was pain in the neck. :-)

So i hope the Websuite-Concept will continue in some way. Otherwise i will switch to Opera. For me a Browser is not only a Webbrowser. For me a Browser is also a webworking-tool and a PIM.

My "wishlist" for the future is better integration between Seamonkey and Open Office, a small RSS-Reader and maybe anstead of Composer a Codeeditor (something like [Mozedit]) and if possibe a notes-function.

And so far is possible i will help to this Project. I'm Enduser but there are Ways how also Enduseres can help.

Alexander Rabtchevich

I use Mozilla from the first public builds, so I got used to its interface and features.

1. All-in-one product. One should not search for and download plugins, which provide rather basic functionality on the one hand and are not guaranteed, tested or supported on the other hand.

2. All-in-one product. The initial idea of FF, TB creation was to decrease the resources consumption. But this could only be done via shared libraries used by all products. That was not done. So now Mozilla consumes less or equal memory than FF on the same PC and if TB is ran the memory consumption exceeds Mozilla's.

3. All-in-one product. The integration between browser and mail allows to open links in mail in browser tabs and vice versa. Also it's only one program instead of two opened which notifies of new mail.

4. Convenient interface to settings adjustment. There are some "commonly used" settings like paths to user settings, cache and mail directories that user is to have the ability to adjust. This is only the most misunderstanding shortage of FF compared to Mozilla.

5. Text only apperance also shows the small icons. This is very convenient while saving the space.

6. The ability to bookmark a group of tabs via convenient interface. The ability to open group of tabs in new tabs. Also I'd like to see the FF ability to open each bookmark directory as a groop of bookmarks.

7. Classic default interface compared to "childish" FF's. This also concerns the bookmarks editing interface.

8. Very good history manager. Also I'd like to have the ability to "undo" tab closing, which may happen accidentally. There is the issue for this wish with lots of duplicates.

9. Much more stable and polished product than FF+TB.

What I'd like to see in Mozilla:

1. Integration of the latest nui code instead of the current composer.

2. Virtual folders as in TB.

3. RSS client.

4. SVG and maybe Mathml support.

Long live Mozilla!

Nikulin Pavel aka FUBAr

I use mozilla since very old times when opera was very popular becaus NN became
 very decrepit.Mozilla was like a fresh air in ages of total
 comercializatoin. Now mozilla was killed by stupid mofo becaus casual
 FF can give more users.

REMEMBER - OPERA IS A DARK SIDE :-)

Administrators

Wolfgang Wiese

As an administrator in an university I have to install and support software for web, mail, news and so on. Unlike the combination of Firefox and Thunderbird, the suite is much more admin-friendly, cause its more userfriendly: Users get an intergrated suite and cause of long years Netscape4 and after that Mozilla, they are known to it. Its much easier for users and administrators to set up the proferences of the suite for workstations. Unlike administrators or developers a normal user can't even understand how to call "about:config" or even use it! Firefox is only helpful for public surfstations, where we dont wan't to provide many functions.

Also as administrator I cannot argue against users why to install a combination of firefox and thunderbird until they dont show up with the features of the mozilla suite. I have to give my users something that is an improvement against the previous version (what ever its name is). But with firefox - how many plugins will I have to install until I get the features the users already have with mozilla suite? In case of making a choice, i would either stay on mozilla 1.8beta or have a turn to opera...

Marketing and UI

Vitor Domingos

As marketing and UI engineer, i must say there are a couple of reasons that we'll like to see going on the Mozilla Suite:

• All-in-one wonder (mozilla+addressbook+mail)
• Perfectly integrated with all the plugins and extensions avaiable
• Faster than FF
• Good UI, preferences in place
• Good marketing value so far
• It's my browser since i remember :)

For the future, I'd like to see more integration with OpenOffice.org, maybe joining efforts in one "true and full" office suite.