this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2024

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The poll is over, and the result is clear: (berlin.social)

submitted 2 months ago by mina@berlin.social to c/firefox@lemmy.ml

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The poll is over, and the result is clear:

#FireFox users have very little interest for Chatbot integration into their browser.

I am very much aware that the people, who voted in this poll are hardly a representative sample, but more than 2.4K people is a better size than many "professional" opinion polls.

@mozilla & @firefox should take people, who actually care about their #browser choice, seriously.

I still seriously believe that #Mozilla's fate matters,

https://berlin.social/@mina/113102817500429735

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[–] superkret@feddit.org 170 points 2 months ago (3 children)

If I want to use a chatbot, I'll access a website that provides one.
My browser is supposed to be a program that lets me access the internet, and nothing else.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 53 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Or I'll have one installed as a separate app, which will have access to data on my system.

So either it's a separate app, or it's a website. I don't see a need for my browser to be that app.

[–] veroxii@aussie.zone 24 points 2 months ago

And if I really really really wanted one in my browser (which I don't but for the sake of argument) I'll look for an add-on.

Same reason I don't want my browser to filter or ban my content but I totally use unlock origin.

[–] cmgvd3lw@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 2 months ago

Couldn't be more accurate.

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[–] cmeio@lemmy.world 105 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Eventhough I am not pro chatbot, such a poll is unfortunately completely worthless. Only random samples (or at least representative ones) allow to say something about a group.

If we go into an AI fanboy forum and ask the same question, we may find 3000 people saying the exact opposite. It just means nothing whatsoever.

[–] xlash123@sh.itjust.works 35 points 2 months ago (2 children)

100%. I feel like the broad fediverse community is not a fan of generative AI

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[–] Vincent@feddit.nl 12 points 2 months ago

There's also the fact that it's a false dichotomy.

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[–] answersplease77@lemmy.world 82 points 2 months ago (2 children)

We want lighter and faster browsers that load up less features, block all unnecessary data collection and spying and java scripts, consume less hardware resources, and don't choke and heat up 8-gb ram laptops just because I openned 1 tab.

I don't want Siri in my internet. I don't even like it when it automatically searches and returns suggetions for mere typing anything in address bar. If I wanted a chatbot, I know how to visit chatgpt or any site myself.

[–] KarnaSubarna@lemmy.ml 12 points 2 months ago

It's just an integration with LLM services and not AI baked-in the browser code. You can even self-host any such service (Ollama) and integrate Firefox with it. That will make sure your query is not leaving your network.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Just a minor nit pick but it's JavaScript, not Java Scripts (javascript and Java are massively different things).

Also blocking JavaScript on the web in 2024 is really not practical. Nothing will really work without it.

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[–] swag_money@lemmy.world 43 points 2 months ago (1 children)

aw man i missed the poll i would have voted "fuck no" to chatbot integration

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Would you rather have a AI or have your browser 2x slower?

That is the kind questions that were asked

[–] dessalines@lemmy.ml 22 points 2 months ago (2 children)

lol. I'd take a browser that's 10x slower as long as it has no AI or crypto.

[–] example@reddthat.com 5 points 2 months ago

I like having TLS in my browser

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[–] Vincent@feddit.nl 10 points 2 months ago

No that was a different poll. This one asked "do you want 'enhanced privacy' or a chatbot in the sidebar" which, of course, is a false dichotomy.

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[–] el_abuelo@programming.dev 43 points 2 months ago (6 children)

Asking mastodon users whether they'd choose AI over Privacy is like asking Elon Musk if he'd rather end poverty or buy another mega yacht.

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[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 38 points 2 months ago (1 children)

A representative 300 sample would give a more accurate result than a biased 2.4k sample. Bigger number doesn't mean better results.

That said, I'm not sure how to get representation from certain subgroups of the population, like the "never engages with polls" or "lies specifically to fuck with your data" subgroups.

[–] mina@berlin.social 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

@Buddahriffic

Yes, It was easier to do truly representative polls, when people loved answering questions and everybody had a landline.

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I remember a time when the phone or doorbell would ring and I would get excited to know who it was.

Now I seriously consider setting up a series of mirrors so that I can see who is at the door without giving up my ability to pretend like no one is home and my phone ringing causes an emotion somewhere between worry and rage.

[–] mina@berlin.social 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

@Buddahriffic

Same!

But isn't it a bit sad, we've all become so paranoic whilst at the same time being total oblivious to sharing lots of data, just because we want to know what the kitten did to the alligator?

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[–] EuCaue@lemmy.ml 35 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I mean, I don't have anything against the chatbot feature, but this is coming before the tab group functionality...

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[–] AntEater@discuss.tchncs.de 31 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I wish Mozilla would just strip all the extraneous junk from Firefox aside from what is truly necessary for web browsing. No crypto, no Pocket, no chatbot integration, nothing AI related, etc. Any and all additional features should be implemented via optional plugins. They could rename the project something like Phoenix or Firebird or something like that.

[–] Facebones@reddthat.com 13 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I bet they wouldn't be so dependent on that google money if they stopped trying to chase every tech trend that pops up regardless of interest or popularity.

My perception of Firefox users is that most of us use Firefox for a reason, and thats usually some variation of moving away from big tech bullshit. I COULD be wrong but I certainly dont think so lol.

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[–] DudeImMacGyver@sh.itjust.works 24 points 2 months ago (1 children)

No shit

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 14 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Its shocking how out of touch they are

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[–] Zak@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago

computer scientists: we have invented a virtual dumbass who is constantly wrong

tech CEOs: let's add it to every product

Borrowed from here

[–] Lettuceeatlettuce@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 months ago (2 children)

why can't we just have a fast, reliable browser with a clean UI that is fairly customizable with really solid extension support?

Extensions/plugins were supposed to provide the framework if users wanted a bunch of bells and whistles.

and I refuse to believe that a company with the resources of Mozilla cannot do that.

Minecraft is basically that in game form. A powerful voxel engine that has a massive amount of support for mods and plugins.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Minetest is probably a better comparison

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[–] mina@berlin.social 5 points 2 months ago

@Lettuceeatlettuce

I guess, that is what most people want.

[–] fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 17 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Why not just PWA to side bar extension support? If users want that side bar to a chatbot. Boom easy. If they don't or any other option its there too.

If they really want to support local ai specifically focus on the web3 API stuff for it.

Just be a web browser dammit lol

[–] FriendBesto@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago (6 children)

Mozilla is desperate for any cash influx, AI in a browser is a hot sounding thing, right now. Perhaps they also hope they can leverage it for extra income.

I run a Nightly on one of my machines and it was weird seeing the option and I hope it does not make it or that it gets removed.

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[–] mina@berlin.social 17 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

as being a prominent and established way of accessing the internet without using a product owned by one of three three tech giants.

No niche browser can play the same role.

To me, hopping onto a running train doesn't seem to be the way to go when it comes to creating and keeping trust:

People, who think that cars are a terrible way of getting people around in cities, don't want another Tesla, they want a good bike.

Here we have a problem, common to many non-profits:

2/3

@mozilla @firefox

[–] mina@berlin.social 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Fake Professionalism!

I don't believe that CEOs, who demand a 7 digit salary, have the ability to understand the soul and heart of a collective of people (in the case of many #FOSS projects: some of the world's most skilled and talented programmers), who donate lots of their time and energy for a project they believe in, and hence lack the credibility and skills necessary for making them thrive in the long term.

Firefox's ever falling market share proves that.

3/3

#RFC

@mozilla @firefox

[–] schnurrito@discuss.tchncs.de 17 points 2 months ago (2 children)

OT but: How does this Mastodon/Lemmy integration even work? OP seems to be posting on Mastodon but we are commenting on Lemmy which makes everything look confusing.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 6 points 2 months ago

I gave up trying to understand long ago

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[–] imnotfromkaliningrad@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 months ago

please for the love of god almighty dont ad a chatbot or any other kind of gipity! even if one disregards all the concerns about privacy, software bloat and energy usage (climate change), one has to remember the purpose of firefox, or any other browser for that matter: loading websites. nothing more nothing less.

[–] Eiri@lemmy.ca 10 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Okay someone has to say it.

The second F in Firefox is NOT capitalized.

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[–] tomtrottel@mastodontech.de 10 points 2 months ago

@mina @mozilla @firefox the absolut las thing I need in Firefox is a freaking Chatbot :) :) :) :)

[–] something_random_tho@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

I don't want an AI chatbot in the sidebar, but if it gives Mozilla a new, substantial source of revenue outside the Google search deal--and I can disable it--then I'm all for it.

[–] CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 2 months ago

I don't want an AI chatbot in the sidebar, but if it gives Mozilla a new, substantial source of revenue outside the Google search deal--and I can ~~disable it~~ enable it if I want to --then I'm all for it.

Ftfy

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[–] Uncle_Abbie@lemmy.today 8 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I wish Mozilla would ask the end users what we want.

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[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Firefox user here: Fuck no I don't want a chatbot built into my browser.

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[–] ColdWater@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago

I can't wait for other browser engine to caught up with Firefox

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

I think it can be useful for some users but hardly the majority.

You can select text now in Firefox and ask it to make a summary or to explain it in simpler words. Then it generates a query to chatgpt in the sidebar who answers it.

So for some use cases I think it's nice. Even better if you could make it do research and save us time. Like "check the top tech sites for reviews of this phone model and give me a summary of it's major flaws".

Chat gpt can do that but it's not really integrated into the Firefox experience. If you could select a phone name and have a one click option to "give me top flaws and pros of this model according to top reviewers", that could save a lot of time.

I think it's just about packaging this functionality better. I don't think it should be in a sidebar. It should just be in a new tab with lots of options to continue the research in different ways.

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