AfterDawn: News

Mozilla to remove Firefox version numbers

Mozilla has confirmed this week that it plans to begin hiding the version number of Firefox in the "Help-> About" window dialog.

Asa Dotzler, community coordinator for Firefox marketing projects added the entry to Bugzilla, and says the dialog will now just offer more general information like "Firefox checked for updates 20 minutes ago, you are running the latest release."



If you now want to check the version number, you will have to head over to the about:support page, says ghacks.

It appears that Mozilla's ultimate goal is simply to make versions less important to the end user.

Earlier this year, Mozilla announced it would be moving to a more Chrome-like release schedule, and has since moved from Firefox 4 to Firefox 8 nightly (Aurora) in just 6 months.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Aug 2011 1:44

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• 12 comments

• ROMaster2

  Makes me wonder when Firefox 5 FOR REAL will come out...

  18.8.2011 01:58 #1

• hikaricor

  If you're curious, the brainchild behind this retarded move is Asa Dotzler.
  Feel free to troll him/her here: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=678775

  18.8.2011 02:38 #2

• patrick_

  Actually, the idea does make sense, but they should forbid Asa Dotzler to speak in public.
  The user shouldn't have to care about the version. Also, with forced auto-updates, neither should anyone else. Just to make this work, they'll have to make a lot of changes to their plugin interface.
  

  18.8.2011 03:39 #3

• JGJD2001

  Originally posted by ROMaster2: Makes me wonder when Firefox 5 FOR REAL will come out... my thoughts exactly.....these updates are nothing more then security and bug fixes.....i want to know which version will be a major release....each version till 4 have been major releases......i mean imagine if microsoft stop using major release numbers and start releasing every month a new OS

  18.8.2011 10:45 #4

• Tonelegee

  I feel an urge to change my browser to ...well it won't be Firefox if this tom-foolery continues.

  19.8.2011 11:52 #5

• Mr-Movies

  Originally posted by patrick_: Actually, the idea does make sense, but they should forbid Asa Dotzler to speak in public.
  The user shouldn't have to care about the version. Also, with forced auto-updates, neither should anyone else. Just to make this work, they'll have to make a lot of changes to their plugin interface. I don't think so, there is no sense in this totally dumb decision, none!
  

  19.8.2011 13:36 #6

• net2arsha

  Originally posted by ROMaster2: Makes me wonder when Firefox 5 FOR REAL will come out... I have tried it but i think google chrome is light and fast one
  

  Submit you Websitr

  19.8.2011 14:02 #7

• patrick_

  Mr-Movies, you didn't understand my point: One should be able to use software without knowing/caring about the version he's running.
  

  19.8.2011 14:33 #8

• Mr-Movies

  That is not reality unfortunately, I did understand your point but disagree with it do to bugs and comparability issues amongst other stuff.
  
  Sorry...
  

  19.8.2011 15:14 #9

• whompus

  I don't think it will help or hurt anything. It is just being removed from help screen. Leaving it there would please the masses that like to know what version they are on, removing it will not help the devs in any way. IMO to help the devs would mean to make a standard core so plugins and such are not tied to (for example) xxxxxx_v5 and is tied to xxxxxx
  

  
  
  Take a minute or two and read some
  http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/
  http://www.afterdawn.com/news/

  19.8.2011 15:55 #10

• Mr-Movies

  It will hurt for problem solving and updating this is the reason rev levels exist. Could you imagine trying to fix something that you are totally blind too, please that just defies common sense. Pretty normal attitude these days I must say!
  

  19.8.2011 17:00 #11

• babysatan

  Originally posted by patrick_: Mr-Movies, you didn't understand my point: One should be able to use software without knowing/caring about the version he's running. You can use the software without knowing/caring about it. Just don't click "Help->About Firefox." I, personally, prefer knowledge to ignorance.
  

  babysatan will rip your soul...
  

  19.8.2011 18:20 #12