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<blockquote class=" cite" id="mid_4FFA3F0F_8080902_beonex_com"
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This decision is a clear loss, if not even violation, of most
principles in the manifesto (which happen to capture the Mozilla
spirit fairly well):<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www.mozilla.org/about/manifesto.en.html">http://www.mozilla.org/about/manifesto.en.html</a><br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_0" type="cite">
<ol>
<li>The Internet is an integral part of modern life–a key
component
in education, communication, collaboration, business,
entertainment
and society as a whole.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
All true for "Email is an ...", and email is a core part of
"Internet"<br>
</blockquote>
Agree.<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="mid_4FFA3F0F_8080902_beonex_com"
cite="mid:4FFA3F0F.8080902@beonex.com" type="cite">
<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_1" type="cite">
<ol>
<li>The Internet is a global public resource that must remain
open and
accessible.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
Webmail is definitely not open. You're totally dependent on the
features and limitations the provider offers.<br>
</blockquote>
true.<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="mid_4FFA3F0F_8080902_beonex_com"
cite="mid:4FFA3F0F.8080902@beonex.com" type="cite">
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_2" type="cite">
<ol>
<li>The Internet should enrich the lives of individual human
beings.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
Being reduced to webmail as choice surely isn't an enrichment for
individuals, only an enrichment for Google.<br>
</blockquote>
or msn, yahoo ... etc.<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="mid_4FFA3F0F_8080902_beonex_com"
cite="mid:4FFA3F0F.8080902@beonex.com" type="cite">
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_3" type="cite">
<ol>
<li>Individuals' security on the Internet is fundamental and
cannot be
treated as optional.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
Privacy goes out the door with webmail.<br>
Even integrity: The ISP can even alter the message contents years
after the fact, and I have no way to verify or prove this. (see
e.g.
scandals)<br>
</blockquote>
<b>loss of privacy and fidelity</b>: these are the parts I am most
scared about. <br>
<br>
<b>Fidelity: </b>One thing is that html mail with css is relatively
new thing and it seems now that the html compatibility of email is
ignored and scrapped by things like webmail views, even new unified
conversation views (within Thunderbird) etc. which all feels like a
giant step backwards. Turning the mail application into a Kiosk
certainly doesn't work for people who have a need for advanced
email features. The choice should not be Kiosk vs. Outlook.<br>
<br>
<b>Privacy: </b>the argument is tricky as email is necessarily
server based and with IMAP you also depend on an external server to
archive & manage your mail (and quotas!). But generally webmail
does not allow backing up to local storage (and cleaning up on the
server without loosing data) so IMO that is the biggest drawback. <br>
<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="mid_4FFA3F0F_8080902_beonex_com"
cite="mid:4FFA3F0F.8080902@beonex.com" type="cite">
<br>
If everybody has webmail, there's not even a reason for the ISP to
offer IMAP or POP3.<br>
</blockquote>
there is a trend with ISPs not to offer SMTP servers anymore, so
again people are forced to use gmail. For an average user it is
actually hard to find free SMTP alternatives.<br>
<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="mid_4FFA3F0F_8080902_beonex_com"
cite="mid:4FFA3F0F.8080902@beonex.com" type="cite">
<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_4" type="cite">
<ol>
<li>Individuals must have the ability to shape their own
experiences
on the Internet.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<br>
Most definitely a loss here. This is one of the reasons that get
at
me most with this decision.<br>
<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_5" type="cite">
<ol>
<li>The effectiveness of the Internet as a public resource
depends
upon interoperability (protocols, data formats, content),
innovation
and decentralized participation worldwide.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<br>
~20% of the world's users (and raising quickly) all being on gmail
is a scary centralization. With centralization, no need for
interoperability - old story.<br>
<br>
Where do you think Thunderbird users will go now? Eudora? No,
Gmail.
Definitely loss here.<br>
<br>
<blockquote class=" cite" id="Cite_6" type="cite">
<ol>
<li>Free and open source software promotes the development of
the
Internet as a public resource.</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
<br>
I can't modify gmail webmail.<br>
<br>
Even in the remote chance that we would build the world leading
webmail software, it would still be the ISP rolling out and
controlling it, and probably modifying it. Loss.<br>
</blockquote>
not necessarily this is about browserId (or persona), so I believe
the plan is to build some encrypted data stores with data access
fully controlled by the users, and this could well be extended to
email.<br>
<br>
cheers<br>
Axel<br>
<br>
<br>
<div id="mySignature" style="width: 65%; padding: 0.8em 1.2em;
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<b class="myName" style="text-shadow: 1px 1px 2px
#DDD;cursor:pointer;-moz-transition-property:font-size;
-moz-transition-duration: 0.5s;">Axel Grude</b>
<br>
Software Developer
<br>
Thunderbird Add-ons Developer
<span style="color:#666666; font-size:xx-small">(QuickFolders,
quickFilters, QuickPasswords, Zombie Keys, SmartTemplate4)</span>
<br>
AMO Editor </div>
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