# Concern about WebExtensions exclusive strategy from add-on authors and users

**URL:** <https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/concern-about-webextensions-exclusive-strategy-from-add-on-authors-and-users/13310>\
**Category:** Mozillians\
**Created:** [January 31, 2017, 1:59pm UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/concern-about-webextensions-exclusive-strategy-from-add-on-authors-and-users/13310 "2017-01-31T13:59:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 34

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**Author:** ![grahamperrin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/discourse.mozilla.org/grahamperrin/32/17266_2.png) [@grahamperrin](https://discourse.mozilla.org/u/grahamperrin)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 10:20am UTC](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/concern-about-webextensions-exclusive-strategy-from-add-on-authors-and-users/13310/34 "2017-11-01T10:20:38Z")

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I look forward to watching _Who Moved My Cheese_ – thanks!

## Cheese and spam

Off-topic from WebExtensions APIs, but relevant to `addons.mozilla.org` (receiving great attention in connection with the transition to Firefox 57): I _do_ think of cheese whenever I find mis-placement of an extension in a category or collection. Yesterday for example:

> [@Favorite WebExtensions?](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/favorite-webextensions/17087/96):
>
> … Information overload – thirty pages.
> 
> … at least two listings seem irrelevant to organisation.

Metaphorically: it’s miscategorising **knives as types of cheese** , because a knife _might_ be used to cut or spread cheese. It’s simply wrong …

… and when misplacements significantly increase the information overload, there’s a sense of being spammed by AMO. If I’m shopping for edible cheese: be relevant – offer me cheese, don’t use inedible knives to obscure my view of the cheeses. If I’m shopping for tab-related extensions: offer me only what’s relevant. If I’m shopping for an organisational tool: offer me only that type of extension. And so on.

Back on topic …

> [@mediapuck](#):
>
> … a less frenzy schedule …

💯

I hope that developers and other contributors at Mozilla and elsewhere will [avoid burn-out](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/-/2944).

I’m allowing a few months for transition, for mature uses of WebExtensions APIs. Other users will be less patient.

## Alternatives/complements to Firefox

> [@mediapuck](#):
>
> … need to use Waterfox for a while. …

[A few days ago](https://mozilla.logbot.info/firefox/20171026#c13749170), in IRC:

> I have yet to see a balanced blog post that puts, in perspective, some of the alternatives that people are looking towards. To be honest I have not sought one but none of what I see in IRC refers to any such post so … I smell an absence.

[Later](https://mozilla.logbot.info/firefox/20171026#c13749429):

> … sorry, I was distracted from the ‘alternatives to Firefox’ shortlist stuff.

(I’m compiling a shortlist, but I’m not a blogger.)

@amyt as you are _Community Manager for Add-ons and Marketplace_ please, can you point us towards a **reasonably balanced blog post**?

I foresee things becoming **extremely** heated in IRC with vents of steam from people who will be surprised by losses of functionality with 57. It will be easier to keep users on board if there’s a single, reasonably **authoritative point of reference**.

(Wikipedia’s [list of web browsers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers) is fairly comprehensive, but it’s not the type of thing that can help to guide a passionate user of Firefox through a period of transition that ends with renewed, or continued, use of Firefox.)

Thanks

* * *

Other essentials will include:

- points of reference for users who wish to downgrade (if, technically, there is no downgrade path) from **57.x to 56.x** or from **57.x to ESR 52.x**.

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.mozilla.org/t/concern-about-webextensions-exclusive-strategy-from-add-on-authors-and-users/13310)._