what a whinny biyatch!!

Why can't they just present the browsers in a random order, so that every user sees a differently-ordered list, and not have one browser pre-selected. That way, every browser gets their fair share of being at the top, and no bias is shown.

Safari is way better than Firefox on any platform. Can firefox pass the acid test with 100%?

they ought to randomize the ordering.

Why can't the ordering be random?

Why should the order be random? Alphabetical makes the most sense.

Somebody call the whaaaaaaaa-mbulance?

i think it's funny as f*ck, Mozilla who got behind this thing to start with still don't get their own way despite "winning" with the ballot box

I mean please...! They finally get what they supposedly want and that's no default IE on windows in Europe, but see that's what they publicly want... What they really want is people to use their browser. I can't blame them, but they should now be angry with users for just picking what's at the top of the list.

Or, better yet they should sue Apple because having a company name that starts with an "A" gives them an unfair market advantage.... That would make them look like a real class act. I'm all about fairness in the marketplace, and everyone knows that something has to be done about MS's unfair business practices, but whining because alphabetic order gives unfair advantage is a pot of crock... !

...oh, please, complaining like a bitchy milk sucker... it makes me sick!
Maybe people out there CAN and KNOWS HOW TO choose a browser?

I'd never choose IE even if it was on the top of the list with shiny lights all around and a gospel choir singing hallelujah...

Sooo stupid from Mozilla (whose Firefox is currently installed on my Mac, just for your knowledge).

Why don't change their name from Mozilla to ACME Browser Co, Or AAA Browser and Plumbing?

...what is an appropriate *unbiased* way to present a list of items in a GUI?

A circle instead of a list? How about a row of images that slowly rotate through the choices? Like Civ Revolutions does with the images of the leaders?

What if they stick ActiveX as a must have for the ballots system to work. What browser works with that except IE.

I think some pick Safari because Safari is the browser on the more expensive computers, in the popular mind anyway. If there was a Mercedes brand browser they'd probably pick that instead. ;) It is also a name that harks to a romanticized European past compared to Firefox which sounds very American and aggressive.

I definitely don't think the order had anything to do with it, people aren't that stupid. It is almost surely related to image and perception though not necessarily performance.

I agree with the above poster that alphabetical makes more sense than random.

Why they don't just propose the ballot screen as a flash-based or so spinning wheel with the icons moving around the circle? and of course a description of the browser that the user is selecting at the moment? that could be the most fair, unordered and random system... no ones first, no ones last

Listed By Market Share, yeah I can really see the EU going for that......Not! They are more likely to give the little guys the advantage, so if they went down that road, Opera would probably be first.

Adding the icons in a row would be a good idea (I don't know if they are doing this already). The user will pick the icon they are familiar with, which for Windows users would be IE and Firefox.

Anyway this is all quite petty, and I think ultimately it will come down to performance and usability. Windows has never given users the option to install Firefox before, but their market share has been rising because it's a good browser, I can't see that changing.

I think they underestimate the average european user. Many people, not only techies are familiar with Firefox. In my experience, they even call it just Mozilla, so they will know what to choose.

Why include the names at all? Just label them 'a', 'b', 'c' etc.
NO bias! :)
And it should please Mozilla since they apparently don't think people know what they want anyway!

Maybe they use it for the same reason I do, because Firefox keeps getting bigger and slower and buggier. On my old MAcbook pro both Safari and Firefox became problematic at times but on my NEW Macbook Pro under Snow Leopard Safari runs like a Top, Firefox still takes over 1 minute to start up and get going and if I ma unlucky enough the Box asking "Firefox quit unexpectedly last time, do you wish to start where you left off...." That takes another 30 seconds to accept the answer etc.. Its crap now, which is too bad when it started it was great.

Ahh... finally I can type again. I've been laughing to tears. Took me 30 minutes to read this article due to that.


It was already ridiculous that MS had to offer an option in the Union while Apple and others can bundle browsers, text editors and what do I know not with their system without having to do this... but this reaction... such jealousy and unreasonable egoism without any regard for MS or the others 'on the list', not to mention believing they should force their choice on their users - I don't believe in 'first choice top of the list' but they apparently do, so in that regard...


Priceless, just priceless :')

What's the big deal about being first on the left of five items?

I'd be more pissed off that IE arranged to be smack dab in the middle.

Being a web developer, I hate IE. It's hell to design for, 6,7 and 8.

But, Microsoft should be bale to include their own web browser with their product. It's like telling apple they can't include iPhoto anymore, because Google offers picasa. It makes no sense. If mozilla wants to be the default Browser, they can create their own OS, and set it as the default.