Membranophonist’s Ramblings

An interesting presentation by Brendan Eich (seems to require a Gecko-based browser for proper layout and navigation) discussing some possible future directions for the Mozilla project.

What I’d like to see

• Out-of-the-box SVG support

SVG is too cool to be languishing the way it is. I’d have some spiffy graphics on my weblog if SVG were supported by anything other than custom builds of Mozilla and/or Firefox! The potential for graphically rich, but bandwidth-friendly content could be realized by SVG.

• Better native UI integration

I love the speed and extensibility of Firefox, but it just doesn’t feel right under OS X. The XUL-based Gecko browsers fit a bit better with GNOME, but the native GTK+ browsers such as Epiphany and Galeon still have a more integrated, organic feel. In my experience, they feel even less natural when using KDE.

• Easier XUL for next-generation cross-platform Web apps

Beat Microsoft to the punch by allowing any platform (not just those running Longhorn) to run applications designed to deliver custom functions and services over a network. There are a few out there, but I guess most developers either don’t know about XUL or find it too difficult to use. Perhaps team up with major e-commerce sites to provide a custom shopping app written in XUL… Break us out of the browser - it’s really not the best interface for many things.

Given Microsoft’s direction with WVG and Indigo, I have a real concern that they will divide the Internet and its next-gen services into Those Who Use Longhorn and Those Who Do Not. By providing great tools for authoring connected applications and content, the Mozilla organization can help maintain the openness of the Internet.