Mozilla Firebird gets .8 Release, and New Name

Yage writes "Firebird, the lightweight version of Mozilla gets release 0.8 and changes its name again (remember Phoenix?) to avoid confusion with another OSS project. The new name is Firefox. There's a press release out about the name change and new version. And, as usual, download it from mozilla.org." Worth noting that ThunderBird .5 has been released as well. Update: 02/09 14:55 GMT by H : Thanks to Steve Garrity for pointing out the name change FAQ.

With the way these guys get into name disputes...

[Jerk City Troll]

...it's surprising they didn't name it "Starfox".

(Apologies to Eli. :)

Avoiding Confusion?

[Gudlyf]

What about now, with Craig Thomas's book [bookchecker.com]? I can hear it now:

"What's wrong with your browser, dude?"
"Firefox down, man. Firefox down."

Screw it.

[DarkHelmet]

I'm just gonna call it "The Browser Formerly Known as Firebird" until they can consistently keep the same name for about two years.

Then they'll change the project name to "MozillaSoft Internet Explorer" just to confuse a few chaps.

How about Einei..

[Anonymous Coward]

...for EI is Not IE of course

Movie with Clint Eastwood

[dpilot]

Does this mean that Firefox will have thought-controlled anti-spam and popup suppression?

Re:Totally brutal...

[sweeney37]

let's just hope this stays permanent. it's hard now to have a conversation with someone about the browser and/or the email client.

Person 1: "Hey I just started using Mozilla!"
Person 2: "Oh yeah? 1.5?"
Person 1: "No, .8"
Person 2: "Oh you mean Firebird."
Person 1: "No, I think it's Firefox."
Person 3: "I loved that show on Fox, it's a shame they canceled it."
Person 2: "You're thinking of Firefly."
Person 1: "Wait, was that the one with the marionettes?"
Person 3: "No, I think that's an email client."

Mike

slashdotted

[Lost Dragon]

Firefox 0.8 Our next generation browser is lightning fast in every way. Unless you're trying to download it right now.

Re:Totally brutal...

[JCCyC]

I hope Clint Eastwood doesn't sue them [imdb.com].

Re:Movie with Clint Eastwood

[Chris Mattern]

Yes, but you have to think at it in Russian.

Chris Mattern

Next Name...

[millahtime]

Maybe for the next name they could go with FireShits. Cause eash new name hurts a little more and just burns.

Future name changes we can look forward to..

[Channard]

.. on the project are..

'Kung-Browser'
'Browse-Me-Do'
'Sparrow'
'Mech a-Mozilla'

And in other news, Konami today announced the release of the cut down version of Metal Gear Solid 2 to feature Solid Snake's cousin, Trouser.

*sign* I mean, whatever name you pick, there's going to be some product already out there with a similar name. It's like that Dilbert strip where the only remaining product names were diseases.

Names

[CGP314]

Worth noting that ThunderBird .5 has been released as well.

Don't you mean ThunderFox?

-Colin [colingregorypalmer.net]

Re:Not keen on the name

[azzy]

Yeah.. Firebox is a dumb name, I don't like it either. However Firebird has been renamed to Firefox.. which is a little better.

Name Change

[Anonymous Coward]

I prefer BurnZilla. It matches the stupidity of the Internet

Explaining it to the parents...

[no longer myself]

Mother already has enough trouble with the computer I set up for her, now I have to go through another round of "Will I still be able to get Yahoo with Mozoolah foxfur?"

Sometimes (every waking moment of my day) I regret every trying to get them interested in computers... But I was young and excited back then... Now I cringe when they try to pronounce computer related terms.

Re:With the way these guys get into name disputes.

[spoodie]

If they did it would have to be renamed Lylat Browser for the European market.

Re:Jesus=Gay

[azzy]

11. Prophet????

Re:NOT mozilla-lite

[eraserewind]

How about Browzilla?

Re:The name change was done for a reason

[CGP314]

Imagine what would have happened if this was Firefox 1.0, not Firefox 0.8.

[SARCASM]

Oh the horror!

[/SARCASM]

-Colin [colingregorypalmer.net]

FireChick

[Phoinix]

I do not like the new name. May I suggest the name "FireChick" in reference to a "smaller" bird?

Would make a good movie

[RDW]

I can see it now - Mitchell Gates (Clint Eastwood), elite Microsoft coder and flashback-impaired veteran of the Browser Wars, is sent behind enemy lines to steal the only production prototype of the Firefox, with its revolutionary thought-controlled toolbar technology ("but remember, Mr Gates, you have to _think in XML_!"). The film ends rather abruptly when someone tells him he can download it for free.

Help with name change

[Seahawk]

Just read this fast... ;)

Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Firebird Fireford Fireforx Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox Firefox

Re:How creative

[Anonymous Coward]

If you rename something to prevent confusion with other products don't you think you should avoid something that is already a [long list]

To avoid further confusion, version 0.9 will be given a new, really-truly-final name.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Mozilla Organisation presents - Mozilla Cabbage-Scraunch-O-Echidna-Matique!

Thank you.

Re:Its too bad the names are all unrelated

[krumms]

MozBird, MozFox MozCam sound good too me.

Thank you, because of your horrible suggestions I now feel less irksome about the name "Firefox" ;)

Re:How creative

[Equuleus42]

I think one thing can be said about Slashdot users... We do it using brute force. :^)

My Idea for a new Name:

[His name cannot be s]

Wait for it...

Internet Navigator

TADA!

All is solved. Everyone happy. Best Name Ever. Service While you wait. Operators are standing by. ;P

Re:Totally brutal...

[Anonymous Coward]

I predict in 18 months time, after another 2 name changes, the developers get sick of all the crap related to name changes and we have two very good, quality products from the mozilla team.

Browser 1.0
and
Mail 1.0

And all will be done, and there shall be no confusion, and they then proceed to take over the world like Word, Excel and Office did.

Re:Movie with Clint Eastwood

[Anonymous Coward]

No. In Soviet Russia, Firefox thinks at you!

Re:needs to integrate better

[Anonymous Coward]

Wow. You've remapped ^C to be your backspace? Does that mean your program kill is ^H?

Holy Volkswagen!

[W1K-Galoot]

Way to go from connotations of the zippy fast Pontiac Firebird to the poky VW Fox in one easy step. Beautiful choice.

Next step: Firepinto. Or maybe Firegremlin.

Re:Names

[glassesmonkey]

No, to match FireFox, they are planning to keep with the "Fire" theme and will rename ThunderBird to FireBird

Re:With the way these guys get into name disputes.

[rixstep]

'Samantha Fox' [151.196.192.190] would also have been appropriate. After all, the Gecko engine makes it a bit top-heavy.

Re:marketing school

[ozbird]

Is Mozilla Lite just too obvious for them?!

Apparently. Rumour has it the next release will be called "iMozilla-NG Xtreme" - something for everyone, I guess.

Do you understand what Jr means?

[njchick]

It's not unusual for Mr. Foo Jr. to replace Mr. Foo in the long term. In fact, Mozilla Jr. is an excellent idea.

Re:Help with name change

[adamjaskie]

AHH!! A Phoenix! A Phoenix!! Ahhhh, its a Phoenix!!!

Firebird Firebird Firebird...

sorry...

Re:marketing school

[GWTPict]

AAAAGHHH. It's spelt light, lite is the creation of some semi literate PR bunny and we hates it, we hates it. Don't we Precious?

BFKAF...

[sunhorse]

Browser Formerly Known as Firebird - that's what I'm gonna call it from now on.

Re:straight from the ftp directory

[NiteHaqr]

Grendel - wonder who that runs on a Beowulf cluster........

Re:We can just say...

[sepluv]

No..no! Firefox(TM) did not used to be Firebird (at least not directly)!

It is canonically tbfkaMFtwgtbkaM(B)twfkaM(T)FiUAs&ctwfkfafhaFBbotFD BpctwfkaFbPTIttstwfkaP -- the browser formerly known as Mozilla Firebird that was going to be known as Mozilla (Browser) that was formerly known as Mozilla(TM) Firebird in UA strings &c that was formerly known for a few hours as Firebird Browser, because of the FirebirdDB peeps complaining, that was formerly known as Firebird, because Phoenix Technologies Inc. threatened to sue, that was formerly known as Phoenix.

As someone who has loved the browser since 0.1, they can call it DogCrap(TM) for all I care (and I'm sure most other users agree).

Seriously though, I really think the new Firefox name is very clear, strong, easy-to-say, unique and the logo is really cool as well as red pandas being sooo cute. I can also see that it was probably a good idea to get a totally unique short strong brand name before starting the pre-1.0 marketing campaign and definitely before realeasing 1.0.

Re:firefox

[Anonymous Coward]

The same people who would confuse a bios with a web browser.

Re:Dammit.

[Gyan]

The permanent cname change should be to "The Browser Formerly Known as Something Else".

Why bother with the numbers...

[ZipR]

when they change the name with every release?

Re:With the way these guys get into name disputes.

[WWWWolf]

When asked about his favorite browser for the PowerBook he uses aboard Great Fox, Fox McCloud only said "Hi-yah!!!" [supersmashbros.com] and jumped a couple of dozen meters on the air with a nice fire effect.

Fox McCloud rules. Mozilla Firebird rules. Therefore, Mozilla Firefox rules absolutely. =) I was already worried that Nintendo was going to take Firebird/Thunderbird/Icebird(?) and do something Pokemon-themed out of them (Moltres/Zapdos/Articuno), but now, they can focus on games that matter more. Thank God Nintendo hasn't trademarked the names of the moves or anything. Now excuse me, I need more coffee. =)

How about.. Xine for

[Anonymous Coward]

"Xtreme iKozilla is NOT IE"

Re:How creative

[verrucagnome]

The only good names that are left are 'placenta' and 'phlegm'.

Yet another vote for Monster Island

[frankie]

As I said last time [slashdot.org], the correct name for Mozilla Jr/Lite, aka Phoenix, etc, is obvious once you go back to etymological roots: Mozooki [google.com] !!!

C'mon Gerv [slashdot.org], get with the program already

Firefox technology secret orgins unveiled.

[rafael_es_son]

I bet you didn't know the technologies underlying Firefox (or .8) were initially developed by the soviet military during the early 1980's. "A prototype jet fighter that can be partially controlled by a hyperlink [imdb.com]."

Re:NOT mozilla-lite

[smack_attack]

The Japanese name was Gojira. You really think they would be able to pronounce the L?

so, after...

[neko9]

ten name changes we will just call it <beavis&butthead> Fire!Fire!Fire! eheheheeeheeheheeeeehhhh </beavis&butthead>

Re:I tried Firebird 1.5 on slack...

[AKnightCowboy]

Maybe he's talking about the database, hence the name change due to confusion. :-)

Re:firefox

[mwood]

Enough, already! I'm going to get myself a small whiteboard, and every week I'll accept one update on the name of this product so that I can write "Firebird = Phoenix" or "Firefox = Phoenix" or "Bruce = Phoenix" or whatever, and then I'm just going to call it Phoenix no matter how many twists and turns the project's name takes. Ugh.

(Wishing I had a link to that Dilbert strip about a preliminary preplanning meeting to think up a name for a project.)

They STOLE the name

[mnmn]

I had a go-kart for racing that I named firefox and applied for trademark protection. I thought firefox was unique enough and I believe the courts will stand with me on this one.

So I will have to sue these guys, in case my friends confuse a browser with my kart.

Re:NOT mozilla-lite

[Joe U]

We shall call it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday!

Re:Do you understand what Jr means?

[Peter La Casse]

Firefox *is* younger and less mature. For now. When he reaches adulthood he'll undoubtedly prefer the more snooty "II".

Re:Totally brutal...

[ndogg]

G**-F&$!ING-DAMN! Every good name out there is taking, almost. I propose the name Hbleghtek. I'm fairly certain that one isn't used.

Must think in Russian...

[Mondoz]

A thought-controlled browser? Sign me up!!

firefox icon scandal

[tippergore]

Has anybody noticed that the new icon for the file extensions that firefox takes over (like .html, .gif, etc) is basically a gigantic fox humping the earth?

Awesome. I see a slogan somewhere in there.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Get your latest mail dump?

[Anonymous Coward]

So that the mail component will still sound like the browser, ThunderBird is also changing its name, to ThunderBox [slanguage.com]

Re:NOT mozilla-lite

[sharkey]

How about Browzilla?

A giant lizard with eyebrows like Eugene Levy?

Doesn't a FireFox kinda look like a...

[CritterNYC]

Is it just me? Or does a FireFox [20gallery-redpanda.htm] kinda look like a badger [badgerbadgerbadger.com]?

Maybe they should have named it Mozilla Badger. They'd have an instant theme song.

Re:Totally brutal...

[FLEB]

What about the H.B. Legh Corporation, makers of the noted business growth and growth-business management software "HBLeghTek"?