This is the same organization that feels that producing a MSI installer for Windows or providing some other way to customize the installation/patching experience is a waste of time.
Security updates are a bigger deal. Auto-update doesn't cut it with large networks with constrained bandwidth or where users don't have admin rights. When you use sane installers, that problem magically disappears.
My previous employer was willing to invest some $ to give back to Mozilla for just this purpose, but was unable to contact anyone at Moz who gave a crap.
My current employer gave up -- we automatically uninstall Firefox as it appears. Our primary browser is now Chrome -- 80% of intranet hits are Chrome today. Chrome addresses most of these issues, and my users are happy. (Except for the users of some Oracle app that uses IE6)
The Mozilla people are fat and happy because of the ad deal that they have with Google. When Google decides that they don't need Firefox anymore, the Moz folks will probably wish they hadn't given a virtual finger to all IT folks.
They also provide a patched version of Firefox that supports management via Group Policy and a tool that lets you generate a MSI of firefox bundled with extensions.
Is it implemented as a UI of Gmail, or is it its own site?
What's news is that Google is putting its full weight behind the idea, including a slick implementation. And it might turn out to be a better alternative to Facebook, which would mean a big shift in the markets over the next few years.
Ideas are a dime a dozen. Implementation is everything.
Google decided to go forward with this project because the corporation will greatly benefit if it succeeds. Mozilla does not have the correct payoff to take the risk.
"LYCOS KEEPS YOU IN THE LOOP WITH CIRCLES, A UNIQUE, NEW SOCIAL SHARING PLATFORM" -- from 2004.
I have LOTS of friend lists on Facebook. I have Close Friends, Family, Teacher/RA/Restricted, Strangers and then my cohorts broken down by class for various reasons. Now, sometimes Facebook extrapolates from privacy settings for a post and changes my global privacy setting which is annoying but it's trivial to keep an eye on it.
But basically, my geeky posts get my cohorts, my funny posts get posted openly and my rants about drug policy or whatever are blocked from my family.
