Hello - Recently, Mozilla's Firefox browser introduced a few new features that got me to remove Firefox on my Windows PC altogether. The features were Hello, Camera Access (Android), and screen-sharing. Every single one of those features did not sit well with me from a security perspective. On top of that, Firefox seems to be splitting away from the Gecko engine, the Gecko engine was the main reason for my using Firefox in the first place - because I disliked the functional model of WebKits. If I wanted a WebKit, I'd have used Chrome.
Then there is the interface - I prefer the Firefox 1 interface... in fact, I prefer the Netscape Navigator 4's interface even better - practical and informational. I like my status bar, and all my buttons showing all the time, even if disabled. I like status indicators, which includes grayed-out buttons. I also prefer the old settings screen where the browser remembers the last settings tab, and I can see all the settings without scrolling. I am still amazed at the fact that Firefox would just abandon their core fans and move away to cater to others. Debian's Gnome uses Iceweasel much like Windows uses IE. MY QUESTION: Would Iceweasel also be incorporating those bothersome features in the near future? If so, would it be possible to use Debian without Iceweasel or any Mozilla product? Window 7 coming to an end in 2020, and Windows 10 being essentially spyware, I am seriously looking for an alternative system. I have been using Debian on my 2nd computer for a few years now and I am quite comfortable with the basics of the operating system so Debian is my first choice. But if Iceweasel incorporates those Firefox features, I would have to also switch away from Debian. Thanks. - hk
