: Thunderbirds are Pro: Open-source email client to get message hosting, appointment scheduling, more
  • jagged_circle@feddit.nlEnglish
    2·
    17 minutes ago

    Uh oh. The reason gmail is profitable is because they see all your emails and sell your profile to others.

    I dont want Mozilla doing that.

  • Rozaŭtuno@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    9·
    10 hours ago

    Sounds like good news. I just hope they won’t put some bullshit in the TOS saying they can scan your emails to train their AI.

  • brisk@aussie.zone
    24·
    17 hours ago

    I really hope this doesn’t impact the client too significantly. A substantial part of why I use Thunderbird is to keep out of these “ecosystems”.

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipEnglish
      129·
      16 hours ago

      I’m sure Mozilla will run a heathy and sustainable project straight into the ground.

      That’s what they do

  • maniacalmanicmania@aussie.zone
    493·
    20 hours ago

    Thunderbird is funded by donations and operates under the MZLA banner.

    These articles today are doing a disservice to the Thunderbird team who work independently of Mozilla afaik.

    • lemmeBe@sh.itjust.works
      4·
      9 hours ago

      Independently of the Mozilla team, yes.

      However, my understanding is that, if Thunderbird were to become hugely profitable, the Mozilla Foundation would benefit financially, though indirectly.

      The organizational structure:

      • Mozilla Foundation = parent organization
      • MZLA Technologies Corporation (which owns Thunderbird) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation
      • Mozilla Corporation (which produces Firefox) is also a subsidiary of the Foundation

      When Thunderbird moved to MZLA Technologies Corporation in January 2020, this was specifically done to allow Thunderbird to “collect revenue through partnerships and non-charitable donations”.

      As a wholly owned subsidiary, any profits generated by MZLA would ultimately flow back to its parent organization, the Mozilla Foundation.

      In the end, that revenue would probably go to all the smart investments we’ve seen the Mozilla Foundation make over the previous years. 🙄

      • Vincent@feddit.nl
        2·
        10 hours ago

        You’re right, but I think “hugely profitable” is probably optimistic - I’d expect something to the level of Proton or Fastmail. Fine, but not a big money maker like Firefox is.

    • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipEnglish
      22·
      16 hours ago

      Thunderbird really needs to be a totally separate thing

      Mozilla is the new Google at this point. Google set the bar in hell so everyone else can get away with a lot.

  • fireshell@lemmy.mlEnglish
    1·
    9 hours ago

    A big step forward for Mozilla on the “mail” side. Diversification of income. Advertising in the browser was not to everyone’s liking, but you have to make money somehow. On the private mail service with the transfer of large files in the form of cryptocontainer… They’ll make a normal one the clients for Android and iOS… Link to Mozilla Account… This is the right way, one of them. And see integration with various approaches to trusted AI (trusted exactly, without transferring user data to the cloud). That’s the right way, too. A very appropriate response to tectonic changes in the external environment.

  • madjo@feddit.nl
    632·
    23 hours ago

    They’re looking for a sustainable revenue stream because the Google subsidy is bound to dry up.

    • SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de
      402·
      22 hours ago

      if they manage to make it an actual good product and also not host it in the US, they might even be able to pull it off

        • LWD@lemm.ee
          22·
          20 hours ago

          Until the lawsuit between Steve Teixeira and Mozilla reveals the truth, I’m going to withhold my judgment about how fascistic Mozilla was internally.

          Teixeira claimed Mozilla conducted an audit that found them pretty lacking in the equality department IIRC, and Mozilla’s own lawyers disputed many things but not that.

      • FarraigePlaisteach@lemmy.world
        3·
        17 hours ago

        I’d need to be able to choose a non-US server too. And even then, all the major tech firms breached EU laws by later transferring data back to the US. But if I had to trust an American company Mozilla would be among the better choices.

    • Captain Beyond@linkage.ds8.zone
      121·
      20 hours ago

      Thunderbird and Firefox are developed by separate companies (both under the Mozilla Foundation). Thunderbird is funded through donations. Firefox is funded through (among other sources, such as Pocket and advertisements) the Google search deal. As far as I know it’s not legally feasible (or even possible) for the Firefox money to go to Thunderbird or vice versa.

  • -☂️-@lemmy.ml
    232·
    21 hours ago

    when they said they would look for a way to monetize firefox i was worried, but this is actually great if they make a good service.

  • unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de
    317·
    23 hours ago

    Ah yes the move from software developer to service provider. Smells like en(shit)tification.

    Lets hope they do this right unlike everyone else.

  • network_switch@lemmy.ml
    151·
    22 hours ago

    Always felt like this needed to happen for long time now. I guess now better than never. Got to figure out a business model. Reselling Mullvad as Firefox VPN was a start. I feel like everything that Proton does, Firefox should be doing but with a Linux file manager application

  • jackalope@lemmy.ml
    111·
    22 hours ago

    This is great news!

    People should check out thunderbird appointments if they haven’t.

  • twinnie@feddit.uk
    73·
    22 hours ago

    I hope they’re going to keep the late 90s theme from Thunderbird. Maybe a dancing baby gif.