The About:Firefox Study

mozilla

The Latest Study

While previous Test Pilot studies (e.g. the Firefox Main Window, Menu Item Usage, and Tab Switch studies) have largely focused on user experience and usage data, the Test Pilot extension is flexible enough to capture a wide range of other data related to the Firefox browser. The ‘About:Firefox’ Study is a 1-day study implemented to record configuration and performance information for our product and engineering teams.

The study will take a snapshot of memory use statistics, plug-in information, graphics card configuration, and modified preferences (information that can be viewed in ‘about:support’ and ‘about:memory’). As always, we are careful to avoid collecting any sensitive or personally identifiable information. The ‘About:Firefox’ Study will only capture information on a pre-defined set of preferences; we’ve made sure to blacklist any preferences that might contain sensitive data, such as homepage settings.

By submitting this data, you will help our product and engineering teams prioritize development efforts and create a more efficient browser!

Test Champion: Christopher Jung, Data Analyst, Mozilla Metrics.
Test Duration: 1 day.
Test Version: Firefox 3.6.x and Firefox 4 Beta

Privacy

Security and privacy are priorities for Mozilla, especially when dealing with user data. Test Pilot privacy settings give users control over their data – these privacy settings include:

  • Participants’ data will be transmitted to Mozilla only when they take all of the following actions:
    * Join the Firefox 4 Beta program by downloading the beta with the Feedback Add-On.
    * Submit data when the test is finished. Participants will be able to review all data before choosing whether or not to submit it.

  • Test data will be stored anonymously and in aggregate. None of it will be publicly associated with any personally identifiable information.
  • Participants can quit a Test Pilot study before they submit any test data.
  • Participants can opt-out from all user studies or disable the Feedback Add-On itself at any time. Learn more.

Get Involved!

  • If you are testing Firefox 4 Beta, the Feedback Add-On will notify you before the study starts, at which point you can view a detailed study description and choose to opt-out of the study if you wish. For more information on how Test Pilot in Firefox 4 beta works, please see the “How it Will Work” section here .
  • If you are not running Firefox 4 Beta, what are you waiting for? We invite you to get on the latest beta to participate in this study. Help test the future of Firefox by downloading the latest Firefox 4 Beta!
  • And of course, please share your questions and suggestions in the Test Pilot discussion group or on Twitter.