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An Open Web App Store

227 responses

Web developers are expressing interest in an app store model for the Web that would enable them to get paid for their efforts without having to abandon Web development in exchange for proprietary silos, each with their own programming language and SDK, variable and sometimes opaque review processes, and limited reach.

Supporting the needs of Web developers in their efforts to develop websites and apps that aren’t bound to a specific browser and work across the Web is core to Mozilla’s public benefit mission.

And so we’ve been actively exploring what an Open Web App Store would need to look like to ensure the long-term health and vitality of the Web as an incredibly open and accessible platform for innovation.

What does it mean to be an Open Web App Store? As a starting point, we are proposing a set of high-level principles.

An Open Web App Store should:

  • exclusively host web applications based upon HTML5, CSS, Javascript and other widely-implemented open standards in modern web browsers — to avoid interoperability, portability and lock-in issues
  • ensure that discovery, distribution and fulfillment works across all modern browsers, wherever they run (including on mobile devices)
  • set forth editorial, security and quality review guidelines and processes that are transparent and provide for a level playing field
  • respect individual privacy by not profiling and tracking individual user behavior beyond what’s strictly necessary for distribution and fulfillment
  • be open and accessible to all app producers and app consumers

Let’s start the discussion.  What do you think is important?

227 comments on “An Open Web App Store”

  1. Ping from Mozilla Shows Off Plans for an Open Web App Store | Tech Alps on

    […] first heard mumblings from Mozilla about this “Open app store” for the web back in May, only one day after Google announced its own app store for its Chrome browser and web-based Chrome […]

  2. Ping from Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem | on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a reaction to […]

  3. Ping from Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem | Recopylator on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a quick reaction to […]

  4. Ping from Mozilla entrega detalles de su futura tienda de aplicaciones | Noticias del Cerebro Digital on

    […] para la web” llamada Chrome Web Store. Al día siguiente del anuncio de Google, Mozilla también dijo que crearía una tienda de aplicaciones web, llamada Open Web App […]

  5. Ping from Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem | ultimategolftraining.com on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a reaction to […]

  6. Ping from Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem | Observantebb57's Blog on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a reaction to […]

  7. Ping from Mozilla To Open Their Open Web App Ecosystem, Chrome Web Store Already Launched | Take A Plunge on

    […] for the web called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App […]

  8. Ping from Mozilla Shows Off Plans for an Open Web App Store | Programming Blog on

    […] first heard mumblings from Mozilla about this “Open app store” for the web back in May, only one day after Google announced its own app store for its Chrome browser and web-based Chrome […]

  9. Ping from Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem | w4d.info | web information from various source on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a quick reaction to […]

  10. Ping from Media Blog » Blog Archive » Mozilla Shows Off Plans for an Open Web App Store on

    […] first heard mumblings from Mozilla about this “Open app store” for the web back in May, only one day after Google announced its own app store for its Chrome browser and web-based Chrome […]

  11. Ping from Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem « Gadget Fee on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a quick reaction to […]

  12. Ping from Jaibreak and Pimp Your iTouch » Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a reaction to […]

  13. Ping from Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem | Parchedbigot23's Blog on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a reaction to […]

  14. Ping from Mozilla Shows Off Plans for an Open Web App Store | Al Terry Gough on

    […] first heard mumblings from Mozilla about this “Open app store” for the web back in May, only one day after Google announced its own app store for its Chrome browser and web-based Chrome […]

  15. Ping from Mozilla Beats Google with Open Web App Store Preview | Handys Tipps on

    […] of the Chrome Web store at is Google I/O developer conference in May; days later, Mozilla then announced plans for its own Web app […]

  16. Ping from 왜 오픈 웹스토어가 필요한가? :: Channy's Blog on

    […] 기술을 지지하는 입장이고, 지난 5월 선택 가능한 대안으로서 오픈웹스토어에 대한 논의를 시작한바 […]

  17. Ping from The Far Edge » Blog Archive » Ahead Of Chrome Web Store, Mozilla Outlines Their Open Web App Ecosystem on

    […] web, which they called the Chrome Web Store. A day later, Mozilla, makers of rival browser Firefox, stated their plans for an Open Web App Store. Mozilla’s post on the matter was clearly a quick reaction to […]

  18. Ping from Get Ready for the Open Web App stores | Think Vitamin on

    […] Mozilla’s announcement on their blog […]

  19. Ping from Get Ready for the Open Web App stores | Programming Blog on

    […] Mozilla’s announcement on their blog […]

  20. Ping from Get Ready for the Open Web App stores | Feed2 on

    […] Mozilla’s announcement on their blog […]

  21. Ping from Sprint Building a Mobile Webapp Marketplace. | Wap Review on

    […] solving the discoverability and monetization problems. There will be others, including Google and Mozilla who are working on web app stores, but Sprint and Openwave, along with others like OpenAppMkt are […]

  22. Ping from How To Build Your Next Mobile App? (Cleverly) « Ido's Blog on

    […] OS & Mozilla App Store with their HTML5 concept. You can see more and more HTML5 apps that give you the look & feel of […]

  23. Trackback from Thank you...... on

    Thank you……

    Have you ever considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers more entertained? I mean I just read through the entire article of yours and it was quite good but since I抦 more of a visual learner,I found that to be more helpful. Jus…

  24. Ping from Mozilla Confirms an App Store Is on the Way | PCWorld Middle East on

    […] App Store, of course, Google has been working on its own Chrome Web Store as well. Mozilla also mentioned similar plans back in […]

  25. Ping from Mozilla Confirms an App Store Is on the Way (PC World) | News on

    […] from the success of Apple’s App Store, of course, Google has been working on its own mentioned similar plans back in […]

  26. Ping from The Android Developer forum Blog » Mozilla Confirms an App Store Is on the Way on

    […] App Store, of course, Google has been working on its own Chrome Web Store as well. Mozilla also mentioned similar plans back in […]

  27. Ping from Mozilla Confirms an App Store Is on the Way (PC World) | Web Resources on

    […] from the success of Apple’s App Store, of course, Google has been working on its own mentioned similar plans back in […]

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    […] from the success of Apple’s App Store, of course, Google has been working on its own mentioned similar plans back in […]

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    […] from the success of Apple’s App Store, of course, Google has been working on its own mentioned similar plans back in […]

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    […] inspirację z sukcesu Apple App Store, oczywiście, Google pracuje nad własnym wymienionych podobnych planów w […]

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    […] inspirację z sukcesu Apple App Store, oczywiście, Google pracuje nad własnym wymienionych podobnych planów w […]

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    […] inspirację z sukcesu Apple App Store, oczywiście, Google pracuje nad własnym wymienionych podobnych planów w […]

  33. Mindclay wrote on

    How does this compare to the new Chrome App Store?

  34. Glen Hopkins wrote on

    It is a good news for wordpress users that there is another helpful wp tool. Since wp already allows open searching of web application, users can now download their desired apps easily.

  35. retarder ejaculation wrote on

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  36. evden eve nakliyat wrote on

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  37. evden eve nakliyat wrote on

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  38. evden eve nakliyat wrote on

    evden eve nakliyat thank you….

  39. Thomas wrote on

    I use mozilla every day. It’s my main browser. I was told to look a google chrome but I haven’t had a chance on reviewing it. Well, 2011 is here now. This year should be interesting to see what culminates.

  40. Houston Website Design wrote on

    thanks for write up! Keep up the great work, mozilla!

  41. Houston Chiropractor wrote on

    This is great! Thank you

  42. Bruno dubois wrote on

    I have been using Mozilla for a while and I really like it. Nice to see more apps coming.

  43. fotokopi makinası wrote on

    thank you for sharing
    was a great article.

  44. Ping from Mozilla Firefox 7 coming in 2011! « Nitin Sharma on

    […] The Web Applications standard that Mozilla plans to integrate in Firefox 6 is also available for public perusal. […]

  45. Ping from Mozzilla To Introduce Firefox11 « xtasc on

    […] The Web Applications standard that Mozilla plans to integrate in Firefox 6 is also available for public perusal. […]

  46. Brandend Maagzuur wrote on

    An open Web App Store should contain easy to configure apps with a simple checkout process. I hate it when I have to fill in 2 pages of personal info when I want to purchase something 🙂

  47. Web Design Nashville wrote on

    We are on the edge of change. Over the coming years, I think we will see the shift from web pages to web apps. With the growth of iPhone, iPad, Droid, Google TV, etc — it’s important to have a place where website developers can come together and create applications under a common set of principles.

    As web design changes, we see many new opportunities for creating web applications utilizing many different SDKs and development tools. At some point it starts to thin out the opportunities for web developers to be involved in cross-platform development, as each device requires it’s own set of proprietary design standards.

    Mozilla has always been the leader in developing applications and add-ons to help developers, and I believe they will be instrumental in creating a common ground in application development.

    As a Nashville Web Designer and Developer, I look forward to seeing what comes of this.

  48. Mind Blossom Creations wrote on

    To me the most important aspect of this project, is the openness, that will be allowed to all web developers. I can see a new breed of app developers being born, and a great community being started!

  49. Ping from New Mozilla project opens the door for web app stores on

    […] “Web developers are expressing interest in an app store model for the Web that would enable them to get paid for their efforts without having to abandon Web development in exchange for proprietary silos, each with their own programming language and SDK, variable and sometimes opaque review processes, and limited reach,” said Jay Sullivan of Mozilla in a May 2010 blog post. […]

  50. Ping from New Mozilla project opens the door for web app stores | Boomeroo Web Resources on

    […] “Web developers are expressing interest in an app store model for the Web that would enable them to get paid for their efforts without having to abandon Web development in exchange for proprietary silos, each with their own programming language and SDK, variable and sometimes opaque review processes, and limited reach,” said Jay Sullivan of Mozilla in a May 2010 blog post. […]

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