Celebrating the Web We Want

Benjamin Sternthal

197 responses

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The latest version of Firefox is a huge milestone for Mozilla and represents the combined efforts of hundreds of people from around the world. To celebrate this launch we revisited Glow, a real-time visualization of Firefox downloads originally used during the launch of Firefox 4 in 2011.

This time we wanted to do more than just show downloads. We wanted to give people a chance to express what they want the Web to be. To this end, users visiting https://webwewant.mozilla.org/ have the option to share with Mozilla and the world their hopes for the Web. These “shares” are displayed on the map and we display information about which issues are most important in each continent and country.

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The dots on the map represents people: either someone downloading Firefox or sharing the Web they want. For me, watching the map is both humbling and inspiring. When people use Firefox— a free and open source browser made by an amazing community— and choose to share with the world what matters to them, it shows a global commitment to the future of the Web.

Technical Details

How do we process millions of interactions and display them?

The site processes request logs for Firefox downloads, auto-updates, and users who share via the website. We perform geolocation lookups on the data and aggregate the information for consumption and display by the Web application.

We have a particular love of the Simpsons on our team and elements of our project are named appropriately:

  • Mr. Burns – The overall codebase.
  • Smithers – The “servant” scripts who provide data to Mr. Burns.

Mr. Burns relies on three main scripts to display data:

  • Bart – Parses log files looking for Firefox downloads or auto-updates.
  • Lisa – Geolocates parsed data and aggregates into buckets.
  • Milhouse – Packages data into JSON for consumption by the front-end.

The flow of data can be seen in this diagram:

glow-data

Data is stored in Redis and the JSON files are delivered to the front end application via CDN. The front end app renders the individual “glows” and the stats using D3.js.

To learn more visit our Wiki and explore the code on Github.

Special Thanks

This was a large project with many participants, all of whom deserve thanks. I would like to thank a few people who worked especially hard:

Eric Petitt – Project Sponsor

Paul McLanahan – Senior Developer

Steven Garrity – Senior Developer

Ali Almossawi – Metrics Engineer

John Slater – Creative Director

Sean Martell – Art Director

Matej Novak – Copy Director

The Localization Team & Contributors

And you! Without you the world would have no Glow.

197 responses

  1. Dev Perera wrote on :

    Thanks FireFox I am a fan of this browser, since its contain lots of addons.

  2. Muragesh wrote on :

    I enjoy a lot while browsing using Firefox….
    Thanks a lot to the team…

  3. jef nicol wrote on :

    mula sa perlas ng silanganan – pilipinas maraming salamat firefox (from the pearl of the orient – philippines thank you very much firefox)

  4. Kislay Prajapati wrote on :

    Why are you people doing this? Why you keep updating the browser every now and then. The new versions are not supporting the existing addons. Please resolve this issue asap. I get messages that the java script are stopped. I am really disappointed with Mozilla browser

  5. Najath wrote on :

    Love you guys

    Firefox is awsome

  6. D howorth wrote on :

    Sorry.
    I’m afraid that not all of us share your self congratulations about this new V29, its awful!
    Its implementation has been disastrous.
    You people are clearly happily enjoying your programming expertise and skills, BUT you seem to have forgotten the poor ordinary every day user who needs precise help and clear guidance.
    Documentation and help on FIREFOX 29 is almost none existent.
    That dreadful BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH (Mozzila Version= CAMPAIN) is terrible. No matter how many times we try to get rid of it by completing it, it just keeps coming back and waste’s time and is very annoying.
    Do any of you remember the BETAMAX system? The best VCR system by far, but doomed because it wasn’t developed for the users.
    I’m very sorry, but you are doing the same thing to Firefox with v 29.
    Sincerely

  7. CRIMSON wrote on :

    Design yang baru dan menarik, serta user friendly. Tetapi masih lagi berat macam dahulu. Mungkin yang itu sahaja fokus untuk dibaiki.

    Sekian terima kasih.

  8. Ansateza wrote on :

    Still the best!

  9. V wrote on :

    Sorry,

    If you truly value freedom on the web, you would have stood behind your CEO. He has a right to his views. Until you canned him, I was a user of Firefox. Now I am stuck with Safari.

  10. anon wrote on :

    Just some seconds ago +100,000,000 people shaped the future of the Web! 🙂

  11. Gireesan Pullat wrote on :

    I enjoy a lot while browsing using Firefox
    Thanks a lot to the team members

  12. Gireesan Pullat wrote on :

    I always like browsing with Firefox and my hearty thanks to all officials

  13. Fabiola wrote on :

    Gracias por todo Firefox, es muy bueno que hagan esto para respetar principalmente la integridad y seguridad de las personas.
    Hace mucho tiempo tuve una mala experiencia respecto a mi seguridad en Internet y no quisiera volver a pasar por ese mal momento.
    Muchos saludos desde México, Mozilla Firefox it´s always best broswing!

  14. THEAFRICANS wrote on :

    Firefox is what make the WEB the BEST…. Long Live FIREFOX

  15. salclem2 wrote on :

    Still the best. Many thanks!

  16. Sandeep wrote on :

    Thanks Firefox. You are the best!

  17. Zerkoto wrote on :

    Good Job Mozilla!! the new Firefox looks even more awesome!!!! The best browser there is :)!

  18. eko billboy wrote on :

    i like it.. good job mozilla…

  19. Sajjad wrote on :

    well thanks for being the best 🙂

  20. Peberdah wrote on :

    Dear Firefox,
    As Web experience now take place more and more on different type of machine, I would like that data implied be synchronized on all of mine. Peer to Peer mechanism seems a candidate of choice for silent technology. I am looking for it’s implementation to sync Browser files. I will appreciate to have it available also for my own files stored in a designated folder. By letting let say my home computer switch on I will appreciate to also be able to navigate through it from my mobile or my office computer.

  21. Vahid Mirzaei wrote on :

    Thanks Firefox. You are the best Browser in the World Web …

  22. angona wrote on :

    since i’ve started using internet i use mozilla…….thnx a lot.

  23. Caleb H wrote on :

    I love Firefox its better than internet explorer, Google chrome

    thanks for making it simple Firefox

  24. Bernd vom Brocke wrote on :

    Müßte mal in Deutsch(German) übersetz werden!!!!! Danke!!

  25. Love Open Source wrote on :

    We LOVE Open Source

  26. Paul Batt wrote on :

    Achievement of individual is a goal or may be a goal to have name and fame but all achievement is worthless for others because it do not effect on other’s.Presently every organisation is meant to gene rate huge profits.As of my knowledge Firefox is dedicated to unkno wn person’s effecting their lives.My thought makes Firefox more tr usty & reliable because I and many of us are not individuals but a f irefox community all around the globe.

  27. TheMan wrote on :

    Mozilla, you say: for everyone, freedom, possibilities, privacy, learning, control. I think it’s nice and right. But than I say CEO. And I am sad. And I know – Firefox is not my choice.

  28. tourpulauseribu wrote on :

    I like firefox, always renew everything, thank you firefox

  29. asghar wrote on :

    Thanks

  30. steven kyalo wambua wrote on :

    hate it, like it mozilla is the best, and soon they will be setting the standards. firefox is the only browser that renders almost all the current web technologies. I.E is a good browser for downloading firefox any way.

  31. AnnMarie horton wrote on :

    i love you guys

  32. Belete getachew wrote on :

    It is possile to download on nokia 6085

  33. Aliakbar Akbar wrote on :

    Thanks , Still the best website to trust.

  34. glpablo wrote on :

    Gracias por hacer del Internet algo mas abierto y de facil acceso para todas las personas, yo en particular uso Firefox por la versatilidad y velocidad que ofrece. Muchas gracias y ojala que sigan asi de excelente. Saludos.

  35. Trucker Jim wrote on :

    Been using Netscape/firefox for a long time. It’s a browser that I can setup the way I want. A browser that I can decide what search engines to use. A browser that I can decide what add-ons to use. A browser that I can decide what my home pages are.
    I do not like it when programs try to change my add-ons or search engines. They are tricky the way they try to take over. Thanks firefox for finding a way to prevent them from taking over, and a way of getting rid of them if they do.
    Keep it simple – great motto!

  36. William wrote on :

    The United States federal agency, NSA (National Security Agency) is spying on American citizens through the internet. This violates basic rights provided to American citizens by the U.S. Constitution, which is the Law of the Land in America. I support a private, user controlled internet. That’s why I use Firefox.

  37. YveZ wrote on :

    Salamat sa firefox nga naa gihapon, cge jd ko gamit ani since 2001.

    I thank firefox for being still here, still going strong, still technology-wise than ever. 😀

  38. Michael wrote on :

    Ich verwende den firefox seit Anfang an und habe größtes Vertrauen in die Entwickler!!
    Mir fehlt zu meinem größten Bedauern eine firefox-version für Windows-RT! Hoffe sehr bald auch auf RT den firefox zu haben!
    Danke!

  39. Veereshgouda wrote on :

    The new update rocks.. We love you guys.

  40. Veereshgouda wrote on :

    You are growing. Its bad you don’t have office in India. Please, come to India.

  41. Desain Rumah Minimalis Modern wrote on :

    i like mozilla, i like new update mozilla with new face and very simple to change something .. and very user friendly

  42. The fox wrote on :

    I Love and Hate Mozzila.
    I Love it because Mozzila have good styles, and open source.
    I Hate it, because Mozzila is “eat” the most, of my RAM, and it’s too heavy.

  43. here i am wrote on :

    The beginning of the Firefox end for the X time. There are still 1x-teen% loyal user base who can switch to Chrome. So, there are still place for even worse updates. Have fun.

  44. Diego wrote on :

    Me siento libre y seguro con este navegador…es una grán satisfacción usarlo todos los días!!!

  45. Nicky wrote on :

    If firefox cared about internet freedom,…. then why did Brendan resigned??

  46. Fabrizio wrote on :

    International news agencies are reporting that Mazilla is trying to introduce adverts.
    Please don’t spoil this fantastic browser.

  47. Patrick CHAUVIN wrote on :

    Désolé de vous decevoir, mais j’ai du mal avec l’anglais; Une possibilité de choisir une version en français serit la bienvenue. Merci d’avance

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