Rubenerd

Mozilla Firefox introduced a new theme starting with version 89, dubbed the Proton UI. Here’s a screenshot running on macOS Big Sur:

It’s telling that much of the press coverage has been dedicated to describing how to turn it off. I love Firefox and have been using it (with brief forays into Mozilla Camino) since the Phoenix days, but it hasn’t had a good UI for years.

But here’s Resigned Ruben speaking: I can empathise with Mozilla’s position. Apple, Microsoft, and Google have been trending away from accessibility, contrast, and functional design for a while now with macOS, Windows 10, and Chrome. Firefox had to look the same, or it’d look outdated.

A part of me wishes Mozilla would have a Jean Luc Picard moment from First Contact, and say “here, no further!” though. A browser making a stand for privacy and accessibility would be fantastic. Being similar to other browsers doesn’t seem to be improving their market share.