Mozilla launches Ideas platform to improve communication with its userbase

Mozilla Ideas is a new platform by Firefox maker Mozilla to improve communication with the Firefox userbase. At its core, Ideas works similarly to Uservoice and other services of its kind. Firefox users and developers may post new content on the platform, and everyone else may comment and vote on the idea.

The introduction on the main page reveals Mozilla's intentions with the platform:

This is where we grow our next generation of ideas, designs, experiments and products. You can take a look at the big problems we're working on, challenges we're exploring and bring your ideas to the conversation as we shape up and ship our next generation of software and services.

The service is powered by Crowdicity, a third-party service. An account is required to interact with the service, e.g. to post new ideas, leave comments or vote. A Firefox account is not supported, but you may sign-in with any email address or by using social media accounts.

Users may access the latest, top voted, most discussed or even random topics on the Ideas platform. Current ideas include re-adding the compact interface option, improving the master password protection, or providing a higher contrast default theme.

A click on an idea displays its description, user comments, stats, and options to subscribe to the idea or give it a thumbs up vote. Mozilla employees participate on the site, but they are not highlighted in any way.

Ideas features challenges as well. These are topics that Mozilla would like to gather ideas for. Current challenges include "stay safe and private online", "search and navigate the web", or "customizing, extensions and themes".

Users of the site may publish ideas related to a challenge, and when you select one, all active ideas that have been posted already are shown.

Closing words

Mozilla Ideas serves two main purposes: first, to improve communication with the Firefox userbase, and second, to move user posts from Mozilla's bug tracking site to the new Ideas platform. Mozilla employees are interacting on the Ideas platform, and it is likely that popular ideas will get the attention of the organization. Whether that will lead to changes on the platform remains to be seen.

Now You: What is your take on the new Ideas platform?

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