Comments on: Mozilla looking at Thunderbird spin off options

By: Mozilla Messaging starts up : Mozilla Links

Mozilla Messaging starts up : Mozilla Links — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 13:23:17 +0000

[...] Mitchell Baker, then Mozilla Corporation’s CEO, announced that they would look for other organizational options for Thunderbird. Discussion ensued and a couple of months later it was decided that a subsidiary (nicknamed MailCo) [...]

By: Mozilla to spin off a Thunderbird subsidiary : Mozilla Links

Mozilla to spin off a Thunderbird subsidiary : Mozilla Links — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 13:57:48 +0000

[...] reported a couple of months ago, Mozilla has been looking for ways to empower the Thunderbird development process and give the development team to get the focus and resources it needs to reach its full [...]

By: Jmasondotnet

Jmasondotnet — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 20:45:40 +0000

I to have been using Thunderbird for as long as I can remember, I have a plugin that pops my yahoo,msn,aim and Gmail, and my personal email as well. One box many accounts. I recently found a plugin that allows my google calendar to cync with my lighting calendar in thunderbird. I have seen mention of OpenOffice and Sun working with Thunderbird and Lighting to offer a PIM in the OpenOffice Suite. Could it be that this set up along with Openeoffice and OpenGroupware is looking to make a slash onto the market for those werey of having ever thing online?

By: Is Mozilla Dropping Thunderbird? | GrantPalin.com

Is Mozilla Dropping Thunderbird? | GrantPalin.com — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 05:27:09 +0000

[...] Mozilla Links [...]

By: Thunderbird’s Future « Firefox Extension Guru’s Blog

Thunderbird’s Future « Firefox Extension Guru’s Blog — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 20:20:35 +0000

[...] at Mozilla Links has taken a much deeper look into this and how this fits (or doesn’t fit) within the Mozilla [...]

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:45:26 +0000

I’ve used Thunderbird for years now and rely heavily upon it on a daily basis. I get a ton of email and I’ve not yet been happy with any sort of web interface for email. The web is just too slow for the amount of email I get, and I probably don’t even get that much compared to others. Perhaps time and Google Gears will fix these problems for people who get massive amounts of email. Until then I don’t see webmail as completely taking over and would like to see Thunderbird continue on with Mozilla.

By: Mozilla Ditching Thunderbird? - CyberNet News

Mozilla Ditching Thunderbird? - CyberNet News — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 19:10:31 +0000

[...] Mitchell Baker’s Blog [via Mozilla Links & Info [...]

By: Vaughn Reid

Vaughn Reid — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:00:18 +0000

I have a theory about why Mozilla Foundation may be getting rid of Thuderbird. Here it is:

Since Google is a primary funder of the Mozilla Foundation, and since Google is actively developing and offering their own enterprise grade email ecosystem via gmail and google apps, maybe they are wanting to kill off or hinder the development of Thunderbird to “encourage” those wanting to ditch the Outlook/Exchange Juggernaut to move to Google, instead of utilizing a Thunderbird and Lightning integrate application with an open source groupware backend.

You know, in general, corporate funders of not-for-profits have ulterior motives, so this is a reasonable theory for why cutting Thunderbird from the Mozilla Foundation “makes sense” all of a sudden.

By: Vaughn Reid

Vaughn Reid — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:59:55 +0000

I am sad to see that the Mozilla Foundation does not feel that Thunderbird is an integral part of its mission to further access to the Web in an open manner. Email access, whether from a browser or a desktop based client is still a fundamental part of Internet access for most users. It will continue to remain a fundamental part of access to the Internet by most people for the foreseeable future.

A free open, extensible mail client that shares a similar code base to Firefox, Lightning, and Sunbird are the only chance that Windows users have of replacing the Exchange/Outlook/Internet Explorer Juggernaut that currently absorbs corporate IT cultures and corporate Intranets.

“Setting Thunderbird Free” is a grave mistake that will surely kill the future of this very adequate mail client, doom Sunbird and Lightning, and slow or stall adoption of Firefox in businesses that utilize Windows client Operating Systems.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:50:06 +0000

Hi Percy - I’m confident that this does signal the beginning of the end of Thunderbird as a viable email solution. I’m hoping I’m wrong, but I fear I’m right.

I think this specifically because of your question “why out of Mozilla”. If Mozilla saw this as a viable app, then they’d keep it. Instead, they’ve changed their mission. As per Scott’s blog: “the Mozilla Foundation’s mission has evolved to focus on advancing the open web through browsing and related activities”

Notice it is specific about browsing and web and not Internet any longer.

By: Percy Cabello

Percy Cabello — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:52:03 +0000

Bob I don’t think any decision will signal Thunderbird’s death. I am confident that Mozilla will try to take the best path to help Thunderbird’s success.

My questions are why out of Mozilla and how does it align with its principles.

By: Mozilla no sabe que hacer con Thunderbird… por eso buscan la manera de “darlo” :

Mozilla no sabe que hacer con Thunderbird… por eso buscan la manera de “darlo” : — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:34:29 +0000

[...] El CEO de Mozilla, Mitchell ha anunciado que la fundanción Mozilla está buscando la manera de dar a Thunderbird como proyecto, ya que Mozilla no puede centrarse en este proyecto tanto como ellos quisieran, ya que la meta de la empresa en la actualidad son los navegadores. [...]

By: David Naylor

David Naylor — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:00:15 +0000

I agree that this sucks. It feels as if the MoFos are getting rid of Thunderbird because it is ugly. Or something.

By: Bob

Bob — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 11:20:25 +0000

This sucks. I went from Netscape mail to Thunderbird for personal use. I loved it so much, that when I ended up working for a company with Outlook I stuck with Thunderbird there too (ahhhh, Admin power), which was fine since they never used the calendar functions.

I was looking forward to getting calendar into Thunderbird so that I could switch to Thunderbird at this new job too (invites are a way of life here). Now the program will basically be dead.

This bites.

By: The Guru

The Guru — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:53:48 +0000

Wow! I would hate to see Thunderbird leave Mozilla but agree a lot more emphasis is placed on Firefox. May be removing the ‘get mail’ button in Fx 2 was an indication of things to come…

Funny thing is we don’t use Outlook at my job, we have our own web-based e-mail system. Further we don’t use e-mail that much as the main communications tool is Microsoft Office Communicator.