Mozilla has released a Hall of Fame that software developers definitely don't want to be on. To promote the fact that not all Firefox add-ons are created equal, the browser-builder has named and shamed sluggish extensions in a rouges gallery of poor-performing add-ons.
'Firefox users shouldn't have to choose between customization and performance'Every week, Mozilla will perform automated performance tests on the top 100 extensions for its browser. The ones that cause Firefox to shuffle along at geriatric speeds will be displayed on a Top 10 leaderboard. The current winner is FoxLingo, an ambitious translator and dictionary app that supports over 3,000 language pairs and 31 translations. Sounds good, but it will make Firefox 74 percent slower.
Other dawdling apps include web development debugger Firebug, Video DownloadHelper, integrated MP3 player FoxyTunes and, hilariously enough, FastestFox - Browse Faster. Oh, the irony.
"On average, each add-on you install adds about 10 percent to Firefox start-up time," says Mozilla product manager Justin Scott. "For some users that's mere milliseconds, and for others it may be half a second; it all depends on the hardware and software of each individual." In some cases, installing 10 extensions could double the browser's boot-up time.
Publicly outing lethargic add-ons is just one part of a wider initiative to keep Firefox lean and mean, while still offering the browser's raft of customization options. "In the next two weeks, we'll begin displaying warnings in our gallery for any add-on that slows Firefox start-up time by 25 percent or more," Scott says.
The company will also work closely with developers to keep add-ons running fast. It has updated its Performance Best Practices, and Scott says Mozilla has, "begun reaching out to developers of slow add-ons and asking them to work on performance." A tool, where developers can get instant results on speed efficiency, will be made available in the coming months.
Finally, the company wants to shift all third-party software and annoying toolbars that come bundled with installation packages. "In an upcoming version of Firefox, third-party add-ons will not be installed unless the user explicitly allows the installation in Firefox," says Scott. "We expect this to have a huge impact on Firefox performance, as well as giving users back the control they should have over their add-ons."
As for Firefox users, Scott recommends keeping an eye on your add-on listen, and disabling or uninstalling extensions you no longer use. "Firefox users shouldn't have to choose between customization and performance, and with the help of add-on developers and the Mozilla community, they can have both," he says.
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