Re: firefox ESR updated too
"Why on earth are you offering a choice and doubling your support workload?"
Because I respect people as human beings and don't see them merely as offal. My users do not exist to do my bidding, I exist to ensure that they have the most efficient possible tools to accomplish their tasks.
A new UI is not more efficient simply because some developers say that this is so. If you've worked with a UI so long that all basic tasks are entirely autonomic then switching away from that UI is highly inefficient. Any supposed efficiencies of the new UI must be pretty damned impressive to be worth the switch.
I am also aware that not everyone is the same. Not everyone learns the same things at the same pace and not everyone has time to learn a new UI just because I feel like pushing it down.
It is my job to provide a stable and efficient working environment for the people I serve. In turn, I will only give my money to companies that provide tools that help me meet this goal. If several tools are available that can meet the goal, then I will choose the tools from the company which has most proven itself to respect choice, because providing that choice is an intrinsic part of meeting the diverse requirements of the very human people that I serve.
You, personally, might be as asshole alpha geek with a god complex, but I don't need to wave my phallus around and proclaim it mighty. In fact, I have nothing but contempt and loathing for those who do, be they sysadmin or developer.
Sysadmins serve users and vendors serve sysadmins. End of.
Edit: to answer your question about why should Mozilla/Microsoft/etc maintain two UIs the answer is simple: because they have absolutely no way of knowing which is better until it's been deployed to the mass market. They can run every study they want, every beta they want, but it's end user acceptance that is all that matters. Creating a new UI and saying "this is how it is Und Zou Vill Like Ut" is the height of arrogance. I don't tolerate arrogance in my vendors at all.
By all means, create a new UI. But make it optional. If it's better than the old UI then over time people will switch voluntarily. Eventually those using the old UI will be in a distinct minority. Then you can release the code for that old UI and let the community manage it, if there's interest.
That is a respectful and orderly way to transition from one UI to another. The Microsoft and Mozilla model is nothing but contempt manifested as code. Why the hell should I support any vendor who treats me with contempt?
By extension, why should any business or group of users put up with a sysadmin who treats them with contempt? We provide a service. We don't dictate terms.