I'm funding Ladybird because I can't fund Firefox

Why fund Ladybird instead of Firefox?

• Many commenters are frustrated that there’s no way to directly fund Firefox development; donations go to the Mozilla Foundation, which doesn’t develop Firefox and explicitly funds advocacy and research instead.
• Paying for Mozilla side products (VPN, Pocket, etc.) is seen as an imprecise signal; users can’t ensure money goes to the browser rather than new “distraction” projects.
• Several argue Google’s search deal (and large revenue share) makes Mozilla structurally dependent on its main competitor and reluctant to accept user-directed funding.
• Some see Firefox as mismanaged and distracted by side projects and branding efforts, yet still the only major non–ad company browser.

Ladybird vs Servo and other alternatives

• A strong contingent urges funding Servo instead: Rust-based, rendering-engine only, actively developed, and currently underfunded compared to the hype and money around Ladybird.
• Some suggest an ideal future where Ladybird uses and helps fund Servo as its engine.
• Others point to hardened Chromium derivatives (e.g., ungoogled-chromium) as another practical option.

Language, memory safety, and browser design

• Large subthread debates C/C++ vs Rust for browsers.
• Concerns: browsers are massive attack surfaces; C/C++ memory bugs dominate serious vulnerabilities in existing engines.
• Counterpoints: OSes and current browsers are mostly C/C++; modern C++ with RAII is “good enough”; Rust and GC integration are complex; unsafe Rust may erode guarantees.
• Ladybird’s FAQ says C++ was inherited from SerenityOS and that a migration to a “successor language” is planned, with prototypes in multiple languages.
• Some see choosing C++ in 2024 as a red flag; others view it as pragmatic given tooling, expertise, and existing code.

Feasibility and timelines of a new engine

• Many are skeptical a from-scratch, standards-compliant browser can catch up; existing engines are the result of decades of work by hundreds of engineers.
• Others argue a clean-slate, independent implementation is exactly what the web needs and that if it proves impossible, that’s evidence the standards surface has grown too large.

Mozilla’s broader role and ads

• Debate over whether Mozilla is now primarily an ad-tech and subscription vendor rather than a browser steward.
• Some point to Mozilla’s own writing about the necessity of ad-funded “free” content; others note Firefox still supports strong ad-blocking.
• Several argue user donations, even if smaller than Google money, would at least align incentives with users instead of advertisers.