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Feature: Desktop Software
Mozilla is pushing Thunderbird out of the nest
By Shirl Kennedy
on
July 26, 2007 (8:25:00 PM)
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CommentsMozilla Corp. CEO Mitchell Baker announced yesterday on her weblog that because of "the enormous energy and community focused on the Web, Firefox, and the ecosystem around it," the organization is seeking "a new, separate organizational setting" for the Thunderbird email client.
"Mozilla is exploring the options for an organization specifically focused on serving Thunderbird users," Baker said. "A separate organization focused on Thunderbird will both be able to move independently and will need to do so to deepen community and user involvement. We're not yet sure what this organization will look like." She went on to offer three options, each with its pros and cons:
- "Create a new non-profit organization analogous to the Mozilla Foundation -- a Thunderbird foundation."
- "Create a new subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation for Thunderbird."
- "Thunderbird is released as a community project much like SeaMonkey, and a small independent services and consulting company is formed by the Thunderbird developers to continue development and care for Thunderbird users."
There are discussion pages on the Mozilla wiki for The Future of Thunderbird and a The Future of Mail. People are also posting comments on Baker's blog, most of which tend toward the negative -- a few quite heatedly. Several people suggested renaming the Mozilla Foundation to the Firefox Foundation. "Vaughn" sees a Google-oriented conspiracy:
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 back end.
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.
Meanwhile, a few posters are indeed contributing alternative scenarios for Thunderbird -- a few quite lengthy -- and some feel that, in the long run, it may work out better for Thunderbird if it is the focus of its own organization rather than Mozilla's "red-headed stepchild." Some folks pointed out that email clients like Thunderbird are becoming outmoded as more and more people read their email online through a Web browser. "Rafael" said he once was an avid Thunderbird user but no longer finds it practical to use an offline client:
On any given day I use three to five workstations, not to mention systems that are not mine. Synchronizing my email and Usenet settings is tedious at best. However, the real killer is that usually one of those systems ... being reformatted weekly. Constantly backing up my data, importing it, and then trying to keep them all synchronized is just too much work.
For the last few years I have switched to entirely online options. Gmail, Hotmail, etc., solve all of my email problems. Google Groups solves my Usenet problems. No more backups, importing, and synchronization. It really is an ideal system for me.
Scott MacGregor and David Bienvenu, Mozilla employees and Thunderbird's main developers, think Baker's suggested third option is the way to go:
We believe creating a separate independent company focused on the Thunderbird mission is the best way for us to take care of our users, while having the most flexibility to grow and support our mission.
Our vision is to create an independent company responsible for developing future versions of Thunderbird, supporting our users, and providing choice and innovation in the mail space. This company would embody the same principles that make Mozilla great: dedication to open source, transparency, community involvement, and doing right by our users.
The Thunderbird project would become a Mozilla community project like SeaMonkey and Camino. The code wouldn't move, the ways in which we all interact (bugzilla, CVS, IRC) would not change. The Thunderbird community would continue to interact and collaborate with other vested mail contributors (localizers, SeaMonkey developers, Penelope developers, QA volunteers, etc.) to further innovate around the mailnews platform. The new company would be responsible for the productization of Thunderbird, similar to the Mozilla Corp.'s productization of Firefox.
Shirl Kennedy is the senior editor of the DocuTicker and ResourceShelf weblogs, as well as the "Internet Waves" columnist for Information Today. She has been writing about technology since 1992.
Comments
on Mozilla is pushing Thunderbird out of the nestNote: Comments are owned by the poster. We are not responsible for their content.
This move just guaranteed that my work will adopt M$ LookOut rather than Thunderbird as its new email client.
We're in the middle of a request-for-comment stage and t'bird was looking like it was in a strong position. But there's even a hint that it's being abandoned by its owners then that will kill it.
Perhaps the Qualcomm/Eudora alliance will save it... here's hoping.
We're in the middle of a request-for-comment stage and t'bird was looking like it was in a strong position. But there's even a hint that it's being abandoned by its owners then that will kill it.
Perhaps the Qualcomm/Eudora alliance will save it... here's hoping.
Mozilla is pushing Thunderbird out of the nest
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 24.176.24.76] on July 27, 2007 02:12 PM
If they are going to move the code out of Mo-Co, they should stop the dual license bs and release the code solely under the GPL and ship with completely free artwork. Doing that will guarantee the clients survival in some form.
Mozilla is pushing Thunderbird out of the nest
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 204.50.208.4] on July 27, 2007 03:10 PM
Oh I hope Thunderbird will continue as it's ownproject if Mozilla won't continue to manage it. Thunderbird is the best email client I've looked at since Outlook replaced Netscape Mail and the older clients.
As for "too many computers"; phooey.. Thunderbird doesn't work for your specific need then no worries; that's why we like choice. With portableapps wrapped Thunderbird on flashdrive I hit multiple win32/win64 machines in a day. On *nix I leave thunderbird on my workstation and use it locally or open it remotely through ssh/X so in that case, multiple machines is irrelevant. If I wanted to get fancy and just couldn't live without Thunderbird installed on every *nix I logged into, I'd setup rsync between my Thunderbird home folders.
I think I'll go back and reread the article; I must be missunderstanding something about this "too many machines to use a local email client".
As for "too many computers"; phooey.. Thunderbird doesn't work for your specific need then no worries; that's why we like choice. With portableapps wrapped Thunderbird on flashdrive I hit multiple win32/win64 machines in a day. On *nix I leave thunderbird on my workstation and use it locally or open it remotely through ssh/X so in that case, multiple machines is irrelevant. If I wanted to get fancy and just couldn't live without Thunderbird installed on every *nix I logged into, I'd setup rsync between my Thunderbird home folders.
I think I'll go back and reread the article; I must be missunderstanding something about this "too many machines to use a local email client".
http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/04/07/1726220&tid=130
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 75.69.85.120] on July 29, 2007 04:41 PM
Turn Thunderbird into a collaboration tool
By default, Thunderbird doesn't have a calendar, and it lacks the ability to synchronise data between multiple clients. However, the Calendar plugin combined with the SyncKolab extension can fill the void. You also need an IMAP account, which SyncKolab uses to synchronise the contacts and calendar data. You can either use a local Kolab server or an IMAP email account; the latter option is probably easier.
Start with downloading and installing the Calendar and SyncKolab plugins, then create two folders, Contacts and Calendar, on your IMAP server. To configure SyncKolab's preferences, choose Tools -> Extensions and double-click on SyncKolab. In the Contacts tab, select the address book you want to synchronise, select your IMAP email account, and choose the Contacts folder. If you leave the Save to Imap folder check box unticked, SyncKolab will not upload changes in your calendar and address book, but download any changes from the IMAP account. Finally, use the Sync Contacts and Sync Calendar check boxes to select what data you want to synchronise. In the Calendar tab, select what calendar you want to sync and select the Calendar folder on your IMAP email account. Click OK to save the settings and close the window. Next, you have to add the SyncKolab button to Thunderbird's toolbar. Right-click somewhere on Thunderbird's toolbar and select Customize. Drag the SyncKolab button onto the toolbar and press Done. To start synchronisation, click on the SyncKolab button.
http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/04/07/1726220&tid=130
See the comments below the story at the url above!
By default, Thunderbird doesn't have a calendar, and it lacks the ability to synchronise data between multiple clients. However, the Calendar plugin combined with the SyncKolab extension can fill the void. You also need an IMAP account, which SyncKolab uses to synchronise the contacts and calendar data. You can either use a local Kolab server or an IMAP email account; the latter option is probably easier.
Start with downloading and installing the Calendar and SyncKolab plugins, then create two folders, Contacts and Calendar, on your IMAP server. To configure SyncKolab's preferences, choose Tools -> Extensions and double-click on SyncKolab. In the Contacts tab, select the address book you want to synchronise, select your IMAP email account, and choose the Contacts folder. If you leave the Save to Imap folder check box unticked, SyncKolab will not upload changes in your calendar and address book, but download any changes from the IMAP account. Finally, use the Sync Contacts and Sync Calendar check boxes to select what data you want to synchronise. In the Calendar tab, select what calendar you want to sync and select the Calendar folder on your IMAP email account. Click OK to save the settings and close the window. Next, you have to add the SyncKolab button to Thunderbird's toolbar. Right-click somewhere on Thunderbird's toolbar and select Customize. Drag the SyncKolab button onto the toolbar and press Done. To start synchronisation, click on the SyncKolab button.
http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=06/04/07/1726220&tid=130
See the comments below the story at the url above!
Thunderbird needs GPLv3 and SynchKolab built-in and attention to IMAP uses
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 75.69.85.120] on July 29, 2007 05:11 PM
From a newsforge article titiled:
Use Thunderbird like a pro
Thursday April 20, 2006 (08:01 AM GMT)
By: Dmitri Popov
Turn Thunderbird into a collaboration tool
By default, Thunderbird doesn't have a calendar, and it lacks the ability to synchronise data between multiple clients. However, the Calendar plugin combined with the SyncKolab extension can fill the void. You also need an IMAP account, which SyncKolab uses to synchronise the contacts and calendar data. You can either use a local Kolab server or an IMAP email account; the latter option is probably easier.
Start with downloading and installing the Calendar and SyncKolab plugins, then create two folders, Contacts and Calendar, on your IMAP server. To configure SyncKolab's preferences, choose Tools -> Extensions and double-click on SyncKolab. In the Contacts tab, select the address book you want to synchronise, select your IMAP email account, and choose the Contacts folder. If you leave the Save to Imap folder check box unticked, SyncKolab will not upload changes in your calendar and address book, but download any changes from the IMAP account. Finally, use the Sync Contacts and Sync Calendar check boxes to select what data you want to synchronise. In the Calendar tab, select what calendar you want to sync and select the Calendar folder on your IMAP email account. Click OK to save the settings and close the window. Next, you have to add the SyncKolab button to Thunderbird's toolbar. Right-click somewhere on Thunderbird's toolbar and select Customize. Drag the SyncKolab button onto the toolbar and press Done. To start synchronisation, click on the SyncKolab button.
Use Thunderbird like a pro
Thursday April 20, 2006 (08:01 AM GMT)
By: Dmitri Popov
Turn Thunderbird into a collaboration tool
By default, Thunderbird doesn't have a calendar, and it lacks the ability to synchronise data between multiple clients. However, the Calendar plugin combined with the SyncKolab extension can fill the void. You also need an IMAP account, which SyncKolab uses to synchronise the contacts and calendar data. You can either use a local Kolab server or an IMAP email account; the latter option is probably easier.
Start with downloading and installing the Calendar and SyncKolab plugins, then create two folders, Contacts and Calendar, on your IMAP server. To configure SyncKolab's preferences, choose Tools -> Extensions and double-click on SyncKolab. In the Contacts tab, select the address book you want to synchronise, select your IMAP email account, and choose the Contacts folder. If you leave the Save to Imap folder check box unticked, SyncKolab will not upload changes in your calendar and address book, but download any changes from the IMAP account. Finally, use the Sync Contacts and Sync Calendar check boxes to select what data you want to synchronise. In the Calendar tab, select what calendar you want to sync and select the Calendar folder on your IMAP email account. Click OK to save the settings and close the window. Next, you have to add the SyncKolab button to Thunderbird's toolbar. Right-click somewhere on Thunderbird's toolbar and select Customize. Drag the SyncKolab button onto the toolbar and press Done. To start synchronisation, click on the SyncKolab button.
follow up comments (can't post url or it does not post)
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 75.69.85.120] on July 29, 2007 05:15 PM
1a- Is the Sync Kolab IMAP link to the IMAP server encrypted at all? Does the IMAP settings overall affect this security? Is there a level of PGP that might exist between Client and the IMAP server of this IMAP Sync Kolab data of Calander and Contact data?
How much protection is there for this data going from Client to IMAP server (and visa versa) during synch?
1b- With this Sync Kolab IMAP Calander and contact data once on IMAP server..., then can the data once on the IMAP server be viewable by admin at the IMAP server?
How much protection is there once the data is on the server?
2 - When there is a security update for Thunderbird gets pushed by a distro out to users of Thunderbird, then does this affect the plugins that are added at all, ex: a configured Sync Kolab configuration (where you have to go in an rebuild the Plugin to work again for every LTSP user that is using the LTSP server)?
If SynchKolab plugin could by allow for optional encrypted storage of contacts and calander data, PGP for example, then an ISP that hosts IMAP services for email, would be a wonderful workgroup server! Right now, you since you can't participate in hiring practices at the IMAP capable ISP, you just are putting it up there in faith alone!
The only addtion to the Synch Kolab plug-in would be the storage in a group server kind of way of FireFox or Mozilla "SCUTTLE" group bookmarks as was described in a previous NewsForge article:
http://internet.newsforge.com/internet/06/03/29/19 52239.shtml?tid=13 [newsforge.com]
Now that would be cool, and of course have them storable up on the server protected from admin peekers with some encryption that only the "users" systems are set up to read.
How much protection is there for this data going from Client to IMAP server (and visa versa) during synch?
1b- With this Sync Kolab IMAP Calander and contact data once on IMAP server..., then can the data once on the IMAP server be viewable by admin at the IMAP server?
How much protection is there once the data is on the server?
2 - When there is a security update for Thunderbird gets pushed by a distro out to users of Thunderbird, then does this affect the plugins that are added at all, ex: a configured Sync Kolab configuration (where you have to go in an rebuild the Plugin to work again for every LTSP user that is using the LTSP server)?
If SynchKolab plugin could by allow for optional encrypted storage of contacts and calander data, PGP for example, then an ISP that hosts IMAP services for email, would be a wonderful workgroup server! Right now, you since you can't participate in hiring practices at the IMAP capable ISP, you just are putting it up there in faith alone!
The only addtion to the Synch Kolab plug-in would be the storage in a group server kind of way of FireFox or Mozilla "SCUTTLE" group bookmarks as was described in a previous NewsForge article:
http://internet.newsforge.com/internet/06/03/29/19 52239.shtml?tid=13 [newsforge.com]
Now that would be cool, and of course have them storable up on the server protected from admin peekers with some encryption that only the "users" systems are set up to read.
Mozilla is pushing Thunderbird out of the nest
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 82.23.208.206] on July 30, 2007 03:59 PM
I personally use Gmail, like a lot of people. But when I say "I use Gmail" I mean I have a Gmail account, which I access via POP3 and SMTP in a desktop email reader (Evolution in my case, but I also have Thunderbird installed). There is only one reason I switched over to Gmail, and that is that I can access my email via POP3 and SMTP. Yahoo's crappy webmail was tolerable when I didn't have to use it, but then they stripped away all of my choice in getting at my messages, so I ditched them (FetchYahoo still brings in any stray emails which haven't gone into my Gmail account yet) and went with Gmail. If they take away my ability to use a desktop email program then I'll just host my own. Either way, I find web-based email horrible.
Mozilla is pushing Thunderbird out of the nest - What are they nuts?
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 66.240.11.2] on July 30, 2007 07:05 PM
Thunderbird is an excellent email client. I can't believe they are doing this. I've been using it for a while and nothing aggregates my RSS and all my email accounts like TBird. I'm at a loss for words...
I could see them splitting the project in two and creating a separate entity for it, but abandoning it seems like such a waste. It's great software. You don't see a project every day that's as good as this...
-neil
I could see them splitting the project in two and creating a separate entity for it, but abandoning it seems like such a waste. It's great software. You don't see a project every day that's as good as this...
-neil
Mozilla is pushing Thunderbird out of the nest
Posted by: Anonymous [ip: 217.162.149.197] on July 27, 2007 09:08 AMI use Thunderbird on a desktop and laptop with a seperate IMAP mail server. I'm pretty sure I'm not a typical user.
I'm only guessing, but my assumption is that most Thunderbird users have a single computer, so the I-use-web-mail-because-I-have-too-many-PCs argument is irrelevant.
I think it's important that we continue to have a free alternative to Outlook on the desktop.
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