Ask Opera CEO Jon von Tetzchner 254
Opera Software
has gotten all kinds of media play lately, including rumors that both Google
and Microsoft
were buying the company. Whether you love or hate Opera, you've got to
give them credit for building a decent browser and grabbing a small but
noticeable market share in the face of competition from both MSIE and
Firefox. Co-founder/CEO Jon
von Tetzchner is obviously reponsible for at least some of
this success -- and for much of the company's high press
profile, due not only to the Opera
Browser itself but to at least one whacky PR stunt
and at least one high-profile beef
with Microsoft. So who is this guy? Ask and find out. He's
obviously not your typical software company CEO, so we don't expect
typical CEO-type answers from him. We'll send him (direct, not through
a PR person) 10 or 12 of your best questions Friday
afternoon (US EST), and run his answers during the first week
of 2006.
Competing vs Free Open Source Product (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Competing vs Free Open Source Product (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Competing vs Free Open Source Product (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Competing vs Free Open Source Product (Score:2, Interesting)
Opera Mini just rocks.
Re:Competing vs Free Open Source Product (Score:2)
From their financial statement: In September, Opera Software permanently removed the ad banner and licensing fee from its desktop Web browser. This was made possible by a gradual increase in revenue from search and service partners, including a new, revised search agreement with Google
Re:Competing vs Free Open Source Product (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Competing vs Free Open Source Product (Score:2)
How do you live with yourself? (Score:5, Funny)
What can we look forward to? (Score:5, Interesting)
local.google.com
Native user agent switching
Opera 9's upcoming Acid2 compatibilty
Eye candy and general coolness factors
Can you give us a taste of new, unannounced features we'll see in future versions?
Re:What can we look forward to? (Score:2, Informative)
Native user agent switching
Sure it does. Go to about:config->general.useragent. There you can edit it to whatever you want. Sure, it's not as easy as in Opera where you can do it from the menu, but this gives you more control (you can only choose from a list in Opera, not make it whatever you want, IIRC)
Re:What can we look forward to? (Score:2)
Sometimes I blame the lack of some features in vanilla Firefox due to Blake Ross or similar whose goal was to rid Mozilla of all the bloated shit it had to make a
Monopoly end? (Score:5, Interesting)
Most promising platform for the company? (Score:3, Interesting)
Marketgrowth? (Score:4, Interesting)
What are Opera's goals for 2006 (Score:2, Interesting)
Thanks for your time,
Bob_Villa
Would you sell to Microsoft? (Score:5, Interesting)
--LWM
GPL? WTF? (Score:3)
Re:Would you sell to Microsoft? (Score:2)
Feature thieves! (Score:5, Interesting)
After offering so many features, would you prefer browsers such as Firefox and IE to come up with their own ideas instead of taking them from other browsers, or prefer the sharing of ideas so the web is better off overall?
Re:Feature thieves! (Score:2)
Re:Feature thieves! (Score:2)
Re:Feature thieves! (Score:2)
They don't believe in patents at all - they especially disagree with anything that affect interoperability, but not only with what affects interoperability.
I think they always said that they weren't so much competing on features but on the integration of all those features in a complete package. Even though others have copied mouse gestures (a feature Opera was first to put in a web browser, but the idea of which they got from another piece of software), no other browser I've tried offered mouse gestures t
AdBlock (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:AdBlock (Score:2)
Re:AdBlock (Score:2)
Re:AdBlock (Score:2)
That said, even if Opera won't make a right click ad blocker, AdMuncher makes a great one, and there is a user made one in the forums as well.
Adblock isn't part of firefox either is it? (Score:2)
Re:Adblock isn't part of firefox either is it? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Ad block? (Score:2)
Because if this was implemented as part of the browser, many websites would block Opera outright, and with good reason.
It is possible to do AdBlocking in Opera using URL filtering. See Opera equivalents to Firefox extensions [virtuelvis.com]. There's also a second part [virtuelvis.com]. HTH.
Re:Ad block? (Score:2)
They need some kind of plugin/extension system akin to Firefox's Extension system and (to a much lesser extent) IE's ActiveX.
Re:Ad block? (Score:2)
I don't see this as a big stumbling block.
Now, Opera may not want to piss off various other companies by doing something like this, but that's a different issue entirely.
But they couldn't! (Score:4, Insightful)
Ah, but you see, that is nearly impossible! Why? Because! Opera had the brilliant idea that by default, it would identify itself as Internet Explorer, so that sites trying to lock out non-IE browsers would be fooled. I can understand the reasoning here, but as a web developer, it is actually really frustrating. Opera can do most everything IE can, as far as I can tell, but some of its CSS is a bit wacky. Not as wacky as IE, but certainly wacky in other ways. But because of the faked User Agent by default, I can't detect Opera and include changes to CSS to make it behave properly.
But, anyways, from the comments already, it seems built-in AdBlock is in high demand. I'd have to agree with this sentiment. If I had to choose only one extension that I couldn't live without, it would be AdBlock. Whenever I use a computer without it, I am appalled by how annoying the internet trully is.
Re:But they couldn't! (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, Opera even when identifying itself as internet explorer still has "Opera" in the UA string.
And no web browser blocks ads out of the box, as far as I can tell. I don't think any ever will, either - it would be tempting for a lot of large ad-supported content providers to block a browser that will never give them ad views anyway. I mean, you're running a website, and you know that anyone using Opera is sucking your bandwidth and not helping you pay for it. Why would you let them on?
Re:But they couldn't! (Score:2)
Re:But they couldn't! (Score:2)
Hmm... But Opera shows it's Opera even when set to identify as IE.
Opera 8.50 as IE on XP:
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.1; en) Opera 8.50
Opera 9.0 Preview 1 as Opera on Windows 2000:
Opera/9.0 (Windows NT 5.0; U; en)
Opera 8.50 as Mozilla on XP:
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.1; U; en) Opera 8.50
You simply need to scan the entire user string for the "Opera" substring and you
Re:Ad block? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Try this neat test. (Score:2)
why not team up with google (Score:2, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
One critical thing missing from Opera... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:One critical thing missing from Opera... (Score:2)
As to the IE marketshare, I would argue there are also an equal number of people who wouldn't know an extension if it bit them in the @ss, so it's not a feature for them either.
I personally think that there are more than enough users who either actively don't want extensions, or who are ambivilent regarding them that Opera can have a viable ma
Will Opera ever go Open Source? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Will Opera ever go Open Source? (Score:2)
What would be the point would be of that? I don't think I've ever had a need for a support incident for a web browser. Have you?
Re:Will Opera ever go Open Source? (Score:2)
Re:Will Opera ever go Open Source? (Score:2)
I'm also not sure that Opera Software feels they'd gain anything from going OSS that they didn't already get from going free as in beer. And I think they may really want to keep their code secret so they don't give away how they do the mobile aspect where much of their money comes from.
Dealing With Idiots? (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm a bit of a Firefox evangelist, and one of the huge problems I've had is that a vast number of non-technical types don't even understand what a "web browser" is. "Firefox? Uhm, no, I already installed the Internet on my Windows."
The problem is that these people form a large chunk of users, necessary for gaining large market share, but they don't even know that Internet Explorer is different from the Internet. What is Opera doing to get installed on the computers of people with "technology IQs" lower tha
Firefox vs Opera (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Firefox vs Opera (Score:2)
Why should a CEO convince you of what features are compelling for you? Read the Opera feature set, learn what other people have written, and come to your own conclusion. Odds are if you expect the CEO to have to convince you, you're probably very young/naive or you're just not the target market.
Re:Firefox vs Opera (Score:2, Informative)
The main reason for me (though not the only one) is speed. Firefox feels like driving a tractor trailer through a slalom after using Opera. The memory footprint in Firefox doesn't help its case either.
Picking one browser over another (Score:5, Interesting)
XML standards? (Score:2)
Of course, OpenSourcing the beast would be a dream-come-true, since I'm one of those people who prefer compiling their software themselves
Personal favourite ? (Score:4, Interesting)
Web developers and Opera "testing" (Score:4, Interesting)
What level of market share would you say is required by Opera for web developers to ensure their layouts render correctly ?
XUL and Firefox extensions (Score:2)
Opera / IM (Score:2)
However, I still have to have a seperate piece of software for IM (Trillian on Windows, GAIM on Linux). Any plans to extend the IRC support to support major IM protocols and put Trillian out of business?
What kind of widgets will be included in Opera 9? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:What kind of widgets will be included in Opera (Score:2)
Future of free version? (Score:4, Interesting)
I love Opera and bought it... several years ago, then a recent upgrade. THEN, you made it free!!!
So, that makes me think, maybe you made the PC version free, and are going to concentrate on the mobile versions, which you probably really make money on. Does this mean that the free PC version will stagnate? Or will future versions be built, with fun new features?
Also... how about a new logo? Or maybe a cross-marketing deal with Oprah?
Thanks!
Re:Future of free version? (Score:2)
*insert Teal'C voice*
"What is an Oprah?"
Comment removed (Score:4, Interesting)
Ebrary: why we don't use Opera in the library (Score:2, Interesting)
I work in a college library. Libraries have a lot of 'online databases' they subscribe to now days; typically several dozen. One week I got bored and tested various browsers against all of our databases that we pay for, and a few that are free.
Opera was not working very well with some of them. And there are certain ones, such as Ebrary's collection of e-books, which use Active-X plugin thingies, that wouldn't work at all.
Thus, we cannot use Opera in the library. It is not that it is a bad browser,
Mobile web browsing (Score:2)
What else in addition to your current mobile browser platform do you believe has to be in place before web browsing on mobile devices can become commonplace?
How do you think each of what you listed is going to unfold?
How to maintain profitablity? (Score:3, Interesting)
Bug tracking, developer tools and HTML/CSS/JS (Score:4, Interesting)
My experience with Opera's bug tracking system are rather frustrating. I can not check if some bug is already known ( describing a bug and creating a test case is time consuming). Also, I reported some things and never ever got any feedback besides an automatic email. I do not know if Opera considers it a bug, if it is not a bug but an error on my side, if someone works on it, if it was fixed, simply nothing comes back. The Opera BTS is a black hole, and since some time now, I do not feel like making the effort to report bugs.
Do you plan to open up the BTS or at least allow the submitter to view the ticket? Or enhance the feedback?
2. Developer Tools
How about a DOM Inspector (and a Javascript Debugger)? Firefox's DOM Inspector and XMLHttpRequest Monitor are dearly missing in Opera.
3. HTML/CSS/JS
Any word on opacity support? On a Richtext Editing component?
Re:Bug tracking, developer tools and HTML/CSS/JS (Score:2)
3. HTML/CSS/JS
This wasn't a question, but just for completeness:
- Web specs supported in Opera 8
(note, not the upcoming 9, which is getting a number of standards improvements)
- Changelog for Opera 9.0 Preview 1 [opera.com]
(includes an incomplete list of standards improvement for Opera 9)
Any word on opacity support?
- Merling evolving [opera.com]: (Merlin is the code name for Opera 9)
Re:Bug tracking, developer tools and HTML/CSS/JS (Score:2)
Where is this XMLHttpRequest monitor that you speak of? I have been doing development using XmlHttpRequest for a long time now, and have never noticed such a feature/extension before, although I have many times wished dearly to have something of the sort.
I always wondered... (Score:2)
When will cookie managament be imporved? (Score:4, Interesting)
Does Opera have any plans to improve the cookie managing ability of its browser?
Re:When will cookie managament be improved? (Score:2)
Oh yeah. The big thing is that some settings apply to all sites (like "delete new cookies on exit"), and you cannot get those things to apply or not apply on a site by site basis. Opera has it half-way correct, a simple but inadequate approach. In other areas, Opera's standards are higher, cookie handling should be just as capable as those other areas.
Opera Mini (Score:2)
I recently discovered Opera Mini [opera.com], and now routinely browse the web not on my notebook, but on my cell phone, a Sony Ericsson K750i.
(For those of you who haven't yet tried Opera Mini, it's a Java-based web browser for cell phones, using Opera's Small Screen Rendering. The pages themselves are rendered on Opera's server, and are then transmitted to the cell phone in a highly efficient, binary format.)
Opera Mini is obviously revolutionary, in that it allows cell phone users to have a full web experience, w
What is a realistic price tag for Opera? (Score:3, Interesting)
Dear Mr. von Tetzchner:
With all the rumors as-of-late about Opera being acquired by Google or Microsoft, I'd like to ask you the question of what you would consider a realistic price tag for Opera would be?
Many of us non-IE web browsing enthusiasts would like to see the best features and code of both Opera and Firefox put together into a single open source offering. A sale to Google could make this a possibility, depending upon how restrictive the pre-existing licensing agreements your company has with various mobile phone manufacturers (which you probably cannot discuss legally).
So, with that having been said, what's your price and would you remain aboard such a project post-sale if given such room in a contract?
Re:What is a realistic price tag for Opera? (Score:2)
And with there really being only 4 core rendering technologies, do we want to take that down to 3?
Norwegian babes (Score:5, Funny)
Are any of them single and if so, would they be interested in dating a guy who reads slashdot? BTW I use Safari but I can be persuaded to switch...
What's the deal with NTLM support? (Score:2, Interesting)
Mac Market? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Mac Market? (Score:2)
competition from KHTML/WebCore (Score:3, Insightful)
However, it now has some significant competition from KHTML/WebCore, which enjoys both corporate backing from Apple (and to a lesser degree Nokia), and the support of the open source community. It too has a clean and flexible codebase (this was the reason Apple chose it for Safari instead of Gecko, in the first place), it has a degree of standards compliance comparable to Opera's, and with Safari 2, it's also the only browser to seriously challenge Opera in terms of speed [howtocreate.co.uk]. There has also been movement (by Nokia) to adapt it to the mobile market, which is, if memory serves, Opera's main source of income currently.
What do you think of KHTML/WebCore? Do you see it as a threat to Opera's position in the desktop and/or mobile markets? If so, how do you plan to stay ahead of it?
WHY??? (Score:2)
Accessibility (Score:2)
Re:Accessibility (Score:2)
"Native" skin support for Linux/Qt (Score:2)
Income since making the desktop version free? (Score:2)
GMail Bug (Score:2)
General "feel"? (Score:2)
Opera on the PSP (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Whether you love or hate Opera (Score:2, Funny)
Because this is Slashdot where the available options are limited to:
1. Love
2. Hate
3. Cowboy Neal
4. Boobs!
?
KFG
Re:North Atlantic (Score:2)
For a jumbo jet, I would never have drunk 4,140 cubic meters of Pepsi.
Re:Whats the Deal CSS 3 Support? (Score:2)
You answered your own question. (Score:2)
Duh?
Re:Spyware (Score:2)
Re:Spyware (Score:2)
Re:Native GUI toolkits (Score:2)
As for Opera, it doesn't fit with the desktop themes, but the interfase is exactly the same across platforms (and it's damn good aswell). This, to me, is more important than trying to fit the desktop. After all, every OS (with perhaps the exception of OSX) has a lot applications that break UI "stan
MOD PARENT UP (Score:2)
MOD PARENT UP (Score:2)
Re:Rendering and identify (Score:3, Informative)
You can also edit Userjs yourself, and UA.ini.
If you want to go beyond js editing in Opera, there is always the venerable and still most powerful proxomitron if you're on windows.
Re:Opera Toolbar (Score:2)