I'm using Firefox because it's great in programming and politics

Update: Eich has stepped down.

Yeah, so OkCupid says I should switch to a Google product because it's better on LGBT rights. Um, have they been paying attention to anything? The new Mozilla CEO gave $1k to overturn marriage quality in California, whereas Google sponsored a national conference of prominent right-wing politicians who want to overturn all LGBT rights everywhere.

You know what, I love having equal marriage rights in California, really I do. And like most LGBT people, I thought prop 8 was terrible. But what I don't like is 'pink washing', where some company makes some lame claim to be a sponsor of LGBT rights, (usually by having a health insurance policy that is vaguely equal or, thse days, by supporting something that a large majority of American agree with anyway (how bold!)) and then we're supposed to forgive them all their other sins. Even if Google weren't sponsoring CPAC, they'd still be in bed with the NSA.

We don't hear much about 'don't be evil' these days, because, alas, Google is making a fuckload of money by being evil. Mozilla never needed a corporate slogan like that because their mission has always been to do good from the very outset. I agree with this queer Mozilla employee who doesn't want the open internet to get caught up in the American political football match of left vs right wedge issues and distraction. Open internet and NSA spying is more important than a relative small donation to an odious cause, which, by the way, does not mean we should be 'tolerant' of some asshole's concrete political actions to take away rights from a minority which includes some of this own employees. If every other browser was also open source and pro-open standards and on the right side of LGBT rights, then this would be worth switching browsers over, for sure, but that's not what's going on here. The CEO says he won't resign, which is a poor choice, but, again, really not worth a boycott. Especially when the other choices are closed source or blatantly on the side of evil.

So keep Firefox, and install Lightbeam if you want to see just how bloody much Google is spying on your every move. And if you're an ally or whatever like OKCupid, how about doing a tiny bit of research and not telling LGBT people what to think or do? LGBT people and Mozilla employees can all speak for themselves/ourselves. Because, hey, we've got the internet, which is still open, thanks largely to the efforts of Mozilla.

Disclaimers of various sorts: I used to work for Netscape and I got the first same sex divorce in the state of California.