14 DAY TRIAL // Firefox is always evolving and adding new features and changes to the functionality. Most of the times developers try to do the best they can to meet the users' needs, but usually there isn't enough data to really know in what direction to move next. This is why Mozilla has introduced the Test Pilot program, which aims to understand how users interact with the browser through a series of tests. Now, the Firefox extension associated with the project has reached version 0.3 and Mozilla is also releasing some details on upcoming tests.
“One of the problems with the Test Pilot extension so far has been that we’ve needed to release a new version of the extension every time we wanted to add a new experiment or survey, or even in order to fix a minor bug. And every time we released a new version, users had to download it, then restart Firefox; an annoyance that we’d rather not force on people,” Mozilla wrote. “The new release of the Test Pilot extension, version 0.3, has been rewritten from the ground up to avoid this problem.”
The new Test Pilot extension is completely rebuilt and makes use of the technology underpinning Jetpack, the new add-on platform Mozilla is working on to replace the current technology in Firefox 4.0. Because of this, new experiments can be downloaded and existing ones updated without the user having to go through all the regular hassle. This doesn't change anything in the way the experiments are being done and users still have complete control over them and their data.
Along with the new version, Mozilla is also ready to reveal its next test and it's going to be a big one. Over the period of a year, the developers will gather data periodically to see if and how the users change their behavior with the browser. The tests will run for a week every two months and will look at several different aspects like the Overall Performance, Memory Usage and Window Metrics. Users can still opt out at any time, but Mozilla says that any information is valuable even if it's only for a week.
Mozilla Test Pilot 0.3 for Firefox is available for download here.