AndersH asked an important question in comments to my last post., which deserved a proper response, hence this blog post. Thanks AndersH, sorry, I should have been more clear.

We do *today* have a major update offer visible to FF1.5.0.12 users, which will major update them to FF2.0.0.6. A user on FF1.5.0.12 who decided to move to the latest and greatest Firefox would end up going from FF1.5.0.12 -> FF2.0.0.6 -> FF2.0.0.20 -> FF3.0.5 -> FF3.0.7. Thats four updates in a row. Here’s a diagram, which shows what major and minor update offers are currently available, which might help.

The “new process” I was trying to describe above would re-generate a major update offer for the older line every time we did a minor release  on the newer line. The diagrams look simple enough…

…but the consequences are important. If we could rewind time, and had used the new proposed process, the diagram for today would instead look like this:

It would also mean that:

• The FF1.5.0.12 user would now get to the latest and greatest by going FF1.5.0.12 -> FF2.0.0.20 -> FF3.0.7. Thats only two updates in a row, not four.
• User would be able to see those major update offers more often, so motivated users would more often be *able* to major update.
• Any FF2.0.0.20 users who hit “Later” on a major update offer would be reprompted with a new major update offer every time we produce a new FF3.0.x dot-release. (approx 4-6 weeks).
• Any FF2.0.0.20 user who hit “Never” on a major update offer would never be reprompted for any new major update offer, even when we produce new major updates.

Hope that clarifies. Thanks again AndersH for the excellent question, and again, sorry for not being more clear the first time.

tc
John.

UPDATE: Thanks to nthomas for correctly pointing out that the FF1.5.0.12 major update goes to FF2.0.0.6, not FF2.0.0.4. Updated text, and diagrams. joduinn 16mar2009.