Firefox3.5/AddonsCompatibility

Goals

• Document and quantify changes that affect extensions
• Increase awareness about addons API changes in Firefox 3.1
• Automate compatibility statistics for future Firefox versions
• Assist developers with the update process

Tasks

Preparation

• Get addons developer blog up and running
• Get docs lined up to help addon developers make the transition
  • Something like this http://developer.mozilla.org/en/Firefox_3_for_developers#For_XUL_and_extension_developers
  • http://developer.mozilla.org/en/Firefox_3.1_for_developers#For_XUL_and_application_developers
• Get a list of changes and bug numbers that will affect addons that are coming down the pike to provide guidance to addon developers about the roadmap for the next few months.
  • Addons developers not affected by these changes can get started on compatability now
  • Addons developers affected by the changes can steer clear or get involved with early testing on the changes as they appear.
• Revive the addons compatibility dashboard
  • Something like http://people.mozilla.com/~polvi/threedom/status-bars.html to track full list of addons sorted by usage popularity and identify current compat version. get it to update every night.
• Set up tracking bugs for the top 50-60 addons to track progress on contacting, updating, and feedback about how things are going with getting compatible. ala https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/showdependencytree.cgi?id=364745&hide_resolved=0
• Figure out plan for scaling review queue if/when it gets flooded in Nov/Dec/Jan
• Try and get a few addon developers involved early to give feedback on coverage and quality of the documentation. Target Web Developer Addons since these kind of addons also help to increase use of the beta releases if they are available at beta release time.

Outreach

• Send out emails to developers and editors
  • Pre-emptive message that outlines the plan
  • First outreach message
  • Follow up status messages that outline progress and updates to the plan and schedule
    • do short updates each week at places like https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox3.1/StatusMeetings/ and https://wiki.mozilla.org/WeeklyUpdates
• Post to blog and newsgroup detailed information about what is changing and how to update
• Out reach to press or on-line awareness like http://lifehacker.com/393559/firefox-3-add+on-compatibility-report
• Develop communication around how and when to flip version compability number. e.g like http://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2008/03/24/firefox-add-on-compatibility-plan-for-addonsmozillaorg/

Schedule

• Milestone 1 - Oct 24
• Milestone 2 - Nov 7
• Milestone 3 - Nov 21