The tech world’s knickers have been in a bunch these past few weeks. While Mozilla (makers of the Firefox browser) and Google (makers of everything else) are sniping at each other over Google’s new Chrome plug-in, the anti-Microsoft camp is warning of the dangers of the Ribbon. There is an upside: Out of all that griping we have two new tech terms (new to us, at least). Read and enjoy.

Ribbonize: (verb, derogatory) To remove universally familiar software menus and put in newfangled, Microsofty ribbons.

On Sept. 22, Computerworld magazine ran a piece titled “Mozilla plans to 'ribbonize' Firefox.” A week later, the magazine ran another piece, this one with the headline “Mozilla denies it will ‘ribbonize’ Firefox.”

What gives?

It seems the original Mozilla documents on which Computerworld writer Gregg Keizer based his story were “worded kind of poorly” (that came from Mozilla’s mouth, and was reported by Computerworld).

Keizer simply reported what he read, which is what reporters do. Mozilla, however, was unprepared for the backlash.

According to Keizer’s second piece, Firefox users voiced their opposition with Mozilla, and on the Computerworld comment boards. (A sampling: "Has Microsoft sent Jim Jones type enforcers around squirting Microsoft Kool-Aid down the throats of the Mozilla folk?")

Mozilla is standing behind its promise not to ribbonize. It will, however, “streamline” the popular browser. Expect a minor upgrade in the March 2010 release.

Browser Soup: (noun, derogatory): A stew of browsers in one “frame,” where each browser has its own set of features, etc., that behave differently.

On Sept. 28, former Mozilla CEO and current Mozilla Foundation chair Mitchell Baker panned Google’s new Chrome Frame plug-in as “browser soup.”

“For many people,” Baker wrote in her blog, “Chrome Frame will make the web even more unknowable and confusing.”

Comments in response to her post were abundant. One reader asked Baker if she was “jealous much?” Another comment accused her organization of hypocrisy: “You’re doing exactly the same thing (possibly even more so). Google just beat you to the punch, and Google has a lot of really popular websites that will help the widespread acceptance of this plug-in.”

I will keep checking back. Soup is always better a few days later.

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