Affero Problem Definition

Generalized Problem definition

Mozilla is a large project with a great selection of ways to get involved, however the information on this selection is scattered across the 100+ Mozilla websites. For someone wanting to get involved, finding out what contribution options are available, as well as finding documentation about these options, can be a very large hurdle, let alone finding out where to go with any questions.

Why is this a problem?

If those looking to get involved cannot find the information they are looking for then they will likely not become contributors.

So what if people don’t contribute to Mozilla?

If people didn’t contribute to Mozilla then they will not be able to ship their products such as Mozilla Firefox, as only a relatively small number of people are actually employed by the organisation. “It’s fair to say that. Mozilla is not an organisation that happens to have a community built around it, but rather a community that happens to have support from and organisation.” – (Boswell, 2010)

So what if Mozilla cannot ship its products?

As a non-profit they will not be at risk of losing profit; however they will lose money they get from partnerships due to their products. These products are also used as leverage in their respective markets to help insure the success of their mission.