Given that we're de-emphasizing version numbers, I think it's odd that the download buttons on mozilla.com still contain the version (albeit in small text). I think we should remove those version numbers, leaving download buttons saying only the OS and language. Maybe they can contain the static text "Current version" to emphasize that you're getting the most up-to-date version :)

I could have sworn I filed this but I apparently just put it in email where we discussed this. Martel wrote me back saying "Hey all, Our Big Green Button (TM) in the freshest mockups + brand toolkit are numberless, so going forward we'll have it removed." I don't know where that work is happening but it is.

Adding John and Laura that might know more about the decisions we made.

This version number is still being shown on the website - has the de-versioning Big Green Button work gone anywhere?

(In reply to Asa Dotzler [:asa] from comment #1) > I could have sworn I filed this but I apparently just put it in email where > we discussed this. No, there's definitely a bug out there somewhere for this...am getting a strong sense of deja vu here! (In reply to Joe Drew (:JOEDREW!) from comment #3) > This version number is still being shown on the website - has the > de-versioning Big Green Button work gone anywhere? My take on it is that we need something that indicates that the green button is the most current version...our data shows that even with the numbers on there, a lot of existing users visit the site to download again when they're not sure if they have the newest version or not. Maybe the "current version" suggestion from comment #0 would work, although we'd have to wordsmith it a bit to find something that flows right and uses a bare minimum of characters in all languages. I actually think what we have now does a pretty decent job of this...or at least decent enough to make this not a very pressing issue when we have other higher priority things to work on (although it will certainly get a bit ridiculous when we're up to Firefox 18 or whatever). To sum up, one reason nothing has happened with this is that I don't think it's all that necessary. I know others disagree so I'm happy to have to discuss/debate further, but that's my view.

(In reply to John Slater from comment #4) > (In reply to Asa Dotzler [:asa] from comment #1) > > I could have sworn I filed this but I apparently just put it in email where > > we discussed this. > > No, there's definitely a bug out there somewhere for this...am getting a > strong sense of deja vu here! > > (In reply to Joe Drew (:JOEDREW!) from comment #3) > > This version number is still being shown on the website - has the > > de-versioning Big Green Button work gone anywhere? > > My take on it is that we need something that indicates that the green button > is the most current version...our data shows that even with the numbers on > there, a lot of existing users visit the site to download again when they're > not sure if they have the newest version or not. > > Maybe the "current version" suggestion from comment #0 would work, although > we'd have to wordsmith it a bit to find something that flows right and uses > a bare minimum of characters in all languages. I actually think what we have > now does a pretty decent job of this...or at least decent enough to make > this not a very pressing issue when we have other higher priority things to > work on (although it will certainly get a bit ridiculous when we're up to > Firefox 18 or whatever). > > To sum up, one reason nothing has happened with this is that I don't think > it's all that necessary. I know others disagree so I'm happy to have to > discuss/debate further, but that's my view. + 1 to Slater's comments. I think its best to keep the version number until we've trained all our users to check About:Firefox to figure out what version they're on. The number is very small and unobtrusive and I think the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives. We should revisit in a few months, but the user-testing data I've seen shows that this is something that our users still rely on.

+1 based on the user testing we viewed last week.

Removing version numbers from the download pages is high-handedness and arrogance. Apple and others do that to me (making part or all of the version number secret) - it's offensive. It's as if I don't deserve to know what they're offering or what I'm getting until I download it. "We are moving to a release model that makes version numbers meaningless and unactionable for consumers. In that model, version numbers go away." BUT YOU'RE NOT THERE YET. Discussion of dropping version numbers is premature. And, you don't know yet whether "that model" is acceptable. A downloaded program runs on MY computer and is MY agent. Not the developer's agent, to do whatever the developer wants, whenever they feel like it. IF Firefox had a track record of handling automatic checking and updating effectively and properly, for a year or so, you might begin to probe whether hiding version numbers will fly. [By handle properly, I mean giving appropriate warnings for not updating, as well as providing levels of preference. Microsoft Windows and Firefox are close, but not quite there. One thing sorely missing in the Firefox options is a distinction between security updates and feature changes (improvements). A user should have the right to pre-allow security updates, but have it ask permission for feature-changing updates. A user should have the right to hold off on downloading the next version, warned only that they are missing new features, until such time as security updates render the old version risky, in which case the warning changes.] [It might be helpful to look into update-failures. Again, a more developed checking mechanism would help -- you could have statistics on whether the user turned off checking, or how they refused the update.]

Download buttons on mozilla.org no longer contain version numbers.