Ten add-ons installed on Firefox equal to two times longer to start. Given this equation, and aware that the browser wars will also be on their speed, the Mozilla Foundation has decided to settle the thorny issue of slowing the browser by some of these modules added. The creators of Firefox have therefore introduced new measures, they detail on their blog. A situation made necessary because “although most add-ons have a minor impact, others can significantly slow down Firefox. ”

Indeed, an add-on installed in Firefox may, on average, increase by 10% the starting time of it. A calculation that includes both modules perform better than those who seriously slow down the browser. The Mozilla Foundation has decided to publish a weekly ranking of these black sheep, to alert users, and force developers to respond. For now, only the 100 add-ons most commonly used are tested. “But soon we will scan automatically the new versions of all modules when we are submissive. An indication of the loading time of pages in the presence of each module is also planned.

Within two weeks, a warning should also appear in the galleries of add-ons, meaning those whose impact reaches 25% or more during startup. And if the statistics are not enough to convince developers of modules slow, they will also be contacted by the foundation so that they work performance of their products.

But Firefox users also calls to attention, particularly as regards the installation of modules from other modules: “They are responsible for many performance problems, and our users do not always know how this module came about, and how to remove it. ” An awareness that should pave the way for the browser version 5, scheduled for June 2011. This will bring changes to the tab system, creating a manager identification and integration of a PDF reader or MP3, and a sharing feature on Twitter or Facebook.