Project Platform Status
tomayto, tomahto, or also platform-status
Goal
Platform Status gives developers a cross-platform and cross-browser roadmap for browser features, from standardization and development to release. Not only a channel to raise awareness, it can also drive adoption and improve the vital feedback loop Firefox's platform needs to have with web developers. For most developers it will be a reference to discover and learn, but it has the potential to provide the entry points for radical participation on Mozilla's platform development.
Why
Existing web compatibility references, like caniuse focus on cross-browser compatibility but don't cover un-released features and lag behind on features that already shipped. Major browser vendors (Edge, Chrome, Webkit) are publicising their own platform status with references to their bug tracking and bug owners. Similar to Platform Status' goal, Chrome tracks consensus/enthusiasm from other browsers using sources that range from bugs, to IRC logs to tweets.
Platform Status can send an open and clear message to developers about the state of Mozilla's platform, from proposals of new web features to release.
What is success
- Developers discover new platform features early in the process, try them out and provide feedback
- Developers adopt bleeding edge standards because they get clear signals from browser vendors
- Firefox platform team and a community can maintain the data with low effort
Additional Attributions
Portions of the status data are from chromestatus.com (CC BY 2.5), dev.windows.com (CC BY 2.5), and webkit.org (LGPL). Link Closed icon by Thomas Helbig from the Noun Project.