Netscape/AOL Forces Mozilla to Suspend Open Source ICQ Rival

Computergram International, April 23, 1999

By Rachel Chalmers

Open source browser developer Mozilla.org has been forced to pull the plug on a planned chat and messaging feature, only a few days after launching the project. A note on the Mozilla site reads: "Netscape, the contributor of the Instant Messaging API document, has requested that mozilla.org remove this page pending further review by Netscape. We at mozilla.org regret this inconvenience, but respect the wishes of our contributors. Netscape solicits feedback on this decision."

All Mozilla's volunteer contributors are entitled to withdraw project proposals submitted by them, and Netscape has merely exercised this right. Its effort was wasted, however, as people who had already downloaded the API posted it to Slashdot.org and MozillaZine.org. Developer opinion is divided over whether Netscape/AOL - owner of ICQ, the de facto standard for instant messaging on the web, as well as AOL Instant Messenger - is throwing its weight around to prevent Mozilla developing an open source rival. Some point out that with the Mozilla client, Gecko, still only at the demo stage, Mozilla.org has better things to do than mess about with messaging.