This was my exact thought as well. Just because the ad industry doesn't want this to happen, doesn't mean the apps implementing it should get slammed. IE has done great strides in the past few years.
But by turning it on by default, they automatically kill it. Not a good thing! (Consider this, Mozilla created it, and they are against turning it on by default. There's a signal there).
Firstly, this is completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. Secondly, Google pays Mozilla a fortune because Google won the war for that space with Microsoft. Mozilla has the significant upper-hand in the relationship (shown by how Mozilla was able to increase the payments from $100m to $300m) this year.
Firstly, this is completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand.
Nonsense. It was a direct response to a statement that intended to capture Mozilla's motivation - that their motivation is altruistic. The reality is that Mozilla receives millions from Google, itself a company that is under threat by enable-by-default DNT. Mozilla has a demonstrably massive conflict of interest regarding DNT.
As for your second point, it does not contradict the fact I stated: Mozilla still exists because of Google.
Indeed, you're right. It is relevant. However, I still disagree with your conclusion. I say this as someone who worked at Mozilla, and who knows a lot of Mozillians who have been there many years.
Mozila is a non-profit, and it has a mission. It exists to make the web a better place. It existed before Google, and it will exist after Google stops paying. As it happens, although Google's money has allowed Mozilla grow hugely, it has other revenues that would allow it to support a good sized staff.
The point I was making is that without Google, there is Microsoft, who are dying to make Bing a thing. Microsoft clearly offered way more than Google's old $100m, else how would the new deal be $300m.
Finally, enable-by-default DNT wouldn't kill anything except DNT. It is an optional protocol, no-one has to support it, and if it was enabled by default, no-one would.
It's actually outrageous. There's a law to prohibit unsolicited telephone calls - effectively a law to prohibit annoying people. But none for prohibiting companies from invading privacy by tracking online activity without explicit permission? Insane.
I have no tears for ad networks. They need to find a new business model or be fined into bankruptcy.
(That's my conclusion, BTW. The Mozilla stuff was simply a response to your Mozilla comments. I'm sure there are a lot of nice people at Mozilla. And Google. Irrelevant.)
[Mozilla] exists to make the web a better place.
If that were true, Mozilla would be lobbying for a law.