[dmhouse]

"How is a non-hacker end user supposed to run a tarball?"

How about they wait until available through their distribution's package manager?

[nailer]

Because this can take up to six months or longer, and people want to use the software they're being asked by Firefox's marketing to use.

Most people don't wait 6 months. They use articles like the one mentioned, and are more likely to encounter poor-quality Firefox as a result.