# Mozilla vs. Navigator

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozilla-vs-navigator/126170>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 29, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozilla-vs-navigator/126170 "2002-08-29T21:02:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozilla-vs-navigator/126170/1 "2002-08-29T21:02:40Z")

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Is Mozilla a product of Netscape? If not, what is their relationship? If so, why are they still working on Netscape Navigator?

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**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozilla-vs-navigator/126170/2 "2002-08-30T04:01:01Z")

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I’ll take a shot at this since no one else has. Mind you, IANATechie. Mozilla is an open source project by Netscape. The difference is that Netscape will take the Mozilla browser add some of their add-ons and call it Navigator.  
These articles explain it far better than I can.  
[Article 1](http://www.infinisource.com/features/netscape-future.html)

[Article 2](http://www.mozillaquest.com/Mozilla-02/Mozilla_is_Netscape-02-01_Story-01.html)

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozilla-vs-navigator/126170/3 "2002-08-30T13:29:47Z")

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In case anyone cares, Netcsape release version 7.0 a couple days ago.

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozilla-vs-navigator/126170/4 "2002-08-30T16:50:35Z")

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**brujo** is correct. A couple years ago when Netscape Corporation was on the rocks and finally gave up trying to fight IE, they put their browser under the GPL.

The Mozilla Project is the group of people working on the GPLed code to produce something viable, and the Mozilla Browser is the product of their work.

Netscape (now owned by AOL) Navigator is the branded edition of Mozilla with a few proprietary additions (like ads, etc) put out by AOL.

[editorial comment]  
And Mozilla is one kick-butt browser!

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**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2002, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mozilla-vs-navigator/126170/5 "2002-08-30T16:56:59Z")

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Sorry for the blank link. I forgot to put in the url. here it is:

[GPL](http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/)  
( [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/](http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/) )