Bugzilla

Have enjoyed the search engine un-editability issue too. Discovered that StartPagers fail to provide search result when using Search box near the address bar. They instead overbullshitting with captcha, whining about "too much robotic requests", etc. At the same time search through their website works fine.

This is definitely not a problem since the only need is to update the StartPage search engine URL and/or parameters. So i click their "Add to firefox" link. But instead of simple adding the new search engine URL and/or setting new values of it's parameters it brings me onto the extension installation page. I install the extension, and FF started to bullshit me with it's version incompatibility. It commonly happens, that the only compatibility issue is version requirement, when APIs match and the "incompatible" extension turns out to be fully-functional after forced installing. So i corrected the minimum version in extension's 'manifest.json' and FF failed to install it because of it's signature mismatch...

Yes, a GUI for manual editing search engine configuration - URL, parameters, icon, name, description, etc. must be available in Options/Search. Yes, as people say, many browsers provide such capability for years and years. This enables user to correct search engine manually in a couple of clicks/key presses, eliminating the need to fall into and experience the FF extension-versioning-and-signature-hell. This also enables user to add desired search engine independently of the engine provider's degree of incompetence and ineptitude.

In general, it's a totally foolish concept: to prohibit basic operations for end user, allowing only digitally-signed third parties interventions. Not to mention, this concept breaks the Mozilla Principles system, which FF pretends to fulfill. Yes, there are enough fools for our age. But please remember the Shaw's Principle: Build a system that even a fool can use, and only a fool will want to use it. ;)