The CEO of Firefox, Brendan Eich, stepped down from his position after much media scrutiny.
Eich reportedly donated $1000 to Proposition 8, a bill that would attempt to re-amend California’s current allowance of gay marriage.
The issue was first brought to light by OkCupid, a dating website that informed its viewers of Eich’s donation and suggested they use a different browser.
The overall incident has gained attention with social media, and it has been debated whether or not the decisions made were justified.
AP Photo:
Former CEO of Firefox, who has stepped down after reportedly donating to Proposition 8.
On one hand, as a CEO of an organization, I think Eich should be aware of the decisions he makes and how it might impact his career.
Because of the nature of his position, it only makes sense to understand that every move he makes can and will be seen by the public eye.
Being at that level of a company which so many people regularly use, he should know that his personal life belongs to those willing to look into it.
On the other hand, I feel that all he really did was express an opinion.
He didn’t donate to Prop 8 in the name of Firefox; he donated to it in his own name.
His opinion isn’t the same one I have on gay marriage, or the opinion many people have, but I think he has every right to his own perspective.
If he wants to donate to a cause that appeals to that perspective, that is his choice.
It is fine to want to know who benefits from the dollars that you spend and what that money goes toward – in fact, voting with your dollar seems to be the best way to show input.
But Firefox is an internet browser; if anything, it would be the advertisers who would have more concern.
Had it not been for the publicity that OkCupid brought, most people probably wouldn’t have even known.
Even after the announcement, I wonder how many people actually made the effort to download Google Chrome.
That being said, when OkCupid made an announcement to their users to stop using Firefox, I felt like their intentions were much more political and for publicity than out of genuine concern.
Eich didn’t inflict violence on anyone; he didn’t make a public display of offensiveness to anyone.
All Eich really did was donate to a bill he believed in, giving more of his own say to the government.
Maybe more people should do the same for their own causes?
I think it really comes down to the fact that most people probably would not have been aware of what Eich had donated to had it not been for the publicity; in turn, this leads me to wonder what causes other leaders are supporting.
I honestly couldn’t tell you what the CEOs of Dunkin’ Donuts or Walmart are supporting, and perhaps I should before I continue my regular patronage towards both.
Of course, technically Eich wasn’t forced to resign— according to Mozzilla.
He stepped down because of the pressure he was under.
In a sense, he is the one who surrendered his voice. If he really wanted to, he could have fought for his position and made an even bigger deal out of it.
In the end, maybe this should be a lesson to pay more attention to what we purchase.
Perhaps we should actually take some time to research the higher-ups of Starbucks and McDonald’s— it’s not much different than researching an employer before an interview or looking at a person’s Facebook before a date.
If we find that what we’re considering buying into is supporting causes we strongly oppose, perhaps we should consider not buying into it.
Anthony Munoz can be contacted at amunoz@keene-equinox.com