Here at Mozilla, we’re the first to admit that the Internet isn’t perfect, but we’re also quick to point out that the Internet is pretty magical. The internet opens doors and opportunities, allows people to connect with others and lets everyone find where they belong: their corners of the internet. We all have an internet story worth sharing. In My corner of the internetwe talk to people about the online spaces that they can’t get enough of, that we need to save on Bag to read later, and what sites and forums they formed†
First up is Vesta Zare, product manager staff at Firefox mobile here at Mozilla on the parts of the internet she can’t stop talking about (and yes, that includes Firefox).
What is your favorite corner of the internet?
I love exploring podcasts where I learn something new or feel inspired. I also enjoy browsing the instagram feed of talented photographers and local artists.
What’s a deep internet dive you can’t wait to dive back into?
Can’t wait to get back and finish this super long but fascinating blog post about “The history of us” at waitbutwhy.com
What’s the one tab you always regret closing it?
Like most people, I sometimes keep tabs open to remember things I want to come back to and read, research, listen to, or buy. If I accidentally close a tab that I’m not done with, I kind of regret it until I remember that Firefox makes it super easy to open and open a recently closed tab.
What can you not stop talking about on the internet?
I love how the internet has made it so easy and accessible for everyone to learn about something, connect with people all over the world, be entertained or find a product. However, there is too much content competing for our attention, and so much noise to peruse through, that we often end up just returning to the same apps or sites, where convenience and familiarity are more important than variety and diversity of content, or even those our privacy. But what if it feels just as convenient and familiar to explore the entire web and not just a small portion of it? That’s what Firefox Mobile aims to create and I’m really excited about some of the first steps we’ve taken to get rid of junk and highlight content people care about. I look forward to feedback from our users that will help us stay on track to build a personalized and enjoyable, yet private experience of the entire web.
What was the first online community you engaged with?
I wrote blog posts about film and photography and I remember how exciting it was to see people reacting to and interacting with my posts. It was the first time I experienced the global collective power of the web.
What articles and videos are waiting in your Pocket to be read/watched?
There are so many! I love exploring new ideas and perspectives and always found it difficult to keep track of all the articles I wanted to save and read later. Then I was introduced to Pocket, even before I joined Mozilla, and it was just the perfect solution for me. Now when I open Pocket, I usually have a good mix of articles about technology, entertainment, and food waiting for me.
If you could create your own corner of the internet, what would it look like?
I am passionate about creating experiences that help people stay in the moment and not feel like they have to multitask all the time, boosting their creativity and long-term happiness.
Vesta Zare is a staff product manager at Firefox Mobile, where she currently focuses on empowering mobile users on enjoyable, diverse, and private web browsing journeys. Since majoring in cognitive science at university, Vesta became passionate about creating human-technology interfaces that support people’s mental models and solve real everyday problems. She has worked on mobile apps that made financial planning less complicated, advocated for secure community engagement platforms, and built optimized workflows for film and media management. Vesta sees many opportunities to innovate within the mobile space and she loves staying closely connected with mobile consumers to anticipate their ever-changing needs and create experiences that support them.