Feature Removal on Software Platforms – Discontinued Core Features on Browser Platforms – A Case Study on Mozilla Firefox

Software platforms allow for the extension of features by third-party contributors. Thereby, platform innovation is an important aspects of platforms attractiveness for users and complementors. While previous research focused the introduction of new features, the aspect of feature removal and discontinued features on software platforms has been disregarded. To explore the phenomenon and motivations for feature removal on software platforms, a review of recent literature is provided. To illustrate the existence of and motivations for feature removal, a case study of the browser platform Mozilla Firefox is presented. The results reveal feature removal to regularly occur on browser platforms for user- and developer-related features. Frequent reasons for feature removal involve unused features, security concerns, and bugs. Related motivations for feature removal are discussed from the platform owner's perspective. Implications for complementors and users are highlighted.