1012: Who Decides What Ships on the Web?

Scott and Wes sit down with Jake Archibald from Mozilla to unpack how web standards actually get made at Firefox. From browser features and developer feedback to the drama around the Prompt API. They discuss Interop 2026, the future of web APIs, and what it’s really like shaping the web after a career spanning both Google and Mozilla.

Show Notes

• 00:00 The Importance of Sunscreen
• 02:29 Welcome to Syntax!
• 04:35 Transitioning from Google to Mozilla
• 06:00 Brought to you by Sentry.io
• 06:43 Mozilla’s Current Position and Development Priority
  • HTML Sanitizer API
• 08:35 Feature Implementation and Developer Feedback
• 13:12 JPEG XL and AVIF: The Future of Image Formats
• 18:06 Balancing User Features and Web Standards
• 20:56 Navigating the AI Translation Dilemma
• 23:03 Understanding the Prompt API Controversy
• 32:56 Rethinking the Future of Prompt APIs
• 39:00 Exploring Local Models and User Control
• 44:04 The State of Firefox DevTools
• 45:42 Browser Stability and Developer Editions
• 47:39 Introduction to the Heading Offset API
• 51:14 Interop APIs and Their Importance
  • Headingoffset & Headingreset attributes
• 54:10 Developer Feedback and Browser Features
  • Developer Signals
• 58:05 Animating Display None and Its Challenges
• 01:00:44 HTML and Canvas: Opportunities and Concerns
• 01:04:01 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs

Sick Picks

• Scott:
• Wes:
• Jake:
  • Clues by Sam

Shameless Plugs

• Scott:
• Wes:
• Jake:
  • Bluesky
  • Mastodon
  • Threads
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • X
  • Insatgram
  • Tiktok

Hit us up on Socials!

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Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads