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! Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Scott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads Randy: X Instagram YouTube Threads