THE LEAD: MOZILLA CEO BRENDAN EICH STEPS DOWN AFTER PROP. 8 UPROAR
Mozilla announced Thursday afternoon that its newly appointed CEO, JavaScript creator and Mozilla co-founder Brendan Eich, would step down after his appointment last month sparked a firestorm of criticism for a $1,000 donation to the 2008 campaign for Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage that was eventually overturned by the courts.
"While painful, the events of the last week show exactly why we need the Web. So all of us can engage freely in the tough conversations we need to make the world better," the Mountain View nonprofit's other co-founder, Executive Chairwoman Mitchell Baker said in the announcement of the move. "We need to put our focus back on protecting that Web. And doing so in a way that will make you proud to support Mozilla."
