175403 - Limit prefetching bandwidth usage via a pref

Status: NEW

(Core :: Networking, defect, P5)

Description

[Doug Turner (:dougt)]

There are cases in which prefetching content that is not required is harmful. 
Consider the case where the user must pay per k downloaded via the client. 
Downloading pages that are not requested by the user waste the users bandwidth
and thereby cost the user money.

I think that this can partly be solved in necko, but other parts of the code may
download bits that are not totally necessary.  For example, on hover images set
via js.

Comment 1

[Darin Fisher]

-> great idea! futuring for now.

Comment 2

[Errol Smith]

 I believe that link prefetching should be disabled by default. Unfortunately,
this feature COSTS PEOPLE MONEY (at least people like me who live in Australia
and other countries with pay-per-k). And something that costs people money
doesn't make Mozilla more attractive than other browsers which don't! :-)
 Also because there is presently no easy way to disable it (ie gui preference),
makes it more important that it's off by default. (possibly redundant given bug
166648)
 Imagine frustrated new Mozilla user: "You mean it's going to download stuff
without my knowledge, and I have to manually edit some obscure config file to
turn it off? Screw this! I'lll stick with IE!" ;-)
 Just my 2c...

Comment 3

[Jesse Ruderman]

There's already a pref in Mozilla to turn off link prefetching.  I think that
should be enough for .au broadband users.  (The reporter of this bug also
mentioned new Image()...)

Comment 4

[Charles Evans]

Could we have a speed limit rather than a yes/no?
Some of us have home networks and don't want 1 computer to hog the link for low-priority data.

Comment 5

[Firefox Bug Husbandry Bot]

Bulk change to priority: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1399258