593624 - remove the dropmarker (not the list itself of course) from the location bar

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: Address Bar, defect)

Description

[Frank Yan (:fryn)]

The awesomebar is awesome, but the list that the dropmarker produces (with empty input) is rarely useful, and it is not clear what logic produces that list. I'm sure there are other reasons to remove it, and they will be listed below in the comments.

There is the problem that, when simply clicking on a non-empty location bar, the awesomebar result list doesn't appear until you start typing, the dropmarker actually serves the minor use case to displaying that list. A simple solution (suggestions welcome) would be to bring up the awesomebar results when the location bar text is in focus.

Comment 1

[Alex Faaborg [:faaborg] (Firefox UX)]

The drop marker actually has pretty high usage, likely from established behavior before the awesome bar existed, but also because the interface is browse instead of search (recognition over recall).  Other products have recreated this functionality with things like speed dial, or a new tab page full of thumbnails.  While way more obvious, those interfaces can be kind of distracting, and can actually convince you to visit a site that you didn't intend to go to (pro-procrastination interface).

If we want to remove the drop arrow, I think the best alternative would be for us to recreate the functionality on the home tab.

Comment 2

[Frank Yan (:fryn)]

(In reply to comment #1)
> The drop marker actually has pretty high usage, likely from established
> behavior before the awesome bar existed, but also because the interface is
> browse instead of search (recognition over recall).

Interesting! Makes sense. Why doesn't the drop marker's default list of most visited pages (when the url bar has no text input) match the list of the default smart bookmark folder called "Most Visited"?

Comment 3

[Alex Faaborg [:faaborg] (Firefox UX)]

I've often wondered that as well, really have no idea.

Comment 4

[Frank Yan (:fryn)]

In that case, I'll file a bug about making those match and be more useful.

Since I see no near-future plan to recreate this functionality somewhere that is quickly accessible (so there is no bug from this to depend on), would this be a WONTFIX? (We could reopen it someday, i s'pose.) Limi, what are your thoughts?

Comment 5

[Michael Lefevre]

(In reply to comment #2)
> Interesting! Makes sense. Why doesn't the drop marker's default list of most
> visited pages (when the url bar has no text input) match the list of the
> default smart bookmark folder called "Most Visited"?

I guess because most visited is just counting visits, but the awesomebar prioritises based on "frecency", which is a combination of visits and other factors?

Comment 6

[Alex Limi (:limi) — Firefox UX Team]

(In reply to comment #4)
> In that case, I'll file a bug about making those match and be more useful.
> 
> Since I see no near-future plan to recreate this functionality somewhere that
> is quickly accessible (so there is no bug from this to depend on), would this
> be a WONTFIX? (We could reopen it someday, i s'pose.) Limi, what are your
> thoughts?

Yeah, I think we should close this one. It's in our plans (and we wanted to move this kind of functionality to the home tab for 4.0), but it didn't make it in time.

Agreed on filing a bug to make the Most Visited and frecency bookmarks match up.

Comment 7

[Frank Yan (:fryn)]

(In reply to comment #6)
> Agreed on filing a bug to make the Most Visited and frecency bookmarks match
> up.

Filed bug 593649.