1251264 - Add setting to disable automatic opening of dropdown-window when typing in search-bar

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: Search, enhancement)

Description

[Greg]

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Ubuntu; Linux x86_64; rv:44.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/44.0
Build ID: 20160209234642

Steps to reproduce:

Typed in the Search-Bar/Search-Interface.




Actual results:

Typing in the search-bar causes automatic opening of a dropdown-window filled with search engine icons.


Expected results:

A setting should exist to prevent a dropdown-window from automatically opening when someone types into the search-bar.

I often need to type bits and pieces of information from the webpage I'm viewing into the search-bar. The dropdown often covers up webpage information that I am trying to input into the search-bar, and it is also distracting to have this dropdown-window opening every time I start typing. The end result is that I am constantly having to keep hitting the Esc key to make the search-bar hide itself and/or readjust the position of the webpage (if possible) to aid my copying activity.

I understand the rationale of the dropdown window for novice users, but it really is useless for users who make use of keywords. Further, one of the great things about the search-bar is that it aids note taking, information transcription, and can serve as a static reference for holding onto information across pages as one browses. The redesign of the search-bar that has resulted in automatic opening of a dropdown window has destroyed some of the efficiency and usefulness of the search-bar.

I kindly ask that a setting be added that will prevent the dropdown window from automatically opening when a user types into the search-bar.

Comment 1

[:shell escalante]

thank you for the feedback - for now this isn't on the plan for 2016.  can revisit at later date.

Comment 2

[Panos Astithas (he/him) [:past] (please ni?)]

Note that a good workaround for what you are currently doing is to initiate the search by selecting the text in the page and then right-click to bring up the context menu and choose "Search <search-engine> for <selected string>".

But more broadly, customizations like what you suggested that only affect a small percentage of users are best offered as add-ons.

Comment 3

[Greg]

@Panos Astithas

Note that I am not necessarily performing searches on the text that I am trying to input into the Search-Bar. I use the Search-Bar also as a static poster of information across tabs, or to display information from a top part of a page that is no longer visible when I scroll further down the page.

It doesn't affect a small percentage of users. Many users are upset with the changes that have been made to the Search-Bar. You guys have catered to unskilled firefox users with the Search-Bar changes that you made. Yet it is a fair claim that most Firefox users are more skilled than the average Chrome or Internet Explorer or Safari user.