1614979 - [Pocket] New Tab Experiment - Recs in GB

Status: RESOLVED FIXED

(Firefox :: New Tab Page, task, P1)

Comment 1

[Tawanda Kanhema]

Brief Description of the request (required):

Pocket Recommendations in en-GB

Business purpose for this request (required):

Introduce organic New Tab recommendations UK users on en-GB locale.

Requested timelines for the request or how this fits into roadmaps or critical decisions (required):

Experiment should run in the 75 cycle, Q2 2020.

Links to any assets (e.g Start of a PHD, BRD; any document that helps describe the project):

Experiment Design Document -

Experiment Branch Descriptions -

2nd Pref to watch for QA: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1619419

Pocket New Tab Experiments: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PZyrvQJzB1eivN64h27w6oLj8Xuu3mHJHw73nIObfQU/edit#heading=h.tyxrirfb1m46

Figma - Default 3x7 New Tab layout. No UI changes for this study.

Experimenter Ticket - https://experimenter.services.mozilla.com/experiments/pocket-new-tab-experiments-organic-recommendations-in-en-gb/

Name of Data Scientist (If Applicable):

Please note if it is found that not enough information has been given this will delay the triage of this request.

Comment 2

[Tawanda Kanhema]

Here's the second pref for the en-GB rollout.

Second Pref:

Pref Type
string

Pref Branch
Default

Pref Value
browser.newtabpage.activity-stream.discoverystream.region-layout-config = US,CA,GB

Comment 3

[bugzillamozilla]

Hi, GB user here: have previously disabled pocket on FF home preference, and have studies disabled.

Today, pocket's reappeared on my home/newtab page. Is this intended behaviour?

Comment 4

[Scott [:thecount] Downe]

Definitely not intended.

I'm not sure what's going on, but there are a few moving parts here that might be impacting you.

We've had issue in the past where if people are downloading language packs, changing their locale, or modifying values in about:config, it can reset the pocket newtab status. The language pack issue we diagnosed was recently fixed though, but could still have impacted you if you changed a language pack before the fix. Should be a one time though if that's the case. It also only happened when the lag pack updated, iirc. We also don't necessarily support cases where users modify values in about:config. In some cases changing values in there reset other values by design. Not suggesting you changed anything in about:config, but thinking through what might have happened, this is one of the possible ways to revert pocket status in newtab.

Also there have been some of the recent en-GB activity around pocket newtab.

en-GB in Firefox 77 is still technically off, but we did a rollout recently, which I'm not sure if opt out of studies also opts out of rollouts, but my assumption would be it is also disabled. I'm also not sure if you're using Firefox release, beta, or nightly.

With pocket off in en-GB release, you wouldn't have the ability to toggle it on or off, the option in preferences would be off by default and hidden, so because you could previously turn it off, suggests you were either in a rollout (unlikely) or are possibly using en en-US browser with some en-GB configuration? Not sure. Just thinking it through. It's weird thought that you could turn it off/on before we released it.

Once we release firefox 78, pocket stories in newtab should be on.

Beta is being turned on by default very soon, but again, should have been off previously.

Nightly was just turned on, so if you're using nightly, it might be related to that?

More info around the beta/nightly release here https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1632574

The bug we fixed around lang packs https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1446276

Comment 5

[Ciprian Muresan [:cmuresan], Formerly of Ecosystem QA - please needinfo @mcoman for things regarding the team]

@scott, rollouts are not considered "studies" at least when reffering to the "Allow Nightly to install and run studies" option in about:preferences.
We tend use rollouts for much more important changes or immediate hotfixes.

So if we rolled out a change in Pocket, I'd say it's at least intended from what Firefox is concerned, but it might not have been intended as far as we're concerned, at least if I'm reading this right.

Comment 6

[Scott [:thecount] Downe]

Going to close this.

We have another bug tracking pocket recs turning back on: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1652237

The original issue in this bug also got resolved and is finished.