1775518 - Unacceptable UI for tabs

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: Tabbed Browser, defect)

Description

[Mozira]

User Agent: Mozilla/6.0 (X13; Neburu; Linux x86_64; rv:100.0) Gecko/19840402 COVID/19.84

Steps to reproduce:

I have upgraded the firefox to 89+.

Actual results:

1. The default control for tab is button. It is not intuitive.
2. Hidden functions on top of tabs (i don't know full list - muting, playing video etc.). If I want to switch tab I often click mute, block video or start video unwillingly. Hover is difficult to use for me.
3. The composition of Firefox changed without my decision.
4. Users are not surveyed regarding the changes of the Firefox interface.
5. Tabs are to tall for use in resolution 1280x768 (in my laptop!) and It cannot be changed easily.

Expected results:

1. The default for tab should be control looking like a tab, not button. Correct UX/UI implementation.
2. Functions should be visible to easy identify them without clicking unwittingly. Hovered options (if any) should be shown above or below the control.
3. User should be prompted to change composition. Here should be option for selection tabs and addressbar style: Photon and Proton. The photon should be used further if user doesn't switch composition or will not agree (if prompted).
4. Mozilla should start surveys regarding change of Firefox UI/UX. Inadequate and too frequent change of interface requires learning again. This discourages people.
5. The user should be able to save space on the screen. There should be many height option. The "compact proton" is still to tall. And there should be very tall option for people with disability.

Comment 1

[BugBot [:suhaib / :marco/ :calixte]]

The Bugbug bot thinks this bug should belong to the 'Firefox::Tabbed Browser' component, and is moving the bug to that component. Please correct in case you think the bot is wrong.

Comment 2

[Andre Klapper]

The default control for tab is button.

Sorry, I do not understand this sentence. What "control button"?

The composition of Firefox changed without my decision.

What is "composition"?

Users are not surveyed regarding the changes of the Firefox interface.

Software development is not a popularity contest. User surveys have self-selection bias. User surveys do not include future users.

The user should be able to save space on the screen.

There are, see e.g. https://askubuntu.com/questions/1355169/firefox-how-to-reduce-height-of-bars

In general I recommend to bring up such discussions on https://support.mozilla.org/

Closing this ticket as it is is unfortuantely not actionable and covers way too many different things. Please see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=bug-writing.html

Comment 3

[Mozira]

(In reply to Andre Klapper from comment #2)

The default control for tab is button.

Sorry, I do not understand this sentence. What "control button"?

Basic controls in windows, X11, android, MAC: Exit, TextMemo, Button, Radiobutton, Checkbox, Tab, Window, PopupMenu, Menu. Default Control for tab is tab... You use button instead tab.

Is it understandable now?

The composition of Firefox changed without my decision.

What is "composition"?

Please look at the image. I attach it now.

Users are not surveyed regarding the changes of the Firefox interface.

Software development is not a popularity contest. User surveys have self-selection bias. User surveys do not include future users.

Using surveys will allow you to have feedback what think current users about changes. Surveys will help detect changes that are very unfavorable, and the one reported was considered unfavorable by many users. Without surveys you must se
search the entire internet to find out that the change is badly seen. . Like here: https://support.mozilla.org/pl/questions/1338169

The user should be able to save space on the screen.

There are, see e.g. https://askubuntu.com/questions/1355169/firefox-how-to-reduce-height-of-bars

In general I recommend to bring up such discussions on https://support.mozilla.org/

Closing this ticket as it is is unfortuantely not actionable and covers way too many different things. Please see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=bug-writing.html

about:config is no option for standard, not technical user. The application should be user friendly (main UX value!). Code names like about:config and searching thousands of settings is not user friendly. If user need to use about:config for basic functions like selecting tab tall and menu height (without modification of resolution, dpi and zoom - the UX is wrong.

Firefox should have in settings many of height options for menu and many of height options for tab-bar. User can prefer big menu captions due to eyesight problem but very compact tabs (with big or medium font) for tabs to save space. For the moment I must edit userChrome.css to get it. I must learn CSS to basically configure the browser.

Comment 4

[Mozira]

Attachment: composition.png

Comment 5

[Mozira]

Regarding Klapper's recomended answer about compact mode of tab-bar:

(askubuntu) OPTION TWO (recommended):

First, go to about:config in your URL bar.

Then, search for layout.css.devPixelsPerPx

Finally, double click on the value and change it to less than 1.0. After you set the value, press ENTER to apply the changes. For example, you can use 0.75 or if that is too big, you could try 0.5.

This solution is like solution for too bright monitor:

1. put on sunglasses to darken the image.
2. turn on additional strong light bulb in room to see normally.
   Instead of:
3. darken image in monitor settings.

The devPixelsPerPx has global consequences, also for fonts, icons size, loaded webpages. It is not intended to compact mode.

There are needed options for font size and tab size in settings of Firefox.

Comment 6

[Andre Klapper]

You use button instead tab.

I don't. Firefox does, maybe.

Using surveys will allow you to have feedback what think current users about changes.

No, they only allow to see what a very small number of current users (because survivor bias) might think and that is not a good base at all (because self-selection bias) for any decisions. Please see my comment 2 again.

Surveys will help detect changes that are very unfavorable, and the one reported was considered unfavorable by many users.

They were not "considered unfavorable by many users". They were maybe "considered unfavorable" by a number of users who decided to be vocal about it. See also what I wrote in comment 2.

Code names like about:config and searching thousands of settings is not user friendly.

Right - providing "thousands of settings is not user friendly" so Firefox does not expose thousands of settings in its user interface, as its default settings work for the vast majority of users who will never ever want to change them. And those users who want to change it can already do that.

Please do not reopen this ticket and please check the links in comment 2 why such tickets are not helpful for anyone. Thanks a lot.