269600 - get rid of the unnecessary '&client=firefox....' for google search plugin

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: Search, defect)

Description

[Jungshik Shin]

This is the other side of a coin to bug 269469. Using 'User-Agent' sent via
HTTP, google has no problem recognizing Mozilla Firefox and other gecko-based
browser supporting UTF-8. However, in firefox 1.0, google search plugin adds a
completely unnecessary (afaict) 'client=firefox....' at the end of the search
URL sent to google, which gets in the way of google's ability to recognize 
firefox as being able to handle UTF-8.

If 'client=firefox....' is  really necessary, this bug should be invalid and we
have to work with google to fix their problem. If it's  not, let's just drop
'&client=firefox....'.

See bug 269469 comment #0 as to how to reproduce (note that it's in UTF-8)

Comment 1

[Jungshik Shin]

http://bonsai.mozilla.org/cvslog.cgi?file=mozilla/browser/base/content/searchconfig.properties

It was added in the above file and there must be a good reason for this.
Assuming there is, we have to work with google to make this not get in the way
(bug 269469).

Before resolving this as invalid, I'm adding a few to Cc to hear what they think.

Comment 2

[Vladimir Vukicevic [:vlad] [:vladv] (needinfo me, slow to respond)]

-> Ben.  AFAIK, this will probably be a WONTFIX, but I'll let him make that call.

Comment 3

[Jungshik Shin]

I prefer to ask google to fix their problem (bug 269469), too because that way,
it's an instant fix. They can just rely on the value of 'User-Agent'  sent via HTTP.

Comment 4

[timeless]

jshin: i'm betting this is a marketting bug, note that you can't really use the
useragent to do what you think. the useragent lets google find out when a
mozilla browser visits google. it doesn't let google find out when someone is
using mozilla's search feature. there's a difference, and i'm betting that's
what they're trying to measure.

Comment 5

[Jungshik Shin]

Yeah, I figured that. I'm closing this bug as invalid. Anyway, we should 'fix'
bug 269469.