600450 - When next page loading is very slow, it's hard to know whether it's still loading or not

Status: RESOLVED INVALID

(Firefox :: Tabbed Browser, defect)

Description

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

When I click some links or bookmarks, the new page loading may sometimes very slow. Then, I try to check whether the new page is still loading or whether I failed to click or I was something wrong.

However, it's hard to know in current UI.

1. The progress bar under location bar is very thin and doesn't have enough contrast (bug 597592). But even if it's fixed, when the progress is near 0%, it's not clear whether I'm seeing the progress bar or not.
2. Only the title of tab is changed as "Loading...", but it's not clear because I need to read the text and need to *understand* the content.
3. Favicon on tab still remains the old page's. It's not changed to an active indicator.
4. The status bar is gone, and there are no feedback of current network state such as "waiting response from www.example.com...".

I think that the active indicator in tab should be back. That is very clear interface for load_ing_ because it's animation icon and changed from a symbol of the old web page.

Comment 1

[:Margaret Leibovic]

Have you seen bug 596812? I think the fix for that bug should help with this issue.

Comment 2

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

Margaret:

Thanks for you comment.

I read the bug, but I guess that it's not enough. Because some OEM vendors uses black for default color of Aero glass (e.g., Sony VAIO). Furthermore, a window which is under the glassed toolbar may be dark color. Then, the darker background color of progress meter doesn't help on such systems.

I wonder why we try to get enough contrast on glass. The computed color of glass depends on system settings and a window which is under the glass. Therefore, we need to compute good foreground color at run-time, but of course, it's not realistic.

The other way, the tab's background color is a solid color. So, we can get sufficient contrast easier.

I still think that the favicon should be replaced during loading because the animation indicates that something is being processed clearly. And it's highly visible.

And there is no reason that the old page's favicon should stay on tab. When the title on tab indicates the network state, the favicon should also indicate the network state by an active indicator. And if the loading is stopped and the old page stays there, the favicon should be back.

Comment 3

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

Ah, the progress meter below the location bar is on a solid color if tabs-on-top. But I don't use tabs-on-top, therefore, the progress meter is on glass.

Comment 4

[:Margaret Leibovic]

(In reply to comment #2)

Masayuki, thanks for pointing out these issues. Hopefully the patch in bug 597592 will help solve some of the coloring problems. Stephen would know more about it than I do.

> I still think that the favicon should be replaced during loading because the
> animation indicates that something is being processed clearly. And it's highly
> visible.
> 
> And there is no reason that the old page's favicon should stay on tab. When the
> title on tab indicates the network state, the favicon should also indicate the
> network state by an active indicator. And if the loading is stopped and the old
> page stays there, the favicon should be back.

Bug 600756 and bug 597665 are trying to address these issues.

Comment 5

[Masayuki Nakano [:masayuki] (he/him)(JST, +0900)]

The main issue was the visibility of the progress line, so, this is now INVALID.