763230 - Preserve existing user choice of default search engine for Russian builds

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox :: Search, defect)

Description

[Alexander L. Slovesnik]

+++ This bug was initially created as a clone of Bug #761592 +++

(In Bug 761592 comment #12 Max wrote:
> There seems to be some missconception regarding what's a default setting and
> what is a user preference.
> The new version will not only set Google's search for *new* users, but also
> change the setting upon upgrade for those who *used* the previous default
> setting. This seems like an intervention to user's practice and habit. Sure,
> there will be a possibility for users to manually change search provider
> back, but we all know how people "love" facing preferences, right? ;)
> In fact, there is one even worse scenario. The upgrade will change the QS
> even for those users who might have tried another search providers and then
> switched back to Yandex (the default). I believe that overwriting settings
> that were changed by a user on purpose is a very unfriendly behaviour.

I absolutely agree with Max. Existing user choice of default search engine should be preserved, as it had been done in past in Bug 364297 for CJKT builds after change of default search provider from Yahoo to Google.
After update users should not find out that their default search engine suddenly has been changed without their consent. This is very bad practice.

Comment 1

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

We're in the process of investigation and a possible re-design for how users navigate between search services. Because of how our search UI is today, we don't currently have a mechanism for users to express a "user choice" on preferred search services. But our redesigns may do something to correct that. We are also working on making it harder for third parties to change your search settings (through add-ons and toolbars) without users being fully aware of what's happening. Both of these efforts are underway but not very far along.

Comment 2

[Mike Hommey [:glandium]]

Could you point to the relevant bug(s)?

Comment 3

[Asa Dotzler [:asa]]

(In reply to Mike Hommey [:glandium] from comment #2)
> Could you point to the relevant bug(s)?

no. we don't have bugs. we're still in the investigating and planning stages.

Comment 4

[chris hofmann]

I'd suggest that we might change the title for this bug and turn it into a more general tracking bug for that work, especially on the side of preserving default settings made at installation, and any user modifications along the way.

Comment 5

[:Gavin Sharp [email: [e-mail]]]

Unfortunately this ship has sailed :/

Bug 738818 should help solve the general problem though, by making it possible for users to explicitly choose their "default engine".