87538 - preferences buttons on status bar

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(SeaMonkey :: UI Design, enhancement)

Description

[Martin Macok]

I have followed Bug 38521 (preferences toolbar) but I don't see it much usable.
It will eat too much space on smaller screens to be turned on instantly.

I would like to have just another 4 small buttons near "online/offline button"
and "security button" down on the right side of the Status Bar (I see much
unused space here now). Theese buttons could be:

1) Javascript: on/off
2) Java: on/off
3) Cookies: on/off/current server only
4) Images: on/off/current server only
(Maybe someone could add fifth button for "stop/start animating GIFS").

Theese buttons would act same as user changing prefs in Edit/Preferences menu
and hitting OK.

The presence of theese buttons could be made toggled by
Edit/Preferences/Navigator dialog (among Go, Search, Print ... buttons).

Comment 1

[Akkana Peck]

Very nice, and I like the idea of using that extra status bar space for the purpose.

Comment 2

[Keyser Sose]

Marking NEW.

Comment 3

[Blake Ross]

Interesting idea.  Others want a preference toolbar or sidebar panel.  -> UI Design

Comment 4

[Jesse Ruderman]

*** Bug 9042 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 5

[Spiros Ioannou]

I prefer this solution over the preferences toolbar, but I propose the
on/off for the images to be valid for all servers, not for current one. Or to
have a 3-state (on/off/off for this server) checkbox/button/whatever.

Comment 6

[Martin Macok]

Yes, it is reasonable to make this buttons act for all servers with same
behaviour as user visiting Preferences, turning it on/off and hitting OK.
(It's the most expectable behaviour for a user).

The reason is that you know what server you'll be visiting now and you change
preferences buttons on/off BEFORE visiting it.
Other reason why I think theese buttons can add some "security value" to Mozilla:
I always prefer to turn off javascript and turn it on when needed. But because
turning on and off javascript through Preferences dialog is a pain so I'm lazy
doing it all the times and leave it turned on by default for comfort. If turning
on/off this is easy as a clicking on a button on a status bar then it would not
be a pain to turn it on/off as many times as needed and I would leave it turned
off by default for me.
Same for cookies/images.

Preferences toolbar will eat workspace so user will turn it off by default. Then
turning on javascript will be almost same pain as through Preferences - user
must turn preferences toolbar on and that's almost similar to turn on
Preferences dialog. Same applies for Preferences sidebar.

[If workspace is not a problem, then add "Apply" button to Preferences dialog
and let this dialog persistent on your desktop - you have *shiny new* "floating"
preferences toolbar for free ;-) ]

Comment 7

[[not reading bugmail]]

floating toolbars are like pop-ups, the get in the way and you have to move
them.  I say add a sidebar for Mozilla-cool-add-on links then users can install
it if they want.  or create a right side screen sidebar for such things instead
of toolbar at the top. ie - like many large MS apps/graphics packages, along
with Office XP, right side clipboard stuff/toolbars.  I bet MS would get mad at
that. :)

-dman84

Comment 8

[Lubomir Sedlacik]

i liek this idea. it is very annoying when you need to turn on/off (mostly)
javascript and java through Edi/Preferences. it would be very handy to have them
available along with online/offline and security button. i really want it ;)

Comment 9

[Jesse Ruderman]

*** Bug 128536 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***

Comment 10

[timeless]

.

Comment 11

[Serge Gautherie (:sgautherie)]

Filter "spam" on "guifeatures-nobody-20080610".

Comment 12

[David Bolter [:davidb] (NeedInfo me for attention)]

Given the general design direction towards reducing visual noise and keeping things lean and simple I think we should WONTFIX this bug. This kind of functionality belongs in an add-on.