922599 - run a mop-up script to add missing features to apps

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Marketplace Graveyard :: Validation, defect, P2)

Description

[Andrew Williamson [:eviljeff]]

None of the packaged apps uploaded before bug 917738 was implemented will have features checked for systemXHR, etc, added automatically and most developers won't have realised either (I didn't realise there either until I filed 917738).  We should run a script to add those buchets to the effected apps.

Comment 1

[Matt Basta [:basta]]

I don't believe we can or should do this. If we automatically set buchets for apps, we could be getting it very wrong (there could be fallbacks, etc.). We have no way of truly determining minimum requirements, and setting this without the developer's permission could result in an unnecessary negative impact on the developers' installs.

A better option is to send an email to developers along the lines of "We added some new items to the list of minimum requirements. Check them out and see if your app requires them. They include: ..."

Comment 2

[Andrew Williamson [:eviljeff]]

well, we *can* do it, whether we should is the question.  See bug 875122 when it was done initially.

If we do backfill, then the impact is some apps may get minimum requirements set they don't need, and the number of installs may be impacted. I can only speak for the privileged APIs (systemXHR, TCPSocket mainly) but none of the affected apps I've seen had the buchet enabled and in all* cases the API was necessary for the app to function (its hard to work around systemXHR, obviously).  
*(there is always an exception - I remember one)

If we don't, and send an email out like you suggest, then the impact is all developers who don't read or understand the email and need the buchets don't set them, and users get broken apps.  If we don't limit it to apps where the buchets are needed, then we get an additional group of developers who add the buchet even though their app doesn't need it (this does happen a lot).

In the case of the privileged APIs, the negatives for the latter (email) outweigh the former (backfill) so I'm fine just running it on privileged apps.

Comment 3

[Matt Basta [:basta]]

Even if we ran this solely on privileged apps, we'd be setting *all* possible buchets. If the developer has a camera function, for instance, and they also use systemXHR, they might require systemXHR but they don't require getUserMedia in any capacity. Same thing with other APIs, like WebAudio. If they have a touch fallback, we'd have touch events set as a minimum requirement. If it's a game and they have support for the gamepad API, we'd be force-setting that as a minimum requirement.

Comment 4

[Lisa Brewster [:adora]]

I'm in favor of sending a notification.  As long as there aren't security concerns or massive, widespread failures, then it's not worth the tradeoff to set up a nanny state to protect users from developers who aren't paying attention.  If an app isn't maintained, it'll get negative reviews.  If it gets enough negative reviews, the app review team will investigate.

Comment 5

[Andrew Williamson [:eviljeff]]

(In reply to Lisa Brewster [:adora] from comment #4)
> If an app isn't maintained, it'll get negative reviews.  If it
> gets enough negative reviews, the app review team will investigate.

by what mechanism?

Comment 6

[Lisa Brewster [:adora]]

TBD  =]