966767 - Click to play UI is confusing if the plug-in is allowed because it is set to Always Activate

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Core Graveyard :: Plug-ins, defect)

Description

[Bill Gianopoulos [:WG9s]]

The click to play continue allowing or block UI is present even if this is being universally allowed.  This is confusing because the wording implies that you had previously given specific permission to the site in question to run the plug-in, when in fact you had not.  This makes the user think that somehow their Firefox profile has been compromised.

Comment 1

[Benjamin Smedberg]

Could you be more specific about steps to reproduce and the specific wording you think is confusing?

Comment 2

[Bill Gianopoulos [:WG9s]]

(In reply to Benjamin Smedberg  [:bsmedberg] from comment #1)
> Could you be more specific about steps to reproduce and the specific wording
> you think is confusing?

OK I will start with steps to reproduce because this UI is confusing at so amny points and on so many levels.

1.  Install Adobe Flash paler.
2.  In the add-ons manager select "Always Activate" for the flash player.
3.  Visit a site you have never visited that has flash content (i.e. http://www.kace.com/demo/flashdemo)
4.  Notice the plugins icon in the navigation bar.
5. Click on it.


So, here you get a door hanger that says "Adobe Flash" is enabled on www.kace.com and a learn more link, along with ""block plugin" and "Continue Allowing" choices.

This would tend to make me think that I have specifically permitted this action on www.kace.com.

Further, giving me this choice seems to NOT be what I would expect form selecting "Always Activate".  I think I know what the word "always" means!

To make things worse, clicking on  he "Learn more" link takes you to a page that seems to indicate you will only see this UI if you have select "Ask to Activate" or the plugin is blocked for vulnerabilities.

So, to make this all less confusing there are two possible approaches.

1.  Make always activate just always activate like it says and not display this UI.

2.  Since I think number 1 is not what was intended:
  - Change the "Always Activate" choice in the add-ons manager to "Activate by Default" as this much more accurately describes the action.
  - Change the text in the doorhanger for this cast to say something like "Adobe Flash" is enabled by default.  You can override this action on www.kace.com.
  - then either have the learn more link go to a different page describing this case, or include this case in what is described on the existing page.

Comment 3

[Benjamin Smedberg]

This is the intentional behavior. The phrase "Adobe Flash is activated on X" was intentionally chosen because it gives the current status without implying whether the user made that explicit choice or left it off.

We also always show the icon even with "Always Activate" because it provides the best experience when multiple plugins with different default settings are present on a page.

Comment 4

[Bill Gianopoulos [:WG9s]]

OK so intentional confusion.