[whatwg] Proposal for IsSearchProviderInstalled / AddSearchProvider

[Ian Hickson]

On Mon, 16 May 2011, Adam Shannon wrote:
> On Mon, May 16, 2011 at 18:39, Ian Hickson <ian at hixie.ch> wrote:
> > On Mon, 16 May 2011, Adam Shannon wrote:
> >>
> >> I don't like having the only barrier between changing the default 
> >> search engine for a user's browser be a single dialog box. This list 
> >> (and others) have repeatedly found that dialogs don't work and users 
> >> skip past them.
> >>
> >> Think of the non-techy user who simply clicks yes to evil.com's 
> >> request to change default search provider. Will they even know what 
> >> that means? Will they care at the time of the dialog? How will they 
> >> revert back?
> >>
> >> I'd rather see UA's implement better controls on their end than see 
> >> an API which could be largely abused. (Drag and drop browser controls 
> >> over tons of sites asking for permission to be the default.)
> >
> > I agree. Note that the spec doesn't say there should be a dialog box 
> > at all; it's left entirely up to the UAs.
> 
> Perhaps it would be better for the group to send a proposal for a UI (or 
> at least guidelines) that's acceptable both from a realistic usability 
> and security standpoint?

If anyone would like to make some UI proposals on the wiki that would 
certainly be a helpful thing to do, sure.


On Tue, 17 May 2011, Bjartur Thorlacius wrote:
>
> Then why add an API when we've already got (IMO superior) declarative 
> markup?

In the case of adding the API to the spec, because it's already 
implemented. As to why it was added to the browsers, no idea.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'