[whatwg] Proposal for IsSearchProviderInstalled / AddSearchProvider

[Bjartur Thorlacius]

On 2/16/11, David Levin <levin at google.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 9:42 AM, Bjartur Thorlacius
> <svartman95 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> > 2. When a user decides to use it, they have to follow a set of complex
>>
>> instructions (http://www.google.com/search?q=switch+default+search+engines
>> )
>> >
>> Annoying implementation issue. http://bugzilla.mozilla.com/enter_bug.cgi
>> mailto:implementors at lists.whatwg.org
>
>
> It is still complicated in all browsers, so I wasn't trying to point out
> flaws in any particular browser -- only that it is complicated and hard for
> users to do.
>
I don't believe that the best solution to that is to implement a cross browser
API to allow sites to create their own inconsistent UI to make themselfes
default. A user who knows how to make Google default, should be able to
make Bing default using the same procedure. Thus the UI has to be
implemented by the browser.
>
>  On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 9:42 AM, Bjartur Thorlacius <svartman95 at gmail.com>
>  wrote:
>
>> > IsSearchProviderInstalled(string url)
>> This seems like a slight privacy violation. Not a serious one, but nothing
>> I'd
>> like to be explicitly exposed.
>
>
> Note that it only tells a search engine if they are the default. They cannot
> query about other search engines.
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 1:48 PM, Kornel Lesiński <kornel at geekhood.net>
>  wrote:
>>
>> There are many many sites that dream they were used as a default search
>> engine, but their use of this API is only going to annoy or confuse users.
>>
>
> This should be rare as annoying and confusing your users typically isn't a
> good business strategy.
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 9:42 AM, Bjartur Thorlacius <svartman95 at gmail.com>
>  wrote:
>
>> >
>> https://sites.google.com/a/chromium.org/dev/developers/design-documents/chromium-search-provider-js-support
>> Frankly, this reminds me of the security UI of Windows Vista. ...
>>
> On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 1:48 PM, Kornel Lesiński <kornel at geekhood.net>
>  wrote:
>
>>  Change of default search engine may have security implications
>
>
> I understand your concern. In this case, the UI is similar to what happens
> in many browsers when AddSearchProvider is called in response to a user
> action. In addition, the default is to not change anything.
>
> Yet, we are discussing one possible UI of many that I simply gave as one
> possible example. It is completely up to the UA to decide what to do in this
> case. I look forward to others proposing other solutions too in this regard.
>
Why not just have a <link rel=search href=#search><form
id=search><input type=text></form>?
>
> On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 1:48 PM, Kornel Lesiński <kornel at geekhood.net>
>  wrote:
>
>>  You don't change that often, and there are only few search engines that
>> make sense to be set as the default one. Browsers can simply ship with
>> predefined set of engines, and that may be easiest and safest option for
>> users.
>>
>
> If a UA wanted to limit this to only be available to a predefined set of
> search engines, that would be possible.  It is up to the UA to decide what
> to do. Technically a "AddSearchProvider" that did nothing ever would be
> conforming though certainly against the spirit of the api.
>
>
> Best wishes,
> dave
>