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I personally want it, and I'm sure a lot of people want it too. There are a lot of interesting experiences that can be enabled by autoplay. If a site ends up b

I personally want it, and I'm sure a lot of people want it too. There are a lot of interesting experiences that can be enabled by autoplay. If a site ends up being too annoying it will simply lose visitors, and extensions can perform more aggressive blocking for those that don't like it. IMO this is a fine compromise solution.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago
So, it shouldn't be optional? I like cheese, everyone has to have cheese on all meals!?
- untog 8y ago
  I think that comparison is backwards. It's more like "I don't like cheese, so no one should be allowed it"
  - llukas 8y ago
    Are you still talking about browser option that everybody can set as desired?
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  - sixstringtheory 8y ago
    I don’t see it as backwards. Autoplay video is like if the waiter just starts shaving parmesan on your salad. If you didn’t want it, you now have to pick the shavings off. Annoying. Nonautoplay video is like the waiter asking “would you like cheese?” “Yes” “Ok” and they commence shaving it. I don’t see why we should all have to pick cheese out of our salads because some people are too lazy to have a 3 second interaction to get what they want.
    - jefftk 8y ago
      To extend the analogy, I would like to have the option to go to a restaurant (site) order a salad (visit a page) and have that come the way the chef (developer) intended, with cheese (autoplay video). If I don't like this developer or restaurant's judgement I can eat somewhere else. (Or, in the web case, install an extension that blocks autoplay video.)
      - appleiigs 8y ago
        I think the analogy is: I want to see the menu and select what I want to eat. But the chef is forcing me to consume it, with the cheese that I don't want, the instant I open the menu.
      - brewdad 8y ago
        Except most chefs in your analogy are having the quality, quantity, and proportion of ingredients dictated to them by an owner who may or may not know how to microwave popcorn.
- detaro 8y ago
  It's optional, you can already turn all autoplay off (about:config - media.autoplay.* settings, specifically media.autoplay.default = 1 turns it off)
  - chimprich 8y ago
    Sure, if you've remembered to do it. And again for your laptop, your phone, your tablet, your work computer, your partner's laptop... and then again once you've updated your OS, or rebuilt your computer. I feel like I'm turning this setting off about once a month, usually after it has done something embarrassing or highly irritating on public transport . This should have been the default since browsers were first able to play audio.
    - ubercow13 8y ago
      So you are not arguing for choice, you are arguing for forcing your preference on everyone, so that they become the ones who have to set the option back in all of their browser installs.
      - chimprich 8y ago
        Yes I am, because the default choice is idiotic, annoying and anti-social. Setting your preference to autoplay may be irritating if you prefer it the other way, but you won't annoy your co-workers, leak any sensitive info, or wake up your SO before finding it in the wrong state. And the Firefox devs agree with me. Could maybe add an option with Firefox sync to save browser settings if anyone really misses this "feature".
        ubercow13 8y ago
        This is about disabling silent videos autoplaying. Firefox is already disabling videos with audio autoplaying. I am not sure how silent videos could be much more embarrassing or disturbing to people on public transport or your co-workers than an inappropriate image, and I do not agree that they are idiotic or anti-social.
- TheCoreh 8y ago
  It's optional. You simply opt out by installing a blocker extension. If enough people want to opt out maybe that's added as a built in switch. (Like the audio blocking this post is about, and popup blocking before that) I think then that's fine too. Following your analogy, I don't think it would make sense by default for meals to always have no cheese, or for the waiter to always ask if you'd like to include cheese. But i think it's fine for them to allow you to ask not to get any cheese.
king_magic 8y ago
I’ve never once found autoplay video to enhance a web experience. I’ve never once found a single example to be “interesting”. I don’t care if audio is muted. I don’t want it, full stop. It’s atrocious UX. It’s hostile to users. It’s presumptive and frankly rude. There’s no excuse for autoplay. Even on YouTube, it’s more often infuriating than not. Edit: clarified “autoplay video”, not animated GIFs
- javagram 8y ago
  Animated gifs (which are being replaced with gifv autoplay movies) are great IMO. I think the majority of web users don’t mind them.
- nitrogen 8y ago
  I've seen some very subtle moving backgrounds that were quite appropriate for the sites they were on. It's probably too difficult for software to tell the difference between something like a high brow long form interactive article, a tasteful hero banner background, and an annoying popover or sidebar ad. My least favorite auto-playing videos in a site I use regularly are in the Netflix UI.
- falcolas 8y ago
  Reddit, Giphy, Imgur, Youtube. Those would be the big four which would negatively impact my daily web usage.
  - bunderbunder 8y ago
    Giving other people a to default disable a thing does not force you to do it, too. Giving different people options about how they want to experience the Web would be the entire point.
    - falcolas 8y ago
      The media.autoplay flags in about:config provide that option for anyone who wants it (and even more granular controls than those being exposed in the UI here).
collyw 8y ago
> There are a lot of interesting experiences that can be enabled by autoplay. Yeah, like alerting the participants of a meeting to the fact you are browsing crap on your phone.
escapecharacter 8y ago
Definitely lots of experiences use this solution, and shouldn't be hurt by sites that abuse it (stop going to or use adblock on this sites?). I am working on a platform that's a mix of Twitch and Netflix. Entering a "show" starts muted autoplay until the audience member explicitly turns on audio. If they're coming to the show URL I give them, presumably they're there for the show.
- king_magic 8y ago
  I can’t understand this design decision. What if they open the URL in a new tab, while still focused on another tab? How do you as a user know something is playing on that new tab? You’re helping yourself to their bandwidth and local compute without their consent or knowledge. Why do you think this is okay?
- phkahler 8y ago
  >> Definitely lots of experiences use this solution, and shouldn't be hurt by sites that abuse it (stop going to or use adblock on this sites?). So your site/idea is OK, but people should stop going to others or use adblock on them.
hendersoon 8y ago
I don't want to compromise. I don't want a movie to play without me clicking on it, ever. It's my computer, my internet connection, and it should be my choice.

pbhjpbhj 8y ago

So, it shouldn't be optional? I like cheese, everyone has to have cheese on all meals!?

untog 8y ago
I think that comparison is backwards. It's more like "I don't like cheese, so no one should be allowed it"
- llukas 8y ago
  Are you still talking about browser option that everybody can set as desired?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- sixstringtheory 8y ago
  I don’t see it as backwards. Autoplay video is like if the waiter just starts shaving parmesan on your salad. If you didn’t want it, you now have to pick the shavings off. Annoying. Nonautoplay video is like the waiter asking “would you like cheese?” “Yes” “Ok” and they commence shaving it. I don’t see why we should all have to pick cheese out of our salads because some people are too lazy to have a 3 second interaction to get what they want.
  - jefftk 8y ago
    To extend the analogy, I would like to have the option to go to a restaurant (site) order a salad (visit a page) and have that come the way the chef (developer) intended, with cheese (autoplay video). If I don't like this developer or restaurant's judgement I can eat somewhere else. (Or, in the web case, install an extension that blocks autoplay video.)
    - appleiigs 8y ago
      I think the analogy is: I want to see the menu and select what I want to eat. But the chef is forcing me to consume it, with the cheese that I don't want, the instant I open the menu.
    - brewdad 8y ago
      Except most chefs in your analogy are having the quality, quantity, and proportion of ingredients dictated to them by an owner who may or may not know how to microwave popcorn.
detaro 8y ago
It's optional, you can already turn all autoplay off (about:config - media.autoplay.* settings, specifically media.autoplay.default = 1 turns it off)
- chimprich 8y ago
  Sure, if you've remembered to do it. And again for your laptop, your phone, your tablet, your work computer, your partner's laptop... and then again once you've updated your OS, or rebuilt your computer. I feel like I'm turning this setting off about once a month, usually after it has done something embarrassing or highly irritating on public transport . This should have been the default since browsers were first able to play audio.
  - ubercow13 8y ago
    So you are not arguing for choice, you are arguing for forcing your preference on everyone, so that they become the ones who have to set the option back in all of their browser installs.
    - chimprich 8y ago
      Yes I am, because the default choice is idiotic, annoying and anti-social. Setting your preference to autoplay may be irritating if you prefer it the other way, but you won't annoy your co-workers, leak any sensitive info, or wake up your SO before finding it in the wrong state. And the Firefox devs agree with me. Could maybe add an option with Firefox sync to save browser settings if anyone really misses this "feature".
      - ubercow13 8y ago
        This is about disabling silent videos autoplaying. Firefox is already disabling videos with audio autoplaying. I am not sure how silent videos could be much more embarrassing or disturbing to people on public transport or your co-workers than an inappropriate image, and I do not agree that they are idiotic or anti-social.
TheCoreh 8y ago
It's optional. You simply opt out by installing a blocker extension. If enough people want to opt out maybe that's added as a built in switch. (Like the audio blocking this post is about, and popup blocking before that) I think then that's fine too. Following your analogy, I don't think it would make sense by default for meals to always have no cheese, or for the waiter to always ask if you'd like to include cheese. But i think it's fine for them to allow you to ask not to get any cheese.

king_magic 8y ago

I’ve never once found autoplay video to enhance a web experience. I’ve never once found a single example to be “interesting”. I don’t care if audio is muted. I don’t want it, full stop. It’s atrocious UX. It’s hostile to users. It’s presumptive and frankly rude. There’s no excuse for autoplay. Even on YouTube, it’s more often infuriating than not. Edit: clarified “autoplay video”, not animated GIFs

javagram 8y ago
Animated gifs (which are being replaced with gifv autoplay movies) are great IMO. I think the majority of web users don’t mind them.
nitrogen 8y ago
I've seen some very subtle moving backgrounds that were quite appropriate for the sites they were on. It's probably too difficult for software to tell the difference between something like a high brow long form interactive article, a tasteful hero banner background, and an annoying popover or sidebar ad. My least favorite auto-playing videos in a site I use regularly are in the Netflix UI.
falcolas 8y ago
Reddit, Giphy, Imgur, Youtube. Those would be the big four which would negatively impact my daily web usage.
- bunderbunder 8y ago
  Giving other people a to default disable a thing does not force you to do it, too. Giving different people options about how they want to experience the Web would be the entire point.
  - falcolas 8y ago
    The media.autoplay flags in about:config provide that option for anyone who wants it (and even more granular controls than those being exposed in the UI here).

collyw 8y ago

> There are a lot of interesting experiences that can be enabled by autoplay. Yeah, like alerting the participants of a meeting to the fact you are browsing crap on your phone.

escapecharacter 8y ago

Definitely lots of experiences use this solution, and shouldn't be hurt by sites that abuse it (stop going to or use adblock on this sites?). I am working on a platform that's a mix of Twitch and Netflix. Entering a "show" starts muted autoplay until the audience member explicitly turns on audio. If they're coming to the show URL I give them, presumably they're there for the show.

king_magic 8y ago
I can’t understand this design decision. What if they open the URL in a new tab, while still focused on another tab? How do you as a user know something is playing on that new tab? You’re helping yourself to their bandwidth and local compute without their consent or knowledge. Why do you think this is okay?
phkahler 8y ago
>> Definitely lots of experiences use this solution, and shouldn't be hurt by sites that abuse it (stop going to or use adblock on this sites?). So your site/idea is OK, but people should stop going to others or use adblock on them.

hendersoon 8y ago

I don't want to compromise. I don't want a movie to play without me clicking on it, ever. It's my computer, my internet connection, and it should be my choice.