4 ms·

Well according to st3fan, "If you change the User Agent to Chrome you can see that it works pretty well on Firefox actually." That means that they removed featu

Well according to st3fan, "If you change the User Agent to Chrome you can see that it works pretty well on Firefox actually." That means that they removed features on firefox on purpuse right? Or does that just mean they implemented their feature "for chrome only", checking the user agent to make sure it works on chrome only? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20489237 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20489237

dmitrygr 7y ago
Oftentimes a team at Google doesn't have the QA resources to test configuration X. In that case to avoid a potentially bad experience, feature Y is often gated to tested configs and and disabled for X, leaving X with the old experience since it had been tested on X. Why does QA test only Chrome? Well if there is only enough QA time to test one browser, imagine having to be the guy to explain to the higher ups why it wasn't chrome.
- 1drr 7y ago
  I find it surprising that an organization the size of Google doesn't have the resources to test key features in such a notable browser. Though I just searched and it seems Firefox has a shockingly low market share in mobile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers Perhaps that's why it's not given the attention it needs, how unfortunate.
  - gundmc 7y ago
    Bingo, Firefox mobile has << 1% of the mobile browser user base. It's hard to justify the resources to test every change and feature to ensure a good user experience for such a small number of users.
    - amelius 7y ago
      And the reason for this is probably that Chrome comes bundled with Android.
      - mrgreenfur 7y ago
        Agreed, and this is likely the entire reason for Android to exist: more searches
    - whalabi 7y ago
      Google search is similarly hobbled on desktop Firefox. It looks terrible.
- asadotzler 7y ago
  Google employs over 100,000 people. They have the resources to test configuration X.
  - syockit 7y ago
    That's not how big organizations work. Having 100,000 people doesn't translate to having proportionally as many people with skills to do testing and QA. Human resources are not really that fluid.
    - asadotzler 7y ago
      I'd wager $1 that if the order came down from @sundarpichai to test in a particular browser, it would happen within hours not days. They have the resources.

dmitrygr 7y ago

Oftentimes a team at Google doesn't have the QA resources to test configuration X. In that case to avoid a potentially bad experience, feature Y is often gated to tested configs and and disabled for X, leaving X with the old experience since it had been tested on X. Why does QA test only Chrome? Well if there is only enough QA time to test one browser, imagine having to be the guy to explain to the higher ups why it wasn't chrome.

1drr 7y ago
I find it surprising that an organization the size of Google doesn't have the resources to test key features in such a notable browser. Though I just searched and it seems Firefox has a shockingly low market share in mobile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_web_browsers Perhaps that's why it's not given the attention it needs, how unfortunate.
- gundmc 7y ago
  Bingo, Firefox mobile has << 1% of the mobile browser user base. It's hard to justify the resources to test every change and feature to ensure a good user experience for such a small number of users.
  - amelius 7y ago
    And the reason for this is probably that Chrome comes bundled with Android.
    - mrgreenfur 7y ago
      Agreed, and this is likely the entire reason for Android to exist: more searches
  - whalabi 7y ago
    Google search is similarly hobbled on desktop Firefox. It looks terrible.
asadotzler 7y ago
Google employs over 100,000 people. They have the resources to test configuration X.
- syockit 7y ago
  That's not how big organizations work. Having 100,000 people doesn't translate to having proportionally as many people with skills to do testing and QA. Human resources are not really that fluid.
  - asadotzler 7y ago
    I'd wager $1 that if the order came down from @sundarpichai to test in a particular browser, it would happen within hours not days. They have the resources.