4 ms·

Quick question (and a bit of an aside): let's say I'm interested in a specific feature being implemented (profile switcher like in chrome, built in feature as i

by _odey 5y ago

Quick question (and a bit of an aside): let's say I'm interested in a specific feature being implemented (profile switcher like in chrome, built in feature as in [1], not an add-on as in [2]). How do I go about getting more attention to potentially have this prioritized? Making an account in their bug tracker and spamming the threads sounds annoying, I'd personally get upset if someone did that to my repos or issue trackers so I don't want to do it to others. Also I'm not capable of contributing that feature myself so I'm kind of stuck. Still, version after version of Firefox gets released and posted here, highlighting new things that get developed, and I see no progress there and the more time goes by it gets frustrating. I am using the profile functionality right now, it does work, and does what it's supposed to, just wish it was exposed to me via the same UX as in chrome and from the basic, default install, without needing extra add-ons or config. [1] https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1542189 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1542189 [2] https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/profile-switcher/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/profile-switc...

sfink 5y ago
(I work for Mozilla. Speaking unofficially.) I don't have a good answer to that question. I guess the straightforward answer would be to make an account on the bug tracker and vote (it's under Details), but my impression is that votes usually don't carry much weight. Oh, and for the reasons you gave, please don't post bug comments in support, unless you really do have additional information or perspective to contribute. (And "there's one more person who wants this, and I suspect many more" is not additional information.) I know Mozilla has had various iterations of tools for collecting input, all of them ending up abandoned eventually. The current iteration is https://ideas.mozilla.org https://ideas.mozilla.org -- which, given that it's a fairly recent introduction, might actually be paid attention to. At least for a while. (Yeah, I'm cynical.) A more effective but higher effort and noisier mechanism would be https://chat.mozilla.org https://chat.mozilla.org where you could try to dig up the right channel and discuss it directly with people, but that seems like it's probably not appropriate for your example. I'd really like a better mechanism for this. I think it's one of our bigger gaps, personally. As to your specific request, it seems like right now the current answer to that need is about:profiles for full-on profiles, and container tabs for the lighter-weight, integrated within a single session mechanism. It may be that the latter has sucked energy out of improving the multiple profile support? (Multiple profiles have been supported forever and are unlikely to go away, but I agree that they're not getting much UX love.) But I'm not involved in that area, nor do I know how Chrome's profile switcher works other than that people seem to like it. I'm happy with container tabs, myself, but I recognize that they fulfill a slightly different need.
- _odey 5y ago
  Thank you for your reply! I've managed to dig up these (that's where https://ideas.mozilla.org https://ideas.mozilla.org redirects me): - https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/719914 https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/719914 - https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/724883 https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/724883 Guess it's just a matter of making an account and voting/commenting on these now. The thing is, most people don't go through the trouble of leaving feedback like this. What they do is install Firefox, look into the available functionality, see that there's no profile button, assume the functionality does not exist and call it quits.
rdslw 5y ago
TL:DR: don't waste your time. There are literally security features not implemented since 2017. E.G: no proper support for webauthn (CTAP2) in firefox on macos (abysymal situation shown here: https://fidoalliance.org/fido2/fido2-web-authentication-webauthn/ https://fidoalliance.org/fido2/fido2-web-authentication-weba...) linux not much better. Safari, Chrome, even Edge have it, while firefox is stagnating since 2017 (bug report: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1530373 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1530373 ) :-( When I hear about features like Colorways being prioritized over things like proper webauthn support on important platform (4 years now) it makes me sad. Would have helped personally, but moving parts of firefox to rust not even decimated the contributors margin, but probably reduced it 100x. and here we are with rs_webauthn lib lacking necessary fixes in security important area :( p.s. I knot how my post sounds, but I'm frustrated with (some) mozilla decisions.
gear54rus 5y ago
Out of curiosity, why do you need it? Isn't this simply solved by user accounts of the operating system? What's wrong with having it as an addon? Also did you know that you can launch firefox with -p switch and do it that way?

by _odey 5y ago

sfink 5y ago

(I work for Mozilla. Speaking unofficially.) I don't have a good answer to that question. I guess the straightforward answer would be to make an account on the bug tracker and vote (it's under Details), but my impression is that votes usually don't carry much weight. Oh, and for the reasons you gave, please don't post bug comments in support, unless you really do have additional information or perspective to contribute. (And "there's one more person who wants this, and I suspect many more" is not additional information.) I know Mozilla has had various iterations of tools for collecting input, all of them ending up abandoned eventually. The current iteration is https://ideas.mozilla.org https://ideas.mozilla.org -- which, given that it's a fairly recent introduction, might actually be paid attention to. At least for a while. (Yeah, I'm cynical.) A more effective but higher effort and noisier mechanism would be https://chat.mozilla.org https://chat.mozilla.org where you could try to dig up the right channel and discuss it directly with people, but that seems like it's probably not appropriate for your example. I'd really like a better mechanism for this. I think it's one of our bigger gaps, personally. As to your specific request, it seems like right now the current answer to that need is about:profiles for full-on profiles, and container tabs for the lighter-weight, integrated within a single session mechanism. It may be that the latter has sucked energy out of improving the multiple profile support? (Multiple profiles have been supported forever and are unlikely to go away, but I agree that they're not getting much UX love.) But I'm not involved in that area, nor do I know how Chrome's profile switcher works other than that people seem to like it. I'm happy with container tabs, myself, but I recognize that they fulfill a slightly different need.

_odey 5y ago
Thank you for your reply! I've managed to dig up these (that's where https://ideas.mozilla.org https://ideas.mozilla.org redirects me): - https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/719914 https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/719914 - https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/724883 https://mozilla.crowdicity.com/post/724883 Guess it's just a matter of making an account and voting/commenting on these now. The thing is, most people don't go through the trouble of leaving feedback like this. What they do is install Firefox, look into the available functionality, see that there's no profile button, assume the functionality does not exist and call it quits.

rdslw 5y ago

TL:DR: don't waste your time. There are literally security features not implemented since 2017. E.G: no proper support for webauthn (CTAP2) in firefox on macos (abysymal situation shown here: https://fidoalliance.org/fido2/fido2-web-authentication-webauthn/ https://fidoalliance.org/fido2/fido2-web-authentication-weba...) linux not much better. Safari, Chrome, even Edge have it, while firefox is stagnating since 2017 (bug report: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1530373 https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1530373 ) :-( When I hear about features like Colorways being prioritized over things like proper webauthn support on important platform (4 years now) it makes me sad. Would have helped personally, but moving parts of firefox to rust not even decimated the contributors margin, but probably reduced it 100x. and here we are with rs_webauthn lib lacking necessary fixes in security important area :( p.s. I knot how my post sounds, but I'm frustrated with (some) mozilla decisions.

gear54rus 5y ago

Out of curiosity, why do you need it? Isn't this simply solved by user accounts of the operating system? What's wrong with having it as an addon? Also did you know that you can launch firefox with -p switch and do it that way?