Feedback on Firefox's claimed attempt to save the product/web
Greetings,
I have just Googled "How to turn off javascript in Firefox 23.0.1" and found this discussion thread: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/967188 and this blog post: http://limi.net/checkboxes-that-kill/
Feedback
a) Most probably you know there are many sites (specially blogs) who use javascript to disable right click, copy, hack clipboard, and many more things. So far, you could solve these by simply pressing ALT T O and one click. Now, you need to install an add on to do it. (I have not installed it still, I have 31 tabs open at this moment, I'll install it after finishing work).
b) In the blog post (linked above) they have said: "As Privacy Engineer Monica Chew at Mozilla asks, “Is it really worth having a preference panel that benefits fewer than 2% of users overall?” — obvious spoiler alert: The answer is no. " — Do they have any data, what percentage of users use Inspect Element, Firefox shortcuts, view page source etc options?
c) (may not be practical, but relevant) They have marked this option as "disastrous", but,the adult sites, few screensaver etc download sites and their viruses are much much more dangerous. They may destroy the whole system.
d) If your browser's javascript is turned off, a good number of sites will give you error message "Your browser's javascript is disabled, please enable javascipt" or so.
e) Actually not only in Firefox, everywhere in the web people are trying to oversimplify things. We are customizing things keeping mobile users in mind, changing products options keeping social networking sites in mind, changing settings focusing "only" the newbies. I personally feel, each and every internet user should learn about malicious scripts/downloads/links, phishing, web safety, basic functions of javascript (as a part of "how web works).
f) A much better option could be an in-built alert system (the same way they ask to make Firefox your default browser) "Alert: Note, your browser's javascript is turned off. You may not be able to use may featured in the web including Google's search option. Do you want to turn on Javascript? [Yes/No/Details/I know it, don't show again]
That's all. Thank you. Tito Dutta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Titodutta
Zmodyfikowany przez Tito Dutta w dniu
Wszystkie odpowiedzi (2)
The removal of the "Enable JavaScript" checkbox probably has protected many users from aggravation and confusion, but clearly it has inconvenienced some other users, who now either need to use the about:config preference editor to switch JavaScript on/off or install an extension to make it more convenient.
The global on/off toggle was always too blunt an instrument to use for privacy/security. The NoScript extension (sites are guilty until proven innocent), the YesScript extension (sites are innocent until proven guilty), the Tab Permissions extension (tab by tab on/off toggle for scripts), and the Controle de Scripts extension (enable/disable various features scripts can use), offer much more powerful and flexible approaches to the danger and annoyance of scripts. For an advanced user such as yourself, they deserve strong consideration.
Could these features or some combination of them ever find their way into the core code of Firefox? Maybe, but it will be hard work and someone needs to be the champion to develop the vision and push it through.
In Firefox 24 the Toolbox Options panel will let you disable/enable JavaScript temporarily.
- Web Console (Firefox/Tools > Web Developer;Ctrl+Shift+K)