Firefox Search Box
There are times when I want to enter a room with certain software developers. Close the door.
I updated to Firefox 43 and discovered a broken browser.
The first breakage is a change in the search engine box. I much prefer the classic drop-down approach rather than the PlaySkool icon approach. I respond to text much easier than a cluster of icons that, to aging eyes, all look the same and are difficult to distinguish. I know how to read. I do not easily interpret or memorize tiny icons.
This lame usability change was implemented in Firefox 34 but avoidable by setting browser.search.showOneOffButtons to false. With release 43 that configuration option has no effect.
Why do software developers continually limit usability options to their whims rather than provide users real choice? One guess is they do not want to manage two feature sets in the code base. Developers like that should find a new vocation. They do not belong in meaningful software development.
Software development is always about the user. Always.
Nobody gives a hoot about developer needs or geek creds.
Fortunately, the developer of Classic Theme Restorer provides an option to restore the simple textual drop-down list.
Posted: Category: Usability Tagged: Firefox, General
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