[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       webkit-dev
Subject:    Re: [webkit-dev] Feedback on Blink's text fragment directive proposal
From:       Ryosuke Niwa <rniwa () webkit ! org>
Date:       2020-09-25 5:24:55
Message-ID: CABNRm62nEKJ1HwiohV5B-hOV=gw7s3mKfs9NDytHL70vhTUL1A () mail ! gmail ! com
[Download RAW message or body]

[Attachment #2 (multipart/alternative)]


On Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 8:19 AM David Bokan <bokan@chromium.org> wrote:

> Can you clarify what question you're looking to have answered? Are you
> > asking for a new standards position in light of the replies below?
> > 
> 
> There are two specific points:
> 
> - As I understand it, HTML requires multi-vendor interest to merge
> changes to specs. Is Apple's position sufficient to start that process? I'd
> be happy to start turning the spec into PRs but I interpreted the earlier
> position in this thread more as "not-opposed" rather than support (is that
> a fair reading?)
> 

Given we're concerned about compatibility and this affects how URL, which
is a pretty fundamental part of the Web, is interpreted, it's fair to say
we're not ready to endorse such a motion.

 - Would Apple accept contributions to WebKit implementing this feature?
> 
> Google Search uses this on supporting UAs - user surveys have found this
> improves the user experience. A recently published extension
> <https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/link-to-text-fragment/pbcodcjpfjdpcineamnnmbkkmkdpajjg?hl=en>
>  to generate links to text already has over 50,000 users. This is clearly
> useful to users but would really be helped if we can make it interoperable
> across browsers.
> 

Given the number of internet users is roughly 3.4 billion, and Chrome seems
to have ~1 billion users, 50,000 (0.005%?) seems like a rather small number
of users. I'm not saying that there aren't any user interests and I
disagree with the underlying use cases. However, the fact this may pose a
compatibility issue and affect millions of users who are using (sometimes
very) old browsers to browse the internet, that doesn't seem to suggest a
good risk-reward tradeoff.

- R. Niwa


[Attachment #5 (text/html)]

<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" \
class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Sep 24, 2020 at 8:19 AM David Bokan &lt;<a \
href="mailto:bokan@chromium.org">bokan@chromium.org</a>&gt; \
wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px \
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div \
dir="ltr"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px \
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Can \
you clarify what question you're looking to have answered? Are you asking for a new \
standards position in light of the replies \
below?<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>  There are two specific \
points:</div><div><br></div><div>  - As I understand it, HTML requires multi-vendor \
interest to merge changes to specs. Is Apple&#39;s position sufficient to start that \
process? I&#39;d be happy to start turning the spec into PRs but I interpreted the \
earlier position in this thread more as &quot;not-opposed&quot; rather than support \
(is that a fair reading?)</div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Given we&#39;re \
concerned  about compatibility  and this affects how URL, which is a pretty \
fundamental part of the Web,  is interpreted, it&#39;s fair to say we&#39;re not \
ready to endorse  such a motion.</div><div><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" \
style="margin:0px 0px 0px \
0.8ex;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div \
dir="ltr"><div>  - Would Apple accept contributions to WebKit implementing this \
feature?</div><div><br></div><div>Google Search uses this on supporting UAs - user \
surveys have found this improves the user experience. A recently published <a \
href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/link-to-text-fragment/pbcodcjpfjdpcineamnnmbkkmkdpajjg?hl=en" \
target="_blank">extension</a> to generate links to text already has over 50,000 \
users. This is clearly useful to users but would really be helped if we can make it \
interoperable across browsers.</div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>Given the \
number of internet users is roughly 3.4 billion, and Chrome seems to have ~1 billion \
users, 50,000 (0.005%?) seems like a rather small number of users. I&#39;m not saying \
that there aren&#39;t any user interests and I disagree with the underlying use \
cases. However, the fact this may pose a compatibility issue and affect millions of \
users who are using (sometimes very) old browsers to browse the internet, that \
doesn&#39;t seem to suggest a good risk-reward tradeoff.</div><div><br></div><div>- \
R. Niwa</div><div><br></div></div></div>



_______________________________________________
webkit-dev mailing list
webkit-dev@lists.webkit.org
https://lists.webkit.org/mailman/listinfo/webkit-dev


[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

Configure | About | News | Add a list | Sponsored by KoreLogic