3.5 no wait cursor

[aleyx]

It doesn't add anything. It's just a mouse cursor that appears too often and annoys people.

It doesn't annoy people who need it, obviously. I have an eeePC 701. The thing has a 7'', 800x480 display. The only sensible mode for a browser on this device (and I suspect, any other netbook) is full-screen.

This means no toolbar, no statusbar, nothing to indicate activity except for the cursor.

Sorry, but this is a regression.

(No, "Change for a 17'' notebook" is not a valid solution, nor is making the tab-bar appear on every click.)

Anyone knows if Fennec has been hit by this too? Maybe I should switch...

N.

[tata668]

I was going to start a new thread to ask the same question. I want my wait cursor back please!! Or at least, make it configurable!!

In fact, when you remove something like this, you should always make a config instead of deciding that everybody don't want it anymore!

That said, thanks a lot for 3.5! It runs quite well!

[malliz]

Do not start a new thread stay with this one. Any new thread on the same subject will be locked.

[weldor]

Same here I would like to have my wait cursor also. That was the first thing I noticed after downloading the new build, other than that I am very pleased with everything else.

Maby some computer smart person could make an extension to re-able it??

[teoli2003]

In fact, when you remove something like this, you should always make a config instead of deciding that everybody don't want it anymore!

1) We are not Mozilla: http://www.mozillazine.org/about/
2) The main goal of Firefox was to have as little config options as necessary in order to prevent people to be lost in them and as few different code paths to test. Maintaining options like this add a lot of complexity a lot the testing process as all tests must be run twice, once for each option value.
3) Devs rarely (almost never) just go back. But if you describe *for what purpose* you used the wait cursor, we may find solutions to help you achieve the same goal, but in a different way.

[tata668]

1) We are not Mozilla: http://www.mozillazine.org/about/

Yeah, sorry. I was talking about the Firefox developers.

2) The main goal of Firefox was to have as little config options as necessary in order to prevent people to be lost in them and as few different code paths to test. Maintaining options like this add a lot of complexity a lot the testing process as all tests must be run twice, once for each option value.

It could be an advanced config, in "about:config".

3) Devs rarely (almost never) just go back. But if you describe *for what purpose* you used the wait cursor, we may find solutions to help you achieve the same goal, but in a different way.

Now, when I click a link, I don't instantly see that my request is in progress. My eyes have to move in search of the "loading" icon on the tab to be sure. It was a better user experience to have a wait cursor right where I clicked the link, in my opinion. Now I sometimes think that my click didn't work, that it has been cancelled using javascript.

[Shasoosh]

i hope "about:config" will be the solution. I'll hate to use an add on just for that

[aleyx]

i hope "about:config" will be the solution. I'll hate to use an add on just for that

Frankly, this is annoying enough that I don't care if I have to use three add-ons to have it back, as long as I do have it back.

Unfortunately, I don't expect add-ons to be able to see the necessary events: see https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=482985#c19.

N.

[firefoxownz]

i like the old way better also. it was more obvious that the page is loading.

[sn0wflake]

I feel alianated. I had never felt that way about a Mozilla software, and I have been an user since Firebird 0.5, so that is saying something.

The removal of this feature might work well for users on broadband, but being limited to dial-up like I am (yes, we exist!), this pseudo-feature works very much against my productivity. When a website takes 2 seconds to load, I can somewhat understand why this feature is not necessary, but when it takes 1 minute plus, trust me, there is no good argument for not having it.

I sincerely don't mind it being removed from the defaults... there are features that have been removed from the defaults since 2.0 and that I can easily tweak in about:config, no problem. But I can't tweak this is about:config. This behavior has been part of the software since its inception and it's suddenly removed inbetween betas with basically no discussion, and I'm supposed to accept it quietly.

No, I'm sorry.

I have advertised this browser tireleslly for the past years, I have a right to complain. If I wanted a browser that is as stripped down and sleek as possible, I'd use Chrome. It is surreal to think that Firefox still holds the lead in that departament. It doesn't. Firefox is a browser that gives you freedom to do whatever you want with it. That is its strength.

It's not even so much about the feature itself, but about the sneaky way it was implemented! Inbetween final release betas? Are you JOKING?

Where did user trust go?

Please somebody fix this for 3.5.1.

[firefoxownz]

I feel alianated. I had never felt that way about a Mozilla software, and I have been an user since Firebird 0.5, so that is saying something.

The removal of this feature might work well for users on broadband, but being limited to dial-up like I am (yes, we exist!), this pseudo-feature works very much against my productivity. When a website takes 2 seconds to load, I can somewhat understand why this feature is not necessary, but when it takes 1 minute plus, trust me, there is no good argument for not having it.

I sincerely don't mind it being removed from the defaults... there are features that have been removed from the defaults since 2.0 and that I can easily tweak in about:config, no problem. But I can't tweak this is about:config. This behavior has been part of the software since its inception and it's suddenly removed inbetween betas with basically no discussion, and I'm supposed to accept it quietly.

No, I'm sorry.

I have advertised this browser tireleslly for the past years, I have a right to complain. If I wanted a browser that is as stripped down and sleek as possible, I'd use Chrome. It is surreal to think that Firefox still holds the lead in that departament. It doesn't. Firefox is a browser that gives you freedom to do whatever you want with it. That is its strength.

It's not even so much about the feature itself, but about the sneaky way it was implemented! Inbetween final release betas? Are you JOKING?

Where did user trust go?

Please somebody fix this for 3.5.1.

imo, it's still bad even when you have a fast connection. my connection is fast and if i miss clicking a link by accident, it's not as easy to realize you didn't click the link.

[aleyx]

imo, it's still bad even when you have a fast connection. my connection is fast and if i miss clicking a link by accident, it's not as easy to realize you didn't click the link.

Agreed. There's also the case of AJAX loadings, where even the status bar and tab indicators don't show any activity. When half the page is loaded dynamically, there's no way to tell when it's beginning and when it's finished (I'm looking at you, Slashdot!).

N.

[ThiefMaster]

Please vote for the bug. That might show devs that there are lots of people who don't like this "feature".
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=482985

[sn0wflake]

The report seems to be progressing nicely... let's keep it up.

[mpz]

Any word on whether they'll get around to looking at this bug for the next update? I've been using the latest FF 3.5.1 portable and it's super fast and the pages are loading much quicker than 3.5 it seems. Still I miss the hourglass because it comes in handy when in full screen. Now I find myself always going to the menu bar, which is autohidden to check the stop button after clicking a link to make sure the page is loading. The old way was far more convenient.