I’ve been using Firefox for decades. That’s not to say I used it non-stop during that period. In fact, there have been many cases where I refused the open source browser to switch to another browser. In some cases it was simply because a browser added a feature that I wanted to use.
Case in point, Opera’s Workspaces feature is an absolute game changer for managing a constantly growing tab collection that can otherwise frustrate you.
Seriously, Opera’s Workspaces feature is very good.
However, some features have been added to Opera browser that not only doesn’t fit all those workspaces, but it makes me question why they’re there in the first place.
The same is true for other browsers that use the kitchen sink approach. Instead of web browsers being web browsers, they become cryptocurrency walletmedia player, send email to customeronline calendar service, task manager, to-do listreminder calendar, RSS reader, alarm, translator, game platform, theme builder, etc
Also: Microsoft moves forward with browser-based collaboration Edge Workspaces
It seems almost every week a new feature is added to another browser to make it more and more.
There is a problem with that approach. The further a web browser goes beyond just being a web browser, the more cumbersome it becomes. The more bloated the browser, the less usable it is.
This happened with Firefox, and it went very quickly south. Firefox has gone from being a lightweight, fast, lightweight web browser to a toolkit full of features, most of which, in my opinion, are completely useless. (This was several years ago; I recommend using it in the current iteration.)
There used to be an Experimental feature that allowed users to participate in testing every new feature that the developers introduced into the browser. I participated in that experiment and often shook my head in disgust at some of the ideas that were suggested.
Sure, some of the tests are pretty cool, but they still don’t have a place in the browser.
Let me be clear: The job of a web browser is to make viewing web pages easy, reliable, secure, and simple. Given that most of us use web browsers for much of what we do on desktops and laptops, that idea needs to be central and web browser developers need to take notice. .
Also: No browser is perfect. What should users do?
Fun can be fun until it’s not
Do not misunderstand me. I love when a company (or development team) releases an exciting new feature for the web browser. I love seeing what developers can do.
But again, the point is, when you add too many features to such an important tool, you run the risk of that tool becoming unusable.
Consider this: As of this writing, I have 32 tabs open in my web browser, each consuming system resources.
Now, imagine I’m using a web browser that wants to be everything to me as a user. Email client, calendar, task manager, to-do list, project manager… all the things I usually do in one tab.
Instead, the developers decided to put those features into the web browser as small apps that could be used. Now, I may still have 32 tabs open, but I also have a bunch of built-in apps running.
Also: How to recover lost or closed tabs with Firefox’s History tool
That browser is now taking up more of my system resources.
Sure, those features can be fun at first, but eventually my system resources can get used to the point where my screen becomes unresponsive. Everyone has been through it once or twice.
That’s not fun.
Overwhelming is ineffective
The other problem is that too many features can quickly become overwhelming. Imagine opening up a recently upgraded version of your web browser, only to find out a bunch of new features have been added. You have your workflow, completely obscured by all these new options and tools.
That can become too fast. And with so many people shunning change as if it were Death in their souls, adding too many features can be a recipe for user loss.
I’m not saying that developers shouldn’t consider innovation an important part of their web browser projects. Completely opposite. However, perhaps the developers could allow users to turn features on and off in their browser, so they can only use what they need and hide everything else from view and no consumption. consumes system resources.
To that end, web browser developers should focus their efforts on:
- UI and UX
- Guard
- Effective
- reliability
- Page rendering accuracy
- Speed, velocity
- Manage tabs
If the feature does not fall into one of the categories above, it will be considered optional and disabled or hidden by the user on first run.
It is not that difficult. Web browsers are used to view web pages safely and efficiently. Do it right and you’ve got a winning product. Do it wrong and you’ve created a monster that effectively gets in the way of users doing what they need to do.
For those who might be curious about which web browser is tackling this aspect, here is my shortlist:
- Firefox (a web browser was there and did it).
- Chromium (the only version of Chrome I’ll be using).
- GNOME Web – aka Epiphany – (a GNOME-based web browser for Linux).
- The hunt (the only browser I use on MacOS).
- Pale Moon (a great alternative for Linux and Windows).
- Comodo Ice Dragon (keep security at the top of the list).
Use any of the above browsers and you’ll enjoy a clean, efficient, and lightning-fast experience.
