User:David Regev/Ubiquitous Firefox Revisited - Revision history

David Regev: Larger Medium note

2018-10-22T20:03:41Z

Larger Medium note

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:03, 22 October 2018
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	===This article has moved to [https://link.medium.com/9IWF7HqleR Medium].===		==This article has moved to [https://link.medium.com/9IWF7HqleR Medium].==

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David Regev: Medium note size

2018-10-22T20:01:35Z

Medium note size

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:01, 22 October 2018
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	~~'''~~This article has moved to [https://link.medium.com/9IWF7HqleR Medium].~~'''~~		===This article has moved to [https://link.medium.com/9IWF7HqleR Medium].===

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David Regev: Link to Medium post

2018-10-22T20:00:02Z

Link to Medium post

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:00, 22 October 2018
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			'''This article has moved to [https://link.medium.com/9IWF7HqleR Medium].'''

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	'''''This was originally posted in the Mozilla Labs Concept Series group. [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/mozilla-labs-concept-series/ukr4Qgl9_dk/discussion Go there to discuss.]'''''		'''''This was originally posted in the Mozilla Labs Concept Series group. [https://groups.google.com/d/topic/mozilla-labs-concept-series/ukr4Qgl9_dk/discussion Go there to discuss.]'''''

David Regev: /* The Future! */ Typo

2018-08-26T04:34:37Z

The Future!: Typo

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:34, 26 August 2018
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	==The Future!==		==The Future!==

	Very little of all of this is genuinely new. Quite a lot of the concepts here are based on ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=D39vjmLfO3kC The Humane Interface]'' (and most of this should be familiar to anyone who has read this book), together with design patterns found in many different digital environments (such as webOS). True zooming interfaces have been around in research form for a long time, but have never quite made it to the consumer space in any large form, outside specialized applications (such as Google Maps). I’ve spent several years thinking about how a ZUI browser would work (including [[User:David Regev/Firefox ZUI\|one mockup]]), but I’ve never come across a truly satisfying answer. It was only once I finally got an idea of what the essential problems with browsers were and some possible solutions that I finally figured out how a zooming browser might look—one that has a real chance of succeeding. In such an environment, we no longer need the classic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_metaphor Desktop Metaphor], no [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIMP_(computing) windows, icons, menus, or pointers], no opening or saving, no downloading, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UwZkKsWgc0 no applications], and no other outdated counter-productive concepts. Nor do we need the metaphors that Web browsers have had for a long time: the Back button, bookmarks, and tabs. (Wouldn’t it be great if we could get rid of Reload too?) Finally, we don’t need chrome any more either. All we have is content. Everything is unified in this environment: the browser ''is'' the operating system. (And, unlike Firefox OS, there is no odd [https://blog.mozilla.org/beyond-the-code/files/2012/02/6935638349_40bed4c03b.jpg browser-app–within–browser-operating-system]].)		Very little of all of this is genuinely new. Quite a lot of the concepts here are based on ''[http://books.google.com/books?id=D39vjmLfO3kC The Humane Interface]'' (and most of this should be familiar to anyone who has read this book), together with design patterns found in many different digital environments (such as webOS). True zooming interfaces have been around in research form for a long time, but have never quite made it to the consumer space in any large form, outside specialized applications (such as Google Maps). I’ve spent several years thinking about how a ZUI browser would work (including [[User:David Regev/Firefox ZUI\|one mockup]]), but I’ve never come across a truly satisfying answer. It was only once I finally got an idea of what the essential problems with browsers were and some possible solutions that I finally figured out how a zooming browser might look—one that has a real chance of succeeding. In such an environment, we no longer need the classic [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_metaphor Desktop Metaphor], no [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WIMP_(computing) windows, icons, menus, or pointers], no opening or saving, no downloading, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UwZkKsWgc0 no applications], and no other outdated counter-productive concepts. Nor do we need the metaphors that Web browsers have had for a long time: the Back button, bookmarks, and tabs. (Wouldn’t it be great if we could get rid of Reload too?) Finally, we don’t need chrome any more either. All we have is content. Everything is unified in this environment: the browser ''is'' the operating system. (And, unlike Firefox OS, there is no odd [https://blog.mozilla.org/beyond-the-code/files/2012/02/6935638349_40bed4c03b.jpg browser-app–within–browser-operating-system].)

	''Let’s make it work!''		''Let’s make it work!''

David Regev: /* I. Panorama Enhanced */ Typo

2018-08-26T04:10:18Z

I. Panorama Enhanced: Typo

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:10, 26 August 2018
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	# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.		# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.
	# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.		# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.
	# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks] (and anticipates [http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos#chorus-video-38285 “Eel”] (and bares a striking resemblance to [http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/elastic-windows/script.html Elastic Windows])), but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.		# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks] (and anticipates [http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos#chorus-video-38285 “Eel”] (and bares a striking resemblance to [http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/elastic-windows/script.html Elastic Windows]), but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.
	# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.		# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.
	# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.		# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.

David Regev: /* I. Panorama Enhanced */ Closing parenthesis

2017-05-17T02:25:35Z

I. Panorama Enhanced: Closing parenthesis

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:25, 17 May 2017
Line 47:		Line 47:
	# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.		# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.
	# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.		# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.
	# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks] (and anticipates [http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos#chorus-video-38285 “Eel”] (and bares a striking resemblance to [http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/elastic-windows/script.html Elastic Windows]), but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.		# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks] (and anticipates [http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos#chorus-video-38285 “Eel”] (and bares a striking resemblance to [http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/elastic-windows/script.html Elastic Windows])), but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.
	# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.		# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.
	# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.		# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.

David Regev: /* I. Panorama Enhanced */ Added Link to Elastic Windows

2017-05-17T02:24:34Z

I. Panorama Enhanced: Added Link to Elastic Windows

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:24, 17 May 2017
Line 47:		Line 47:
	# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.		# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.
	# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.		# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.
	# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks] (and anticipates [http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos#chorus-video-38285 “Eel”]), but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.		# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks] (and anticipates [http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos#chorus-video-38285 “Eel”] (and bares a striking resemblance to [http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/elastic-windows/script.html Elastic Windows]), but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.
	# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.		# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.
	# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.		# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.

David Regev: Added link to video of updated stacks feature of unreleased webOS update

2017-04-19T01:08:30Z

Added link to video of updated stacks feature of unreleased webOS update

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	# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.		# '''System area'''. In this environment, besides the two buttons, everything else is content—even this system area. '''Everything is a page.''' (Compare this to the Unix philosophy of ‘[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_is_a_file everything is a file]’.) If you zoom in on the Wi-Fi icon, you get a full page with an interface for managing your wireless connection, thanks to semantic zooming. The same goes for the other objects in the system area. In fact, if you wished, you could replace the standard system objects with alternatives of your own choosing, because these are merely pages. The pages all appear inside a '''page group''' (similar to a tab group in Panorama). The background for this group is dark by default to indicate that it’s the system area, but the background could be changed for any group as well.
	# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.		# '''Find button'''. The Find button is the only other button in the entire interface, besides the Command button. Its purpose is to take you to the phrase you seek within open pages. It searches every page in view, highlights the results, and takes you to the next one. This is like <code>Ctrl+F</code> in Firefox, except that it can quickly get you anywhere in the entire environment, not only within one page. Its function is so crucial that it deserves its own button, rather than appearing as another command in the list of commands. Like the Command button, holding down this button allows you to speak your search, allowing you to get to it as quickly as possible. For example: hold down the button, say ‘bunnies’, let go, and your screen jumps to the next occurrence of ‘bunnies’. This would also ideally be a hardware button.
	# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks], but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.		# '''Stacks'''. This feature was proudly inspired by [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeT7yWa3Lcw webOS’s stacks] (and anticipates [http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/2/5264580/the-lost-secrets-of-webos#chorus-video-38285 “Eel”]), but improves upon that feature greatly. First, pages can be stacked on top of each other. The most recently-viewed page in the stack is visible on top. Pages may be stacked together manually, but that is not the normal way stacks are created. Whenever you tap on a link, it opens as a new page behind the current page, creating a stack if there isn’t one already. Later, I will explain how stacks work in more detail. It is this simple feature that will end up being the '''solution for tab proliferation''', along with the other problems I described earlier.
	# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.		# '''Inline downloads'''. Since everything is a page, and this environment is your entire operating system, all objects go here. So, when you want to download a file, it merely appears as another page. Until the file is fully downloaded, a progress indicator appears. In the mockup, a video is being downloaded, which may also be played right there. In fact, every page that is open is saved to the device. You thus never have to worry about saving anything or downloading it to make it available offline. You never have to download a file manually so it’s available outside your browser. If it’s open, it’s saved/downloaded; and you could just move it elsewhere in the environment or organize it if you wish (even while it’s still downloading). There is '''no distinction between opening and downloading'''. Once you delete a page, however, the system is free to overwrite its space in the future as necessary.
	# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.		# '''New page'''. The way to create a new page is to touch any free spot in the environment, at any zoom level you like. Since there is no location bar for entering URLs and page titles, this is the only way to open a new page. When you tap on an area (indicated by the blue circle in the mockup), a New Page icon appears at that spot to let you know that a new page will be created at that spot. When you let go, a new page is created at that spot and is immediately zoomed in, showing you something similar to Mobile Firefox’s [http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/use-awesome-screen-search-firefox-android Awesome Screen], which will allow you to open anything you desire right there. Since this is the only way to create a brand new page, it should be harder to lose track of where you put that page. Finally, together with stacks, we have '''a real division between related pages and unrelated pages''': spawned pages are always appended to the same stack, keeping related pages together, and new pages are always created alone in a new area, keeping unrelated pages separate.

David Regev: /* Lessons & Principles */ WorldWideWeb didn’t have a Back button!

2015-08-11T22:25:12Z

Lessons & Principles: WorldWideWeb didn’t have a Back button!

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	'''Open ''vs.'' Open In New Tab is not [http://web.archive.org/web/20080221100719/http://rchi.raskincenter.org/index.php?title=Monotony_in_The_Humane_Interface monotonous].''' Related to the previous issue is the choice we must make every time we click on a link: should I open it here or in a new tab? This choice creates a small delay every time you click on a link. Over time, these delays add up. They also contribute to a mental burden that builds up over time, especially every time you realize you should have opened a link in a new tab, so you must go back and lose even more time undoing that mistake. Worse, for those who are not comfortable with opening links in new tabs, the benefits of this form of browsing are out of reach. What if we removed this “choice” and optimized the interface for one form of browsing? Then the interface would be more monotonous (in a good way): you don’t have to think about using it—you just use it.		'''Open ''vs.'' Open In New Tab is not [http://web.archive.org/web/20080221100719/http://rchi.raskincenter.org/index.php?title=Monotony_in_The_Humane_Interface monotonous].''' Related to the previous issue is the choice we must make every time we click on a link: should I open it here or in a new tab? This choice creates a small delay every time you click on a link. Over time, these delays add up. They also contribute to a mental burden that builds up over time, especially every time you realize you should have opened a link in a new tab, so you must go back and lose even more time undoing that mistake. Worse, for those who are not comfortable with opening links in new tabs, the benefits of this form of browsing are out of reach. What if we removed this “choice” and optimized the interface for one form of browsing? Then the interface would be more monotonous (in a good way): you don’t have to think about using it—you just use it.

			: ''Note:'' The very first browser, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WorldWideWeb WorldWideWeb] (later renamed ‘Nexus’), actually didn’t have the previous two issues. Instead of relying on a Back button, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3c3Rt6QbHDw&t=363 clicking on a link created a new window]. Of course, such a system quickly leads to too many windows, which is why the Back button was later created in the first place. An alternate solution to that problem, however, could have involved better window/document management.

	'''The History Scroller is probably too much.''' My [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidregev/5342557596/in/photostream previous solution] to the issues outlined in the previous paragraphs involved showing all spawned pages within the same tab, merged into the tab history. Although this seemingly solved the problems, it created a new widget that must be learned. This would have contributed to the proliferation of mental models: the tab bar (or Panorama) for organizing tabs, and the History Scroller for organizing tab histories. This actually isn’t very different from today, where we have the Back/Forward system in addition to the tab bar. On top of that, the tab history model fits in even less with Panorama (tab groups): it looks like you’re arranging all your pages on a flat plane but, in fact, each page you see comes with many others hidden. What if we truly flattened this hierarchy into one consistent interface?		'''The History Scroller is probably too much.''' My [http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidregev/5342557596/in/photostream previous solution] to the issues outlined in the previous paragraphs involved showing all spawned pages within the same tab, merged into the tab history. Although this seemingly solved the problems, it created a new widget that must be learned. This would have contributed to the proliferation of mental models: the tab bar (or Panorama) for organizing tabs, and the History Scroller for organizing tab histories. This actually isn’t very different from today, where we have the Back/Forward system in addition to the tab bar. On top of that, the tab history model fits in even less with Panorama (tab groups): it looks like you’re arranging all your pages on a flat plane but, in fact, each page you see comes with many others hidden. What if we truly flattened this hierarchy into one consistent interface?

David Regev: /* Appendices (coming soon!) */

2014-10-02T21:41:13Z

Appendices (coming soon!)

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	''Coming soon!''		''Coming soon!''

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