Issue 3796 - Added preference to remove developer tools panel

Issue 3796 - Added preference to remove developer tools panel

[kzar, 2016-03-14 13:15:26]

LGTM

(Thomas I guess you'll need to add this to the new options page too.)

[Thomas Greiner, 2016-03-14 16:26:06]

https://codereview.adblockplus.org/29338208/diff/29338209/lib/prefs.js
File lib/prefs.js (right):

https://codereview.adblockplus.org/29338208/diff/29338209/lib/prefs.js#newcod...
lib/prefs.js:163: defaults.show_devtools_panel = true;
Since there's no mention in the devtools panel on how to disable it, it might be
better to make it opt-in. Personally, I don't have a preference but hiding it in
the options page for people who want to add it seems a bit better than hiding it
in the options page for people who want to get rid of it.

[Sebastian Noack, 2016-03-14 16:39:36]

https://codereview.adblockplus.org/29338208/diff/29338209/lib/prefs.js
File lib/prefs.js (right):

https://codereview.adblockplus.org/29338208/diff/29338209/lib/prefs.js#newcod...
lib/prefs.js:163: defaults.show_devtools_panel = true;
On 2016/03/14 16:26:05, Thomas Greiner wrote:
> Since there's no mention in the devtools panel on how to disable it, it might
be
> better to make it opt-in. Personally, I don't have a preference but hiding it
in
> the options page for people who want to add it seems a bit better than hiding
it
> in the options page for people who want to get rid of it.

It's already bad enough that we cannot integrate it into the icon menu. Also
disabling it by default, would make sure that nobody will every find that
feature.

There are no negative side effects of having the panel in the devtools, except
for aesthetic preferences of some users who frequently use the devtools, but
don't need our panel there. So I think having it opt-out is good enough.

[kzar, 2016-03-14 17:52:20]

https://codereview.adblockplus.org/29338208/diff/29338209/lib/prefs.js
File lib/prefs.js (right):

https://codereview.adblockplus.org/29338208/diff/29338209/lib/prefs.js#newcod...
lib/prefs.js:163: defaults.show_devtools_panel = true;
On 2016/03/14 16:39:35, Sebastian Noack wrote:
> On 2016/03/14 16:26:05, Thomas Greiner wrote:
> > Since there's no mention in the devtools panel on how to disable it, it
might
> be
> > better to make it opt-in. Personally, I don't have a preference but hiding
it
> in
> > the options page for people who want to add it seems a bit better than
hiding
> it
> > in the options page for people who want to get rid of it.
> 
> It's already bad enough that we cannot integrate it into the icon menu. Also
> disabling it by default, would make sure that nobody will every find that
> feature.
> 
> There are no negative side effects of having the panel in the devtools, except
> for aesthetic preferences of some users who frequently use the devtools, but
> don't need our panel there. So I think having it opt-out is good enough.

Sebastian asked me for a third opinion in IRC so here you go:

17:49 <kzar> I think his argument makes sense that it should be
             hidden for "normal" people, but it _already is_ hidden
             for them as they wouldn't use the developer console
             anyway.
17:49 <kzar> So I think it makes sense like it is, it only really
             makes sense to hide the tab if you're a geek and
             somehow really care about how your developer window
             looks

[Thomas Greiner, 2016-03-14 19:24:44]

Unfortunately, this preference is not purely cosmetic since the panel is active
even when if selected.

e.g. Reloading the page on the Networks tab will populate the table on our
panel.

I'm undecided whether this should be opt-in or opt-out since we're intruding on
an area where people don't expect us to be. On the other side it would be
beneficial to some people which might not be aware of it if we hide it in the
options.

The best solution I could imagine is showing the panel tab by default and asking
whether people want to enable it, the first time they visit that panel. Thereby
(1) we wouldn't need to make that decision ourselves, (2) people would notice
that the panel exists and (3) everyone would be happy since they can easily en-
or disable it.

[Sebastian Noack, 2016-03-14 20:02:35]

On 2016/03/14 19:24:44, Thomas Greiner wrote:
> e.g. Reloading the page on the Networks tab will populate the table on our
> panel.

It does not. You have to explicitly switch to our devtools panel in order to
activate it. Though, once it got activated it stays active for that tab until
the devtools (or the tab) is closed again.

> I'm undecided whether this should be opt-in or opt-out since we're intruding
on
> an area where people don't expect us to be. On the other side it would be
> beneficial to some people which might not be aware of it if we hide it in the
> options.

Keep in mind that we already added the devtools panel with the previous release
and as of now it is there without an option to remove it. Hence 2(!) users asked
for a way to remove it. So adding that option to let users opt-out, seems to be
a nobrainer, in terms that it won't make anything worse for anybody. Users who
want the devtools panel or didn't even noticed it don't need to care about that
option. And users who asked for a way to disable it, will be happy, as they can
do now. However, if we remove it now for everybody by default, requiring users
to opt-in, it will make things worse than it currently is, for users that
actually want the devtools panel and those who will never learn about it because
of that.

> The best solution I could imagine is showing the panel tab by default and
asking
> whether people want to enable it, the first time they visit that panel.

I agree that this would be a nice user experience (except for the glitch that
the panel would still keep showing until you reopen the devtools panel).
However, we can still implement that later in addition. But again, that's not an
argument to not start with an opt-out on the options page.

> (2) people would notice that the panel exists

Well, you still have to go to the devtools and click on our panel. So I don't
see how any more users will notice it, by having to click "yes" or "no" the
first time they switch to our panel.

[Thomas Greiner, 2016-03-15 14:01:45]

On 2016/03/14 20:02:35, Sebastian Noack wrote:
> On 2016/03/14 19:24:44, Thomas Greiner wrote:
> > e.g. Reloading the page on the Networks tab will populate the table on our
> > panel.
> 
> It does not. You have to explicitly switch to our devtools panel in order to
> activate it. Though, once it got activated it stays active for that tab until
> the devtools (or the tab) is closed again.

Indeed, I wasn't aware of that.

> > The best solution I could imagine is showing the panel tab by default and
> asking
> > whether people want to enable it, the first time they visit that panel.
> 
> I agree that this would be a nice user experience (except for the glitch that
> the panel would still keep showing until you reopen the devtools panel).
> However, we can still implement that later in addition.

Since we're on the same page in that regard I'm fine with only implementing the
opt-out for now.

LGTM