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xoferic
Strollin' around
Status: New idea

If you use the  'Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed' user preference (which enables website default 'cookies and site data' behaviour 'Allow for Session') you have to manually create an exception for each website you visit (user preferences > privacy > Manage Exceptions > Add) which is a lot of friction andprobably leads to many users disabling the privacy-minded 'Delete cookies .. when closed' setting altogether after encountering repeated frustration when they've forgotten to make an exception for a website and being required to login again.

This proposal recommends adding new UI to the 'Site Information' urlbar to drastically improve the UX for this use-case by allowing exceptions to be set immediately via the 'Site Information' urlbar dropdown for the current website. This relatively simple addition will make the 'Delete cookies .. on close' privacy feature much more practical and beneficial, which appears to support one of the project objectives of being the most private browser.

Proposal 1 is more explicit but requires a new label string. (see image below on right)

Proposal 2 is simplest, with no new label strings required. If changing to 'Block' requires a page reload, it will need user feedback such as a prompt, or the text " (refresh required)" appended to 'Block'. (see image below on left)

Proposal 2 left, proposal 1 rightProposal 2 left, proposal 1 right

Proposal 1: Toggle + Radiobuttons:
- On Initiation:
    - the option matching the default behaviour controlled by the 'Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed' user preference (unchecked = Allow, checked = Allow for Session) has the text " (default)" appended to it

If an exception does not exist for site:
- toggle appears OFF
- all options are unselectable and appear disabled (greyed out)
- the option matching the default behaviour controlled by the 'Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed' user preference (Allow / Allow for Session) appears selected
- when user sets toggle to ON:
    - a site exception is created immediately with the value matching the default behaviour controlled by the 'Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed' user preference (Allow / Allow for Session)
    - options become selectable and do not appear disabled (not greyed out)
    - selected option still appears selected despite being disabled

If an exception does exist for site:
- toggle appears ON
- the option matching the site exception (block/Allow/Allow for Session) appears selected
- when user sets toggle to OFF:
    - the site exception is immediately removed from preferences
    - the option matching the default behaviour controlled by 'Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed' user preference (Allow / Allow for Session) becomes selected
    - all options appear unselectable and disabled (greyed out) again
    - the default selected option still appears selected despite being disabled
- when user selects an option:
    - if the option is already selected, do nothing
    - the existing site exception is updated with new value matching selected option
    - the newly selected option appears selected
    - other options appear unselected

Proposal 2 - Multi-select buttons without a toggle

The option matching the default behaviour controlled by the 'Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed' user preference (Allow or Allow for Session):
    - has the text " (default)" appended to it
    - is preselected if there is no site exception set
If an exception does exist for site, the matching option is preselected and active
When a new option is selected:
- if selected option is the (default) option, immediately remove the site exception
- else immediately create/update site exception
- make selected option appear selected/active
- make other options appear unselected

Benefits:

- Use existing already-translated strings for UI
- (default) text indicates the default browser behaviour
- No user understanding or mention of exceptions required
- One-click preference change

6 Comments
Status changed to: New idea
Jon
Community Manager
Community Manager

Thanks for submitting an idea to the Mozilla Connect community! Your idea is now open to votes (aka kudos) and comments.

jscher2000
Leader

That would be much easier. Right now, there is an extra step of calling up the Page Info dialog (Ctrl+i, or on Mac, Command+i) and changing to the Permissions panel. Then you scroll down to "Set Cookies", un-check "Use default" and then select the preferred permission. Even a link to this panel would be faster than what we have now, and easier to discover.

Fx104-page-info-permissions-set-cookies.png

xoferic
Strollin' around

@jscher2000I didn't even know about this window! It's a little easier than navigating through the preferences, but not by much. I hope this suggestion gets adequate attention, should be fairly easy to develop and would make a big difference for privacy users.

If you could set an exception for an entire container, well, we could then just have a 'Personal' container that contains all our logins and everything not in that container would be wiped out. But I thought I'd start with this suggestion first as it's simpler.

xoferic
Strollin' around

Permissions require immediate consideration with implementing this feature. If making a shortcut for 'Set Cookie' permission, why not others?

The main problem with doing so is the screen real estate required to show all available permissions. It would require scrolling, and isn't so straight forward, although I'm sure a decent solution exists.

A quick example of the problem of showing all permissions, using the expanded panel ui convention already used in the 'Tracking Protection' urlbar drop down.

 

----------------------------------------------
       Site Information for domain.com
----------------------------------------------
 [icon] Connection secure                   >
----------------------------------------------
 Permissions                                >
----------------------------------------------
 Clear cookies and site data..
----------------------------------------------

 

After clicking 'Permissions' above, the panel slides open to reveal a scrollable box:

 

----------------------------------------------
 <      Permissions for domain.com
----------------------------------------------
Access virtual reality devices      Default >
Access your location                Default >
Autoplay                            Default >
Extract canvas date                 Default >
Install add-ons                     Default >
Open pop-up windows                 Default >
Override keyboard shortcuts         Default >
Send notifications                  Default >
Set cookies                         Default >
Share the screen                    Default >
Store data in persistent storage    Default >
Switch to this tab                  Default >
Use the camera                      Default >
Use the microphone                  Default >
----------------------------------------------

 

That's not great. It would be better to show the most privacy-related permissions, and a 'More permissions...' menu item that would open up the existing 'More Information' window on the 'Permissions' tab:

----------------------------------------------
       Site Information for domain.com
----------------------------------------------
 [icon] Connection secure                   >
----------------------------------------------
 Permissions
 Set Cookies                          Block >
 Access Location                      Block >
 Send notifications                 Default >
 Use camera                         Default >
 Use the microphone                 Default >
 More permissions..
----------------------------------------------
 Clear cookies and site data..
----------------------------------------------

There are so many ways to approach this, I guess it's too early for it, but this definitely feels like the right direction to me.

Even a new urlbar item for 'Permissions' itself with a dropdown showing ALL permissions would be appropriate, cleaning up Site Information - yep starting to feel like a browser UI epic story. Anyway, if something like this idea sounds good to you please vote it up..

rotto
New member

This is a really good idea.

More like: I don't trust anything, and i trust this site.

A lot of things can be asked en you get the question to share your location. But with cookies this does not work. So either you want to keep cookies or not. So an easy button to keep cookies would help a lot.

 

kiwiwiwiwiwi
New member

It is really a good idea.
Currently Firefox does not yet make it easy to manage cookies.
Too bad it didn't succeed.