Firefox3/Firefox Requirements Meetings/Addons

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Dial-in Info

• +1 650-215-1282x91 Conf# 8602 (US/INTL)
• +1 800-707-2533 (pin 369) Conf# 8602

Agenda

The following list is taken directly from the Firefox 3 Detailed Feature List. If this list does not match the other, the Google Spreadsheet version takes precedence (I may have made a copying error).

PRD Meeting - Addons

Item

• P1 - Improve Add-on install experience
  • P1 FR - Add-ons can be installed in fewer than 3 mouse clicks
  • P1 NFR - Simplify XPI install dialogs and user interactions
  • P1 NFR - Simplify user interaction with whitelist

Notes

• Q: What clicks are we counting? A: From the point where user clicks indicating that they wish to install that thing, so from the install-trigger on the page.
• We have currently erected barriers for a reason, and we want to make it smoother, but we must continue to ensure that the user understands the risks about what is going on.

• ACTION: Add "Ensure user understands the risks about installing extensions" as a P1 NFR under this.

• ACTION: "Clarify" rather than "Simplify" in the second item (XPI install dialogs)

• ACTION: Change "Simplify user interaction with whitelist NFR" to "Remove extension installation whitelist FR". Remove the extension whitelist entirely. There are other ways we can solve this issue that are better for users. So this requires further investigation.
• Whoever does this should work with dveditz on the interaction design.

Item

• P2 - Install Add-ons without interrupting browsing session
  • P2 FR - Install Add-on without requiring a browser restart

Notes

• We can put some of the onus on extension authors to make this possible for their specific extensions. That would still meet this requirement.
• Bumped up to a P2 from P3.

Item

• P1 - Improve Add-on configuration experience
  • P1 FR - Allow Add-on configuration UI to be accessed from main application configuration UI (Prefs panel)
  • P1 NFR - Improve discoverability of Add-on configuration UI

Notes

• General agreement, no changes required

• Is there anything we can do on our side to fix the issue of extensions that pop up config items on first-run? It's a very jarring experience.
• We should allow extension authors to use the same model (notification system, UI flow, etc) used by the browser. A lot of "best practices" and evangelism here to extension authors via Developer Relations and documentation, etc. (shaver)
• Stuff shaver will be doing will be linked to wiki page and those FRs should be integrated into the PRD. (possibly)
• Making extensions behave identically is not necessarily a requirement for the PRD but we should codify and write up suggested best practices via MDC.
• RStrong needs a solid UI design provided for the addition of Addons configurations into the Pref panel. It needs to be figured out and designed carefully. This requires nothing in the PRD, just making a note.

Item

• P1 - Improve Add-on management experience
  • P1 FR - Add visual indication to browser UI when Add-on updates are available
  • P1 FR - Add permanent button for restarting Firefox
  • P1 FR - Expose all hidden functionality such as "Find Update"
  • P1 NFR - Improve usability of Add-on manager
  • P1 NFR - Simplify language and unify terminology related to Add-ons

Notes

• Updating, removing, disabling addons.
• P1 FR 1 = People who leave their browser running for ages will not necessarily get updates in a timely fashion.
• Notification needs to be appropriate to the update available - design TBD. Leaving as a P1.
• Should always be a "Restart Firefox" button available. Design TBD. Leaving as a P1.
• "Expose all hidden functionality..." - this is poorly defined for a P1, and potentially a bad idea. Is this even an FR? Change to "P3 NFR - Simplify task flow for updating single addons".
• "Improve usability..." - Remove this from the list, there's a cross-cutter

(addonmanagerexperience)

• ADD: "P1 FR Unify addons management system and _ADD_ plugins managements system".
• ADD: "P3 FR allow addons to control other types of extensions and ensuring that model is extensible"
• ADD: "P1 FR Support for displaying information about the update in the updater"
• ADD: "P1 FR Support shipping of localized user-facing addon text (see shaver for details)"
• ADD: "P3 FR Support for use of some kind of service for extension dependency resolution" - lots of different ways to do this
• ADD: "P2 FR Support addon conflict resolution"

Item

• Px - Add-on security model

Notes

SPLIT

• ADD: P3 FR Making signing a requirement or higher value in install experience
• ADD: P3 FR Providing a lower priv model for certain classes of extention
• ADD: PF FR Provide a compartmentalized sec model for addons re: mem management, etc

Item

• Px - Ability to discover add-ons, ease of adoption, supportability

Notes

• ADD: P3 NFR Improve quality of results from Plugin Finders

• Roundup
  • Is there anything people are currently working on that is not currently on this list?
  • Any other thoughts or concerns?