How to Build a Better Browser

TuringTest writes "Interface designer and IE ex-developer Scott Berkun writes an essay on basic principles of web browser design, moved by the recent presence of Firefox and Opera in the headlines. Gives plenty of design constraints and guidelines, some insightful, some debatable. Personally some features that I'd like to see in my browser include colaborative filtering (a.k.a. del.icio.us integration), a unified tool for history+bookmarks in a single list (filtered by keyword tags), and automatic generation of keywords for the bookmarked pages (something that Open Text Summarizer can do)."

Comments

one of the things i would like to see is with

[hsmith]

bookmarks, if they were searchable i think that would be a big improvement. i collect so many they get hard to manage.

I think a better bookmark managment system needs to be implemented, especially when you move from office to home to mobile. possibly network storage system to publish your bookmarks so your browser can grab them automatically?

Re:one of the things i would like to see is with

[Anonymous Coward]

bookmarks, if they were searchable i think that would be a big improvement. i collect so many they get hard to manage.
Firefox has this.

Re:one of the things i would like to see is with

[kanweg]

I use Safari, and my bookmarks are searchable. Nice.

Bert

Re:one of the things i would like to see is with

[EastCoastSurfer]

It is similar to demanding that your girlfriend be a rich, nymphomaniac supermodel who models lingerie in Paris and Milan during the week, but plays Doom3 and mods cases on the weekend. Doesn't exist.

I was about to prove you wrong, but my girlfriend doesn't play Doom3.

Security?

[shrapnull]

You mean to tell me that the IE developers didn't focus on security???

NOW you tell me !!!

Basic principles of web browser design?

[smooth wombat]

You mean like adhering to the W3C standards? You mean like not having your own proprietary code floating about?

Start with those two issues then get back to me.

Analogy

[Safety Cap]

Would you use a television that wasn't UHF and VHF compliant?

Imagine that everyone got a free TeeVee with every home/apartment. Now imagine that anyone with a bit of time could create a TeeVee station that worked with the free TeeVee. The people who didn't know what they were doing would make their stations compatible with the free TeeVee because they have it, and so does everyone they know.

Then their boss at work says, "make a TeeVee station to display information about our department." Because they all have the free TeeVee at work, that's what they use to view their station.

Finally, some upstarts (long-haired, unwashed, obviously communist, punks) say, "Hey, we have a TeeVee that is also free, but it is UHF/VHF compliant, and you won't get all those annoying commercials and stuff! Oh and people won't break into your home if you watch certain stations!

The masses look at these upstarts with wonder and bewilderment. Just what is this UHF/VHF that they're talking about? All they want to do is watch TeeVee, and what they have works fine. Oh sure, every once in a while, Cousin Midge's son (who is a TeeVee wiz) comes by and complains that there is always a nest of mice or other creatures in the living room ("They get in via the TeeVee," he says), but he always cleans them out and you give him a fivver for his troubles. Sometimes the TeeVee doesn't work, but if you wack it on the side enough times, it usually straightens out, but it seems...slow lately.