#MediaWiki - #MediaViewer rehashed

Some things are plain stupid, sometimes I am and sometimes someone else is. I filed a bug about my experience of the MediaViewer. For me it is a show stopper; it prevents me from using it easily.

The problem is that Chrome shows a really awful URL for an image with funny characters in its title. When I look at it using the MediaViewer it is bad but it looks fine when I look at it from the Commons page.

• File:%C3%89cole_normale_sup%C3%A9rieure_de_Paris,_26_January_2013.jpg
• File:École normale supérieure de Paris, 26 January 2013.jpg

According to the Bugzilla triage I must be stupid because it works; it complies with specifications and, indeed technically it works. It just stopped working for me.

Several reactions are possible. My choice was to shrug, mutter "it is the user experience stupid" and I got on with my life. Others find it a precursor to the invasion of an evil overlord who does not understand the world and prepare for war.

By filing a bug, by posting this blog I have rid myself of my frustrations. I know several developers; I met many of them at Wikimania and I know they are really dedicated and mean well. I also know that such things pass. I am sure someone will see the light or Google will fix Chrome (if that is where the bug lives). In the end I do not look at images that often as a result.
Thanks,
       GerardM

The #Mongolian #script

Have a look at the article "Mongolian script". Now do the same thing with another browser or use Chrome as your browser.

The blocks represent the Unicode characters and I do not have a Mongolian font on my system yet. What is really cool is that Chrome shows Mongolian correctly from top to bottom. So far the lack of support for top down text in browsers is what prevents us from figuring out what we need to do in MediaWiki.

It will be cool when top down scripts are supported in most modern browsers. It enables us to support the people who read the top down scripts as well and consequently it brings us closer to what we aim to achieve.
Thanks,
    GerardM

Supporting Khmer in Chrome

Today I read that the performance of Chrome has been improved for Javascript. As I am in favour of a reliable faster browser, I gave Chrome another try.

One of the problems with Chrome is its support for Khmer. As you can see, Khmer does not show up as expected. Compare this with Firefox...

This screenshot is from the same machine, you will notice that Khmer shows up properly and the URL is much cleaner. Google has some more work to do to get Chrome right for me.
Thanks,
GerardM

Chrome and security

I read a blog on the security of Chrome, and it was stated that Chrome was build in isolation and consequently that a lot of vulnerabilities have to be seen as a consequence. I beg to differ for two reasons;

• Chrome is using Webkit for its rendering and Chrome uses a lot of the Firefox code
• Chrome explicitly has a different architecture in order to allow for improved security

There are two types of vulnerabilities, typically people only talk about those vulnerabilities that have to do with hackers, phishing and the likes. More people have to deal with their software being vulnerable to crashes or slowdowns. This is where Chrome makes an important difference. With Chrome it is one session that takes the hit, the sessions behind other tabs are to continue unhindered. These vulnerabilities are part and parcel of what security is also about.

When a new browser becomes available as beta software, it is not necessarily complete, it may still have issues. It is nice when security issues are identified, this will help the quality of the product improve. But the general trust of the blog is narrow minded, it misses the point of Chrome.
Thanks,
       GerardM

Chrome

Google produced a new browser called "Chrome". Many words have been written about it, there is a strip explaining the technology behind it, many people have given it a test drive. I did. I think it is great.

What I like best about Chrome is its speed. The word Niue exists in many languages and this expression is one of the worst performers on OmegaWiki. With Chrome it is significantly faster. With processing done locally, Chrome makes a big difference.

The other thing that I like about Chrome is the fact that it is Open Source. Google explicitly invited the "other" browsers to borrow and steal from what Chrome has to offer. In the same way, Google happily indicates that Webkit and Firefox are part of Chrome's pedigree.

I love Firefox, it has features and extensions that are must have for me; spell checking is one such. With Chrome being the first iteration of a beta product, I think I can look forward to extensions with confidence. It is great that the browsers world is becoming even more an eco system where new developments are shared and where the scene can evolve and mature with multiple players having temporary advantages. It is the user that will benefits most.

Thanks,

GerardM