Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#11

Post by dangrossman » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:15 AM UTC

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #9

bonch wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't like the idea of the browser visiting pages before I've told it to.

It's not rendering it (I would image at least), I don't see this as a security concern, do you?

Actually, it is rendering it, in a hidden tab. As far as the site will know, you visited. Last login times get updated, web stats record hits, stuff gets marked as read, etc.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#12

Post by dangrossman » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:18 AM UTC

abarth wrote: post #5

ronnoch wrote: post #2

In order to be instant, it would have to download all images, scripts and stylesheets too - wouldn't that screw up everyone's web stats?

Here's the design document: http://dev.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/prerende... The browser does download subresources, including images, scripts, and stylesheets. The new page visibility API is intended to help folks keep accurate web stats: http://w3c-test.org/webperf/specs/PageVisibility/

So yes, this will screw up web stats. A new JS API won't help with anything server side, and there's going to be a significant lag before every web app in the world is updated. Think about preloading anything that keeps track of read/unread status as well (e-mail, forum threads, etc).

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#13

Post by younata » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:18 AM UTC

jamesgagan wrote: post #6

another really cool product of google that serves to make us more dependent on them...

They're releasing the source. From the third paragraph of the second page:

"Other Web browsers could also employ Instant Pages, because Google has released the necessary code for all to use. "We are opening up the code because we want other browsers to implement it—it is good for the users and for the Web," said Singhal."

Even if this weren't the case, as drivebyacct2 said, this doesn't do anything to make us dependent on them, especially when compared to gmail or google docs.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#14

Post by alexmuller » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:21 AM UTC

abarth wrote: post #5

ronnoch wrote: post #2

In order to be instant, it would have to download all images, scripts and stylesheets too - wouldn't that screw up everyone's web stats?

Here's the design document: http://dev.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/prerende... The browser does download subresources, including images, scripts, and stylesheets. The new page visibility API is intended to help folks keep accurate web stats: http://w3c-test.org/webperf/specs/PageVisibility/

Does this mean analytics providers are scrambling to implement this API before the Chrome build goes stable?

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#15

Post by jmcqk6 » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:21 AM UTC

Remember, this makes it vitally important that your "delete" links in web apps aren't actually links, but forms. Load up a data grid and boom! All you resources are gone.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#16

Post by wozname » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:22 AM UTC

I'd be scared of it automatically downloading inappropriate or even worse illegal stuff from the search results. Try explaining to the boss you did not visit that nsfw site but it merely turned up in your search results.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#17

Post by tectonic » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:22 AM UTC

Seems like this would completely destroy any chance of using web server visit history for legal prosecution, since even visiting a site that links to another site could cause you to appear in the second site's logs. Perhaps this is a good thing.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#18

Post by noibl » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:24 AM UTC

If, as is hinted, they restrict this to SERPs that carry one canonical result, such as 'facebook login' or -cough- 'html5 spec', it could be a great thing. If after some interval you do the same search and again click the top result, Chrome might even start redirecting you there straight from the omnibox. But if they apply this technique too broadly it's going to be a big drain on server resources and sites would probably start using visibilityState* to lazy load their stuff.

* Thanks for that link, abarth

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#19

Post by benologist » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:25 AM UTC

jmcqk6 wrote: post #15

Remember, this makes it vitally important that your "delete" links in web apps aren't actually links, but forms. Load up a data grid and boom! All you resources are gone.

If I'm reading the design doc correctly it's only going to be triggered by so it's not by default going to affect anyone.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#20

Post by drivebyacct2 » Sun, Jun 19, 2011, 6:26 AM UTC

dangrossman wrote: post #11

drivebyacct2 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not rendering it (I would image at least), I don't see this as a security concern, do you?

Actually, it is rendering it, in a hidden tab. As far as the site will know, you visited. Last login times get updated, web stats record hits, stuff gets marked as read, etc.

So scripts execute too. Hm, that is a bit surprising. Well, I trust Chrome so much that I don't block scripts and I go to any site that pops up as a google search without any hesitation so I suppose I don't mind.