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Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

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Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#52

Post by mindctrl »

That's fine and dandy until you search for something and the results return something in there randomly and is considered a threat to national security or of interest for you to be watched. Then your browser starts downloading a page you never intend to visit and you get logged as interested in terrorist activity. This is not good news.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#53

Post by dedward »

I would think the security concerns would be front and foremost. When I hit up google for a list of sites, I want a list of sites. Whether my browser visits them or not is up to me - I don't want it happening automatically.

Now, personally, I can turn this off, I know, and I also understand the speed advantage for end user retention. People might say 300ms doesn't matter to them - maybe not consciously - but it certainly DOES matter when it comes to retention. People like faster sites automatically - it's a subconscious thing - very well proven by good studies. (amazon, etc) a 300ms savings on page load is a HUGE win from the site owner point of view.

Give the site owners some kind of passive control over this feature (a-la robots.txt for spiders) so those who are really concerned about bandwidth can opt out (though if you are top ranking for a google search term you probably WANT that traffic - that's money down the drain otherwise) and appropriate controls, and it's a good idea.

In fact, it's an inevitable idea. with it's ups and downs. It's going to happen - so let's roll with it.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#54

Post by mentat »

wozname wrote: post #16

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.

This is a good point. It's not just the "used in a court of law" or "national security" instances where this is dangerous. Corporations don't have to follow any formal legal process. If you're using a proxy or they're otherwise monitoring outbound traffic and you have this feature turned on, it will look like you are visiting inappropriate sites.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#56

Post by dedward »

tga wrote: post #23

I currently disable DNS prefetching and "using web services to improve my browsing experience". This is yet another feature that will go on my black list. First and foremost, I think they are solving a problem nobody has, potentially for "my Chrome is faster than your Firefox" points. I do not mind waiting an extra 300ms for having a modicum of control over what my browser does. I don't know about others, but page lo…

You say you don't mind 300ms in exchange for control over what your browser does. Wearing my technology and privacy conscious security USER hat, I agree completely.

As a webmaster for a site where retention and "stickiness" are critical, I can say without hesitation that those 300ms are potentially HUGE. For the vast majority of the users coming into a site who are unaware of these things, faster page load times make a huge difference in retention and repeat visits. People unconsciously like pages that appear faster. Ask them WHY they like one site over the other, they probably won't say it's the speed, but the stats say otherwise.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#57

Post by dangrossman »

Nogwater wrote: post #55
nazgulnarsil wrote: post #40

so now if I'm even on the same page as a link to a malicious script I'm fucked. If this is implemented I will never start up chrome again.

I doubt Chrome is going to start running the scripts for the pages that it's pre-fetching.

You haven't read the rest of the comments here, including the links to the specs for this feature. The entire page is loaded in a hidden tab and all scripts are executed.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#58

Post by dangrossman »

benologist wrote: post #19
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.

The will be on Google's search result pages instructing Chrome to prerender the most relevant search result. The control is in Google's hands, not the site owner, by default.

Re: Google Makes Web Pages Load Instantly

#59

Post by pasbesoin »

tga wrote: post #32
jarin wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"On November 26, 2008, officials released 700 pages of documents related to the Anthony investigation, which included evidence of Google searches of the terms "neck breaking," "how to make chloroform," and "death" on Casey Anthony's home computer." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Caylee_Anthony It doesn't seem too out of left field that investigators would use your browser history as well.

The searches themselves, already provided by Google, combined with actually continuing to some of the results, also logged by Google, are already incriminating enough. The only thing you could claim is that ISP traffic logs couldn't and wouldn't make a difference between you and Chrome loading pages, but that didn't even come into play in the case you quote.

As per recent news (amongst other things), links/linking are in the process of being criminalized in some contexts. Do you want to hit a page containing a link and become "guilty" for using/following that link, without ever clicking on it?

It may seem far-fetched at the moment, but I'm reminded of that East Coast teacher who was fired because the classroom computer was infected (apparently, not by her actions) and started popping porn up on the screen.

Common sense quickly demonstrated that she was not, in any personal sense, at fault. Still lost her job; was, IIRC correctly, at least considered for criminal prosecution, and had to spend months and probably lots of lawyer fees attempting to clear her name.

I am mindful to be very cautious about assuming a limit to the stupidity or maliciousness of people who will be making assumptions -- or, regardless of their own understanding of a situation, simply have an agenda to push -- in the future.

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