The people behind the Chrome browser are investigating ways to replace the URL for site identity.
Are URLs a good way to understand site identity? Google’s Chrome browser team doesn’t think so, according to an article published today by WIRED.
Adrienne Porter Felt, Chrome’s engineering Manager, told the publication:
People have a really hard time understanding URLs. They’re hard to read, it’s hard to know which part of them is supposed to be trusted, and in general I don’t think URLs are working as a good way to convey site identity. So we want to move toward a place where web identity is understandable by everyone—they know who they’re talking to when they’re using a website and they can reason about whether they can trust them. But this will mean big changes in how and when Chrome displays URLs. We want to challenge how URLs should be displayed and question it as we’re figuring out the right way to convey identity.
At the same time, Parisa Tabriz, director of engineering at Chrome, said they don’t know what this will look like. But Tabriz said that whatever is proposed will be controversial. “But it’s important we do something, because everyone is unsatisfied by URLs. They kind of suck.”
Some browsers have tried to replace the URL in the past, and those efforts have been unsatisfying. The key thing is to be able to trust the site and content you are viewing. Seeing the URL helps. That’s not to say the site identity in the browser can’t be different than a URL, but you can learn a lot by viewing the full URL of a page. Some previous efforts are akin to just showing a site name, which can be spoofed or copied.
“because everyone is unsatisfied by URLs. They kind of suck” Google wants to control the access and distribtion channels thats why… I will be going back to firefox at that point but good luck with that uphill technical approach to information distribution and brand access.
Yep. Google wants to control entire ecosystem, and when it cant it will cheat and change rules to favor itself.
I’m using the Opera browser which is the fastest and most stable on the market IMO. They highlight the pure domain in the address bar in white or green and everything else like subdomains, and everything behind the slash is in light grey. I think that is a good approach. Whatever Google is thinking about… we’ll see
They highlight/bold the domain in the address bar and everything else like subdomains, and everything behind the slash is in light grey.
Right on. got to be careful , but if you pay attention it s simple to understand DNS.
As for Google, i got more interesting stuffs for them.. http://z.quebec/from-nsa-to-google/
Most in-app browsers (LinkedIn, Facebook etc) already mask most of the URL AND extension, which in turn makes it increasingly difficult to copy/share the URL and revisit the URL during that same session.
URLs are not just for the current reader. If that reader wants to share, they need a fast and easy address to share it with people.
Google is trying “Plus Codes” and “Short Codes” with Google Maps, which is interesting and could work there but that requires you to know the code to find a particular location.
Seeing the URL is only a part of this problem. Providing a clear and easy path to navigating back to that URL is the other part.
URLs are the backbone of everything on the internet from APIs to valuable domain names. It will be interesting to see what they do here but I think they are trying to replace an address with a better address that a URL.
>”I think they are trying to replace an address with a better address that a URL”
I’m at a loss as to how to respond to that without saying something unpleasant. There’s no way to beat around the bush – you appear to be unbelievably naive and uninformed about what’s really been going on all these years. This is just another step.
Good luck with that. People are getting sick of using Gmail. It kind of sucks because it makes you look like a college kid or a robot minion in Google’s ecosystem. The only way around that is by getting an email address on (wait for it) a domain name. Maybe Google could do a better job featuring the URL so people know they’ve found the right site? If google Apple Microsoft and Facebook all got together they might marginalize names but then Verisign might not like that. And the Internet would look like AOL – and what about Country code names? The Internet is bigger than Google.
Bad omen. Raising the question, alone, puts the domain name aftermarket in peril.
Hello Andrew,
This is yet another assault on an inescapable truth in Online marketing. There is a coming Competitive Storm, on a Global basis. To prepare for this storm, there is an imperative Strategic Catalyst, You as a competitor need to understand! Again You absolutely need to grasp our statement here. To win, you absolutely must have control of the (.COM Equimoditty Platform Asset Traffic edge). (.COM Equimoditty Platform Assets) in Strategic Online Marketing embody the ONLY Proven Universal Gateways to the largest Traffic Platforms Globally. Again the Key to Massive Online Penetration of Global Markets is NOT Google SEM, but (.COM Equimoditty Platform Assets). If you grasp this CONCEPT, you will be amongst the futures leaders. JAS 9/4/18
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Intelligence Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master) http://www.UseBiz.com
Thank you Andrew
Hello Andrew,
This is a Classic Slaves revolt in resistance to their masters,total control, by Googles Minions. Google amassed close to a trillion $ by harnessing the Massive Market Control of (.COM equimoditty Platform Asset Owners.) Traffic Streams.
From day one Google has Stolen and used (.COM equimoditty Platform Asset Owners.) Traffic within its SEM Platform. So who is the master?? JAS 9/4/18
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Intelligence Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master) http://www.UseBiz.com
Sounds like RealNames circa 2000
Yes, G continuing to be the #1 enemy of domain names and 8 million ton monopoly…
Not long ago it was easy to watch this without having to join “CBS All Access,” whatever that is. Wonder why (not).
“How did Google get so big?”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-did-google-get-so-big/
The 60 Minutes segment is well worth watching if you can. But there is also much more to the story than that.
One always wonders when an incredibly successful company like Google will finally do something mega self-destructive, open the door to their successor and fall upon their own sword. Drum roll, please.
Hello David,
You are hitting the sweet spot with your intuitive thought here. It is as if Google who lived by the (.COM Equimoditty Platform Assets) Traffic Eco-system will now try to rebel against the very system they milked for traffic to get to where they are at. EVIL ! Thank you David for your astute observation. JAS
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Intelligence Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master) http://www.UseBiz.com
Hello Andrew,
The Strategy behind this propoganda piece is to wrestle control of the entire Domain name systems traffic and leave Google with even more monopolistic control. Once Google Ad users figure out googles strategic plan to separate (.COM Equimoditty Platform Asset Owners of their .COM BRAND, there will be REVOLT. JAS 9/4/18
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Intelligence Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master) http://www.UseBiz.com
The Greed of Google!!
If you do a Google search on IOS they will display Google in the url line with an embedded cookie that routes to the site. On the right there’s a symbol that looks like a link.. you need to click on that to see the real url then click on the url to change the domain displayed in the browser. I wonder if this is click fraud when they do this for sponsored results. For example if someone bookmarks the site the next time they return creates another click. If you cut and paste it into social media to share everyone who clicks creates revenue for Google.
Sorry, Google thinks your baby’s domain name kind of sucks:
https://nypost.com/2018/08/16/first-comes-baby-then-comes-babys-personalized-domain-name/
Ahhh $25 million for .app kinda sucks also
Hello Andrew,
Once Google Ad users figure out googles strategic plan to separate (.COM Equimoditty Platform Asset Owners of their .COM BRAND, there will be REVOLT. JAS 9/4/18
Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (Contact Group) (Metal Tiger) (Former Rockefeller IBEC Marketing Intelligence Analyst/Strategist) (Licensed CBOE Commodity Hedge Strategist) (Domain Master) http://www.UseBiz.com
I’m reading this as they want to kill the url as opposed to the domain. This could be very good news for domains. This would put the domain front-and-center at the browser. They already attempted this I think.
Google is Evil, but just in case this is the first time they are not going to be Evil, there is something here that they can actually make better. If they simply highlight the domain name in the URL it would help weed out the scammers that put domains names in subdomains to try to trick people into thinking they are on a different website.
So, area man coins a name, registers the intuitive domain for .99 cents, and thereby sidesteps the crushing small business costs of differentiating himself with authenticity widgets, SEO payouts, defending his trademark in law globally, etc.
‘This shall not stand! We need to monetize alla that!’
Get back, Google. Your bush-league, faux-naïf press verbiage is vulgah.
“everyone is unsatisfied by URLs. They kind of suck.”
Ask 10 people on the street what a URL is . .. . ask the same 10 what a domain name is. . . . The fact that they use URL shows how caught up they are in their own engineering bubbles . . . .
Everyone ? NOBODY even uses the acronym URL guys. So yea “they” kinda suck
Everyone? Hundreds of millions of registered domain names. BILLLIONS of ad dollars spent on advertising domains.
Let’s do away with phone numbers and email addresses too. They’re very unsatisfying to me
You’re right that URLs are different from domains, which is why I think they used the term. A URL can be long and messy.