RE: Default value of "preload" attribute

Robert O'Callahan wrote:
>
> I actually think that leaving the missing value default
> up to the UA is a mistake. The difference between "auto"
> and "metadata" for user experience is often going to be
> significant. I wonder if other implementors actually want
> their missing value default to be "auto"?
>
> One more thing ... the resource fetch algorithm says that
> when preload="metadata" UAs should stop loading after the
> first frame (HAVE_CURRENT_DATA). Shouldn't that value be
> named "firstframe" (or something else) then? It's pretty
> confusing to have preload="metadata" not stop after the
> metadata has loaded.

FWIW, a default value of metadata (and/or I prefer Rob's suggestion of 
firstframe) would be the better default setting.  Videos and other audio 
media that auto-starts will conflict with screen reading software, which 
also auto-starts on page load, informing non-sighted users of the <title> of 
the document, and then (usually) continuing to read the balance of the page.

Auto-start can also be intrusive in environments when unexpected sounds 
could also be sub-optimal (we've likely all experienced, or know someone who 
has experienced, a colleague or office member who's cube erupts in non-work 
related audio due to unexpected auto-start).  We can't force authors to NOT 
invoke auto-start, but I believe it should be discouraged, and setting 
metadata/firstframe as a default value could help encourage this best 
practice.

JF

Received on Thursday, 25 March 2010 07:40:51 UTC