Re: [manifest] Add related_applications and prefer_related_applications. (#344)

@anssiko wrote:
> Do you think you could propose some text to be added to the spec around this feature to address your concern, so that authors would be informed of correct usage?

I think one of my main concerns is eroding user choice. You could take the optimistic view that this will help rid the web of door-slam advertisements for web-alternative apps, and that in order to use this feature developers must also add a web app manifest to their web site, thereby helping increase manifest usage. But these benefits are negated if the user agent then parses the boolean prefer_related_applications property and decides to show the user only an alternative application, not the web application.

A UX designer of a user agent which implements the specification may reasonably conclude that offering the user a choice would be confusing, so design a UI which only offers the option preferred by the developer. A side effect of this would be the gradual fragmentation of the web, without users even realising that they're not actually using the web, but a parallel web-alternative system.

Without the related_applications property users have the choice whether to install the web app from the browser, or to go to an app store to install a non-web alternative. With the property, the choice may be put in the hands of the app developer who can force them to use the version of the app which gives them the highest financial return.

I'm not sure what changes to the wording could help prevent this from happening?

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