Re: [w3c/permissions] Semantic Permission Bundles (#191)

I see arguments here for _prompt_ bundling, not necessarily _permission_ bundling.

> A good candidate for such a semantic permissions bundle would be a videoconferencing permission, consisting of camera, microphone, and notifications. I see so many apps in the VC space request those permissions separately

I think you mean you see separate prompts, because sites don't request _permission_ to camera and microphone, they request _camera and microphone_. The prompt-on-use mental model is the antithesis to up-front bundling, and generally better.

Camera and microphone requests can already be bundled in [getUserMedia](https://w3c.github.io/mediacapture-main/getusermedia.html#dom-mediastreamconstraints).

I think we need to be careful about separating UX from API, and not have the former drive the latter. Specifically, we should first examine whether user agents can solve prompt bundling without requiring changes in API or model. For instance:
```js
const [stream, permission] = await Promise.all([
  navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({video: true, audio: true}),
  Notification.requestPermission()
]);
```
...seems a detectable pattern to any user agent that wishes to experiment with prompt bundling today, even calling it _"video conferencing"_ if they think this is a good idea. [Backward and forward compatible even](https://jan-ivar.github.io/dummy/gum_and_notification.html)!

But even before that, we should ask whether prompt bundling is a good thing in the first place. We already know most people don't read prompts, and that the rate drops the more text is in them. So any bundling here would result in notifications piggybacking on camera and microphone in practice for many users.

Another, perhaps more intuitive solution to the double-prompt problem is to push back on sites' perceived need to request notification permission upfront in the first place. It's a bad time to ask the user who is merely trying to get into the room (maybe a few minutes late even!)

They only care about notifications later when e.g. someone pings them in chat. That's arguably the most relevant time to ask the user permission. If the web platform is pushing sites to ask early, we should perhaps address that instead?

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Received on Friday, 4 February 2022 17:18:27 UTC