Re: favicons: updated editor's draft [ACTION-276]

I'd like to make clear that I'm all in favor of banning favicons from the
URL bar... I was attempting to say (perhaps not clearly) that for the
explicit cases of tab indicators and bookmarks, I see these as not being
"trust indicator" areas and therefore less problematic. Or did you also have
objections with showing the favicon in these locations? (And in that case,
do we really expect that browser vendors are basically going to totally drop
the favicon? Where would its use still be allowed?)

On 8/10/07, michael.mccormick@wellsfargo.com <
michael.mccormick@wellsfargo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Just because a practice is widespread or site marketers like it doesn't
> mean it's a good idea.
>
> The idea of making favicons a different size from agent-controlled
> indicators is extremely problematic on many levels,  and anyway would
> users really pick up on icon size as a security indicator?  Not an idea
> WSC should promote or even take seriously.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: public-wsc-wg-request@w3.org [mailto:public-wsc-wg-request@w3.org]
> On Behalf Of Mike Beltzner
> Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 11:33 AM
> To: Thomas Roessler
> Cc: WSC WG
> Subject: Re: favicons: updated editor's draft [ACTION-276]
>
>
> On 8-Aug-07, at 10:15 AM, Thomas Roessler wrote:
>
> > Per ACTION-276 from last week's call, I've tried a rewrite of some of
> > the favicons material in the light of the discussion at our last call;
>
> > see:
> >
> >   http://www.w3.org/2006/WSC/drafts/rec/rewrite.html#site-identifying
> >   @@Web Security Context@@
> >   Editor's Draft $Date: 2007/08/08 14:11:27 $
>
> [...]
>
> > Comments are, as always, welcome.
>
> Sorry to not have been on the call last week. I can tell you that the
> NECCESSARY techniques that MUST be implemented by a conforming web user
> agent (as per 7.1.3) are unrealistic in terms of meshing with user
> experience, and are, I think, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
> Specifically the requirement to not show a favicon in the Location Bar.
>
> The favicon has become the visual avatar of a website, allowing for
> brand association, and easing several tasks including scanning through
> bookmarks, history and tabs to ease the task of locating (or
> recalling) a specific entry.
>
> This entire section seems to exist because security indicators presently
> look like favicons, and since the website can simply copy that image and
> make the favicon look like a security indicator, easy spoofing and
> confusion is possible.
>
> Was any consideration given to requiring that security indicators be
> made such that they are not the same size and format as favicons? So, in
> other words, not 16x16 graphics?
>
> cheers,
> mike
>
>
>
>