14 DAY TRIAL // Announced earlier this year and finally launched last month, Mozilla's Firefox Test Pilot program is kicking off with its first actual test. The study doesn't seem too glamorous, but covers one of the most important and basic elements of a modern browser, the navigational tabs. The idea is to collect data on typical user behavior relating to opening new tabs and closing them.
“You will help us determine the best default behavior when you open or close a tab, especially when you may already have many tabs open. When you interact with tabs, Test Pilot will automatically record what you do (open/close/switch, etc.) and when you do it (time-stamp). (It will not record which websites you visit.),” the announcement on the Mozilla Labs blog reads. “Through these log data, we may be able to detect certain patterns that help us design the default browser behavior that works best for most users.”
The test itself will only focus on tab behavior, but will include other data, like what add-ons users have installed in order to distinguish between those with a standard install and the ones that may have certain add-ons that may affect tab behavior and how they interact with them. The main problem Mozilla is trying to throw some light on is how to manage and improve the user experience when a large number of tabs is opened.
Participating in the study couldn't be more simple, and all users have to do is upgrade the Test Pilot add-on if they have it installed (it should update automatically using standard settings), or installing it if they haven't done so yet. From then on, all users have to do is continue their normal Internet browsing and the add-on will record their behavior. No personal data will be recorded, like what sites the users visit or any data related to their identity.
The test will run in the background for seven days, after which the users will be asked if they want to submit the data collected. If they decline, it will be stored for an additional seven days, after which it will be erased from their computers. Users can also opt out at any point during the test.
The Test Pilot add-on for Firefox is available for download here.