Comment #8 on issue 19879 by garyjefferson123: Collect data on  
replace-versus-edit in address bar
http://code.google.com/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=19879


> I think the right UMA stat to collect would be "how many navigations
> [triggered by the address bar] happen after replacing all the text in the
> address bar, how many happen after creating a new tab (== blank address
> bar), and how many happen total" (with "number of edits" being the
> remaining amount in the sum).

Let's just assume this is the right thing to do, and that by collecting  
these stats
you will find out the True Answer.

Let's also assume that since this is the right thing for Chromium, it is  
also the
right thing for all other apps.  And, in fact, for all the text-like fields  
within a
single app -- everyone should be collecting these stats for each field and  
figuring
out what the "right" default behavior is on a case-by-case basis, based on  
most
common use case.

Now, let's suppose that for 50% of those fields, the right thing was "place  
cursor,"
for 40% the right thing was "highlight-and-replace all text," and for the  
other 10%
the right thing was 5 different other things (highlight current word,  
delete only the
word under the cursor, insert 5 letter 'M's, whatever).

Do you see where I'm going with this? You'd end up with complete  
balkanization of the
UI. A user would *never* know what was going to happen when they clicked in  
a text-
like field, and would *never* be able to remember which field in which app  
behaved
which way.

Principle of Least Surprise. Disregard it to your apps peril. I'm not sure  
if Windows
UIs are already so balkanized that this doesn't bother their users, but on  
Mac and
Linux, it sticks out like a sore thumb.

Why do you think Chromium is so special in this regard, that you want to  
try so hard
to find some way to break conventions, infuriate users, and break things  
like
PRIMARY?

I don't think @2 and @3 were piping up because they wanted to express "but  
I like it
THIS way," but because they wanted to point out that your approach is  
fundamentally
flawed.

I vote to close this bug as wontfix.

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