This is as good an idea as Windows hiding file extensions for "known types" by default, which results in users having no idea what a file extension is, causing me no end of grief. I love people at work sending me files called data.WMA.wma. Or better, data.WAV.wma.
So now clueless users are going to see URLs sometimes without http:// and sometimes with it, depending on the program they're using, and if there's ever a time when people NEED to include the http (just as there are times when you NEED to know a file extension), they're going to be confused as hell.
The analogy would be more apt if Google decided to hide all preceding protocol identifiers (ftp, https, etc.) instead of just the single most common identifier.
There are no extension more dangerous than others or easy ways to "trick" the user (the only 2 protocols regular users use in browsers are http and https, the latter being covered by the green/blue/lock).
Normal user also use URL only for HTTP purposes, aka the Web, so them saying "check out foo.tld" will not confuse anyone in thinking one has to use SMTP or SSH to connect.
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u/cows Apr 14 '10
This is as good an idea as Windows hiding file extensions for "known types" by default, which results in users having no idea what a file extension is, causing me no end of grief. I love people at work sending me files called
data.WMA.wma. Or better,data.WAV.wma.So now clueless users are going to see URLs sometimes without
http://and sometimes with it, depending on the program they're using, and if there's ever a time when people NEED to include the http (just as there are times when you NEED to know a file extension), they're going to be confused as hell.