Re: media.libreplanet.org non-requested confusing auto download issue

[Jean Louis]

* Miroslav Rovis <miro.rovis@croatiafidelis.hr> [2021-05-04 19:58]:
> Hi!
> 
> I've tried to find out who the webmasters are on the related
> main page and around with no success, so I'm asking about it
> here.

> Among other pages I browsed, I visited this one, where the
> non-requested bandwidth-consuming download occurred:
> https://media.libreplanet.org/u/libreplanet/m/locking-the-web-open-a-decentralized-web-that-can-operate-as-free-software-does/
> The page appears to have automatically made my browser
> (Moonchild Productions Pale Moon 29.2.0) start downloading a
> 713M webm file. The file is:
> grandsun1715-grandsun1715.webm (as I've _later_ downloaded
> it to watch it),
> and it gets downloaded from the link on the page under:

This is because their webmaster have designated all video links to
automatically preload:

preload="auto"

instead it should be:

preload="none" or
preload="metadata" to get only some basic information of video

and they should use poster option to let the user see only a
screenshot from video.

The problem is that people working on those websites usually have
enough money and very good Internet and they assume that all of the
planet is the same, somehow funny when conference is planet related. 

In many countries people pay good amounts for data, and often Internet
is not fast, it could take many hours to load such video.

It is great when each video or resource to be downloaded is described
to user to tell what is the length of video and what is the download
size, so that user can decide if to watch or not. Multiple download
links can be offered with smaller sizes as well.

> It's probably the Javascript that the page calls, and it's
> probably non-intentional. Bug likely in the page and its
> software, as this does not happen to me on other video
> hosting pages with this browser.

IMHO, its the bad choice of their web design as they don't consider
users' troubles. And finally, preloading video assumes that user
really wants to play it, it is anyway bad choice, better is letting
user click on video to play it.

This is the accused snippet:

  <video controls
         preload="auto" class="video-js vjs-default-skin"
         data-setup='{"height": 720,
                     "width": 1280 }'>
    <source src="/mgoblin_media/media_entries/2335/grandsun1715.webm"

            type="video/webm; codecs=&#34;vp8, vorbis&#34;"
            />
    <div class="no_html5">Sorry, this video will not work because
      your web browser does not support HTML5
      video.<br/>We recommend you install a <a 
href="https://libreplanet.org/wiki/Libre_Browsers_Lib
                                                     
+re_Formats">freedom-respecting browser which supports free formats</a>!</div>
  </video>

If you have some extension in the browser, you may protect yourself. 
KB

In Firefox-based browsers, it is possible to change the behavior by
  going to Preferences ↝ Privacy & Security ↝ Permissions ↝ Autoplay
  and then blocking both audio and video.

I think it is possible to block it also in the browser bar where is
the protection icon, but I did not find option on my side.

Summary:

- MediaGoblin should provide poster video option, but it does not;

- it loads video by autoplay, that impacts users, sometimes not
  pleasantly, as user gets feeling to lose control over the browsing experience;

- defense options are available;

- MediaGoblin or webmasters should not impose auto preloading;


Jean

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