So the browser as an integrated media playback system is an edge case? Are you serious? Media control keys support for software that claims media playback as one of its main features is hyper-specific? I mean if it's so rare, then why did Google decide to implement it? And why do other FF users not run into this? I'll tell you. Because there are virtually no FF users anymore. They don't even install it.
And btw. thanks for the media keys recommendation. From the extension's description page, literally the first thing that comes up when you look at it:
1. The browser window must be active for media keys to be detected due to a Firefox limitation.
2. Only Play/Pause is supported due to a Firefox bug.
3. Pinned tabs get priority over all other tabs when pressing a media key.
4. macOS is not supported due to Firefox bug.
It's literally mentioning three FF bugs preventing you from building something useful with it on its front page. Meanwhile, that feature should have been something that doesn't require an extension on any supported platform in the first place.
None of these bugs/limitations are present in any Webkit/Chromium based browser I tested so far on macOS.
I won't even get into other unrelated "curiosities" here, like the order of DOM mutation events being wrong when debugging, but correct when the debugger is not attached in FF.
Hey no need to twist words - I think the use of bluetooth controls for desktop browser media playback is an edgecase. On windows at least, most people use the website directly, not via media buttons - I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone use the buttons like that, chrome user or not. Still, it's a nice feature - sure! Shame the extension doesn't work.
As to a feature being something that should not have required an extension in the first place - I don't agree with this. It's not just that the feature may or may not be attractive to a small slice of users, it's that we're quibbling not over the functionality, but over how it's delivered. Not every project needs to increase its scope to cover every possible use-case, even if they're valuable; that's kind of the point of add-ons.
As to mutation events - https://caniuse.com/#feat=mutation-events that's deprecated, so not exactly surprising to see a stagnant debugging support. Or perhaps you meant its replacement https://caniuse.com/#feat=mutationobserver? Is this an issue of insufficient backwards compatibility (event's replacing observers are around 8 years old), or an issue in the newer api?
In any case; I'm not begrudging you personal bad experience with FF - it's your experience after all. But as you say, it's a shame there isn't more competition and diversity; so I'm curious as to what the root cause is for it's lack of competitiveness.
As a fun exercise, if you want to, type "media keys" in Google and look at the autosuggestions coming up :) Must be an edge case also.
I was talking about MutationObserver. I didn't have the urge to self-injure even more, so I didn't dive deeper into why FF is buggy there as well. I accepted it and moved on. By now, I am sure you will be able to find a way of arguing for FF regardless how buggy it is, so peace out bro – let's not spin this further :)
Just one last opinion: As to the root cause for its lack of competitiveness: My opinion is, as you may have guessed, that FF's codebase is pretty rotten and their product ownership is incapable of prioritizing correctly, both tactically and strategically. But of course, I won't be able to prove that. And you won't be able to disprove it. So let's leave it there.
FF's global desktop market share is at 8.6% [1] as we speak. Safari (macOS) is about to overtake it. When looking at global browser market share overall, it's at about 4.2% [2]. Safari has now double the market share of FF.
And btw. thanks for the media keys recommendation. From the extension's description page, literally the first thing that comes up when you look at it:
1. The browser window must be active for media keys to be detected due to a Firefox limitation.
2. Only Play/Pause is supported due to a Firefox bug.
3. Pinned tabs get priority over all other tabs when pressing a media key.
4. macOS is not supported due to Firefox bug.
It's literally mentioning three FF bugs preventing you from building something useful with it on its front page. Meanwhile, that feature should have been something that doesn't require an extension on any supported platform in the first place.
None of these bugs/limitations are present in any Webkit/Chromium based browser I tested so far on macOS.
I won't even get into other unrelated "curiosities" here, like the order of DOM mutation events being wrong when debugging, but correct when the debugger is not attached in FF.