news.volyx.in

Firefox tooltip bug fixed after 22 years (bugzilla.mozilla.org)

966 points by MallocVoidstar · 1049 days ago · 337 comments on HN

Article summary

A 22-year-old bug in Firefox has been fixed, where tooltips would persist in the foreground even when the browser was in the background. The bug was relatively low-severity but had many duplicates and votes. It was not limited to a specific operating system and was also seen in other applications. The fix has been implemented and verified to work in the latest Nightly version.

Main themes

  • Firefox bug fix
  • GUI event handling
  • Tooltip behavior
  • Browser quirks
  • Operating system comparisons
  • User experience

What commenters say

  • The bug was not universally experienced and some users had never seen it, suggesting it may be dependent on specific workflows or environments.
  • The issue is not unique to Firefox and has been seen in other applications and operating systems, including Chrome and Windows.
  • Some users had developed workarounds or learned to live with the bug, but are glad to see it fixed.
  • The bug's persistence for 22 years is surprising given its relatively low severity, but may be due to its intermittent nature and lack of clear reproducibility.
  • The fix is a welcome improvement, but some users are skeptical about its impact or think it's not a significant issue.
  • The discussion highlights the complexities of GUI event handling and the challenges of ensuring seamless user interaction across different applications and systems.