[TODO] Undo option

[halcyon1234]

Would like an undo option. More than once, I click on NoScript, do something. Then the menu changes shape (because, for example, I've allowed a site).

Because of the change of menu shape, the "Recently blocked sites" submenu opens. It registers a click (using a touchpad, so that happens).

Result: a site I want blocked is now suddenly "allowed", and I have no idea which site it was, since the menu flashes and goes away.

I would really like an "Undo", preferably in the NoScript menu, below Options, above Allow Globally. It will undo whatever the last action is. I don't think multiple levels of undo are needed. Just enough to put that site back on the blacklist.

[Thrawn]

I don't think I follow you. How does a touchpad cause extra clicks?

[Tom T.]

I don't think I follow you. How does a touchpad cause extra clicks?

Many laptop touchpads have a "tap to click" option. Tapping the touchpad on a clickable item acts as a left-click would.
This was the default option on both of my laptops. It's extremely annoying -- dangerous, actually -- causing accidental clicks as the OP noted. So I disabled it very quickly out-of-the-box on each.


@ halcyon1234: Does your machine have left- and right-click buttons? If so, you can probably disable tap-to-click from Control Panel > Mouse settings.

"Recently Blocked" includes choice to "Temporarily Allow", so clicking "Revoke Temporary Permissions" would fix that mistake.
Else, check your whitelist for any unintended entries. It's alphabetized at the top and bottom. Keeping the whitelist short helps locate such unintended (or forgotten) entries. Highlight the undesired entry and click "Remove Selected Sites" > OK.

[halcyon1234]

What was mentioned: laptop touchpad has tap to click. The "recently blocked" menu shows up. I tap the touchpad-- either to click something else, or to move the mouse and cause an accidental click-- and a site that I want blocked is now allowed.

I have no way of knowing if it was temporary or permanent. While the solutions given are workarounds, they are quite inconvenient, especially given the possibility of a simple undo.

- Revoke temporary: assuming it was temporary (again, the menu shows up and steals a click so fast I don't even know what was clicked), it also revokes all the temporary permissions I've given this session. Mild inconvenience, but still allowing.

- Check the whitelist: I have a significant number there. Possible a couple hundred. It isn't realistic to browse through the list each time this happens (which is about once or twice a week, at least). It'd be less painful if there was a "sort by date added" option so I can see the most recent. Still a workaround instead of a solution, though.

For the record: I'm feature suggesting instead of complaining. I love NoScript, and this is just a minor annoyance (though a possible security issue, depending on which site got accidentally allowed), and I think an Undo option would be a benefit to the overall user experience-- not just in this situation but for anyone in a multitude of "accidental" situations.

[Tom T.]

Again, can you disable tap-to-click? There can be unintentional clicks completely unrelated to NoScript, like clicking to purchase an item, clicking a malware link on a page or e-mail, etc. If you can disable it, I would strongly recommend doing so.

I'll ask Giorgio to look at your request for "Undo last action" in NS Menu.

[Giorgio Maone]

Thanks for your RFE. Putting it in my low-priority TODO list.

[Thrawn]

Many laptop touchpads have a "tap to click" option. Tapping the touchpad on a clickable item acts as a left-click would.
This was the default option on both of my laptops. It's extremely annoying -- dangerous, actually -- causing accidental clicks as the OP noted. So I disabled it very quickly out-of-the-box on each.

Ah, my laptop has that too, and I likewise disabled it at the first opportunity. I particularly found that it caused false positives when dragging windows over short distances; maybe I should micromanage less .

@halcyon: As well as disabling tap-to-click, if your 'mouse' is a touchpad, it may be worth looking into the keyboard shortcuts available (they are configurable).

[Tom T.]

I love NoScript, and this is just a minor annoyance (though a possible security issue, depending on which site got accidentally allowed), and I think an Undo option would be a benefit to the overall user experience-- not just in this situation but for anyone in a multitude of "accidental" situations.

]
It may well be too late. As soon as you allow or temp-allow the malicious script or site, the damage may already be done. Undoing the permission would not undo whatever damage is done. Same with accidental click on malicious link, etc.

So although you got your RFE on the low-priority TODO list, I still urge you to disable tap-to-click. and/or explore keyboard shortcuts as Thrawn suggested.

[halcyon1234]

So although you got your RFE on the low-priority TODO list, I still urge you to disable tap-to-click. and/or explore keyboard shortcuts as Thrawn suggested.

First, I won't be disabling tap-to-click. It's how I've used touchpad laptops for years. Retraining everything I know and have learned about mouse input is not really a valid request.

The harm may be done, but it may not be. First, I haven't exited the menu, so the page(s) haven't refreshed. Second, the recently blocked almost always seem to be pages other than the one I'm currently navigating on.

BTW: A bit more insight on how this happens. Suppose I'm on a page with a long URL I want to whitelist, and a short URL, too. I click on Allow the long URL. I go to click on the short URL. There is a small delay in the UI refreshing between allowing the first and second. The menu becomes shorter, and narrower.

When it becomes shorter, what was once hovering over a Allow... is now hovering over the Recently Blocked. When it becomes narrower, what was once hovering over Allow... is now hovering in the Recently Blocked menu. And because of the UI refresh delay (may even be 1 second or more), there's no real way of knowing if this will happen.

I'll look into the keyboard shortcuts, but there's very few I use in the browser-- if only because between other plugins and Firefox constantly re-arranging or stealing shortcuts, I've found that shortcuts I get used to tend to vanish overnight. (Case in point, ctrl shift A used to be the shortcut to activate the awesome Select and Element To Hide feature of Adblock Plus Element Hiding Helper)

[Tom T.]

First, I won't be disabling tap-to-click. It's how I've used touchpad laptops for years. Retraining everything I know and have learned about mouse input is not really a valid request.

Very well, then; it's your choice. But then you must accept the consequences of the unintentional clicks that you acknowledge this causes, not just in NS, but all across the Web. I'll still try to offer some additional safety.

The harm may be done, but it may not be. First, I haven't exited the menu, so the page(s) haven't refreshed.

That does help, but here's an even safer idea.
Go to NoScript > Options > General, and uncheck "Automatically reload affected pages when permissions change". > OK.
Now you have a chance to see the new, modified, menu and permissions before you click to refresh the page.
Yes, a bit more inconvenience, but it does provide a saving grace for those unintended clicks -- a chance to undo them.

If it's the dynamic behavior of the menu, changing shape with each click, that bothers you, you might wish to add the change of going to about:config, and toggling
noscript.stickyUI to False.
This means that after you make any permissions change, the menu will retract completely. The page does not reload because of our previous configuration change, so you can reopen the menu and observe its changes in shape before carefully clicking any further changes.

Second, the recently blocked almost always seem to be pages other than the one I'm currently navigating on.

Which does not mean that they couldn't theoretically be malicious, or at least, privacy-invasive. NoScript blocked them for a reason --- to give you a chance to observe and decide.

I hope the above ideas are useful in addressing the specific issues you described in the rest of the post.

[halcyon1234]

I'll try noscript.stickyUI, that does sound like an idea way to use it. There's only a few times I ever need to whitelist more than one site at a time.

Usually its whitelist, reload-- more scripts get loaded from the first script. Whitelist, reload--- repeat 5 more times, then I'm finally able to click a hyperlink whose only purpose is document.location=this.attributes.href =(

[Tom T.]

Usually its whitelist, reload-- more scripts get loaded from the first script. Whitelist, reload--- repeat 5 more times, then I'm finally able to click a hyperlink whose only purpose is document.location=this.attributes.href =(

I know what you mean. I had to write a sticky post explaining to many users why the repeated reloads are necessary: because of exactly the kind of garbage you described.

Hope the not-stickyUI works out for you.
Cheers,
Tom