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Google yesterday announced a new feature in the latest update to its Chrome browser that aims to make the progressive loading of web pages less jumpy and annoying.

The idea behind progressive loading is to allow users to begin consuming web content immediately before the page has fully loaded, but the offscreen loading of pictures and so on can cause unexpected page jumps and push down what's already on screen, making for a frustrating experience, especially on mobile devices. Google's answer to this problem is something called Scroll Anchoring.
Similar to other features designed to protect our users from bad experiences, starting in version 56 Chrome prevents these unexpected page jumps with a new feature called scroll anchoring. This feature works by locking the scroll position on an on-screen element to keep our users in the same spot even as offscreen content continues to load.

Google claims scroll anchoring is already preventing about three page jumps per page-view, but says it understands there might be some content for which scroll anchoring is either unwanted or misbehaving. For this reason, the feature ships alongside a CSS property to override it.

While the focus of this feature is on mobile, scroll anchoring is actually also on by default on Chrome for Mac. Meanwhile, Google is encouraging web developers to participate in a community group to discuss the feature's functionality, offer feedback, and learn how to design websites or services "with a no-reflow mindset".

Google Chrome is available to download for free on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Chrome Browser Gains 'Scroll Anchoring' to Prevent Annoying Web Page Jumps
 
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What an amazin idea to release CSS properties from nowhere.
This is exactly how IE became terrible.
 
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The whole idea of page jumping is to get a user to accidentally click a link.
This is an old trick we've been using for years to generate ad revenue. In fact most apps use this trick. You go to open a feature or play a game and boom, an ad appears and you clicked a link.
 
The whole idea of page jumping is to get a user to accidentally click a link.
This is an old trick we've been using for years to generate ad revenue. In fact most apps use this trick. You go to open a feature or play a game and boom, an ad appears and you clicked a link.

It does seem to be on some sites.
 
That annoying page-jumping happens with Safari sometimes as well, for me anyway.
It happens a lot. Apple should participate in that community group and maybe learn something. I still don't get why two finger swipe to go back or forward is so much faster on Chrome than on Safari on my MacBook Pro.
 
The whole idea of page jumping is to get a user to accidentally click a link.
This is an old trick we've been using for years to generate ad revenue. In fact most apps use this trick. You go to open a feature or play a game and boom, an ad appears and you clicked a link.
The Weather Channel app does this. I figured it was intentional to generate clicks.
 
What an amazin idea to release CSS properties from nowhere.
This is exactly how IE became terrible.

Well, there is almost certainly a difference in intent here. Microsoft literally wanted to make the web proprietary to themselves (like they wanted to with their version of Java etc..) to lock everyone in.

I don't think Google is trying to do that. However point is well taken, the more of this stuff there is the harder it is for developers to build stuff the main browsers can use.
 
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Another feature to suck your battery.
Chrome on iOS uses the Safari rendering engine. It doesn't "suck you're battery" any more than Safari itself does.

Please grow up. If Safari introduced this feature, you'd swoon.
 
When I used the Google Pixel phone, this was the most annoying thing about Chrome - the page jumped ALL OVER while I was trying to read. It happens to a much lesser extent on my iPad/iPhone but still happens. Would be nice to lock my view on the text I'm reading and not let loading content (usually ad spam) make me lose focus. Those full page ads asking me to give them my email get me so mad and I used Netzero back in the dialup days so I know forced ads.

So, I do what I can. If a page disrupts me by doing a full screen ad? I close it as quickly as possible. What I know about Google SEO, that should hurt their search standings. At least I hope it does.

Ads continue to get worse. I used to use adblockers but now every site begs, demands, requires whitelisting. And I like to think people that work deserve their $.
 
God yes. There's nothing worse than seen your content on screen jump around like a rabbit on crack because stuff (usually images) are loading off-screen.
Yes, especially when you go to touch on something then as it jumps touch an ad instead.
 
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