[StuffMaster]

>The 'http:// URL prefix is now hidden by default

This can be changed back with browser.urlbar.trimURLs in about:config. They should've provided an option for it.

[sambe]

No, they really shouldn't. If you care, you already know about about:prefs.

[nitrogen]

This is one example of a devastatingly common category of assumptions. Never assume that the set of people who care about something is the same as the set of people who know how to fix it. Similarly, distrust statements of the form, "Anyone who is/does/has X already knows about Y."

I myself have been bitten by this assumption when I discovered a new subject for study (e.g. math, entity formation, physics, a new programming language, etc.), but found most of the web pages related to the subject assumed that all those interested in the subject were already fully knowledgeable about it.

[irq]

Note that if you copy/paste the contents of the URL box, the pasted text includes http:// or https:// or whatever was relevant.

[dave1010uk]

I've had problems with this using the X buffer copy / paste on Ubuntu. It also makes copying just parts on the URL less intuitive.

Personally I don't see the benefit of removing the "http://. If this trend continues we may end up with something similar to AOL Keywords.

[thebigshane]

I don't want to install FF7 to test this, but how can a user switch from a http to https version of a site? Can a user still type the URL prefix to override what is hidden?

[bhassel]

Yeah, I just tried it, and apparently typing a protocol in front replaces the hidden 'http://.

As long as you can assume that the protocol is always http:// when hidden, I think I'm ok with this.