[mjschultz]

Here is a recent discussion on chromium-dev about the password manager: https://groups.google.com/a/chromium.org/forum/#!searchin/ch...

Evidently, only 0.0085% of users toggle on the "Use a master password"

[columbo]

I think the percentage is interesting, but it adds nothing for either side of the debate (either for or against). I'm not challenging you, I'm talking about the people going back to that number in the thread you posted.

* I don't even know how to setup a master password and have never heard of the option being available in FF or Chrome. I also don't know what it does. Does it replace all password boxes with a master-password that you enter which then pulls down the appropriate password? Is it a keychain?

Saying "X people don't use this feature" could mean anything. It could mean the feature is buried in the system, or that the feature isn't descriptive enough, or that the feature is hard to understand... it doesn't default to being "people clearly don't want that feature".

[*] I could research it, but I'm giving you my current uneducated opinion to make a point.

[jellicle]

What's the problem? All you have do is click on Edit, Preferences, Security, Passwords, Use a Master Password.

Easy as pie.

[itsnotlupus]

Why, that's almost as easy as remembering the new number to dial emergency services!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab8GtuPdrUQ

[Dylan16807]

How about I put it this way:

"All you have to do is go to password settings and click the button"

And you only have to go there once ever.

I think it's usually assumed users can navigate menus, because even if they can't there's not much you can do to help them at this point.

[jamesgeck0]

Users can navigate menus. But given the out-of-the-way location of the "Use a master password" checkbox, what percentage of Firefox's users even know of it's existence? It's likely pretty low.

[anonymous]

> out-of-the-way

It's right there in the security tab. TWO clicks.

1. open preferences

2. click on security

And it's RIGHT THERE. That's about as obvious as I can imagine it.

[rorrr2]

What about in Chrome?

[dombili]

As far as I know there's no such feature on Chrome.

[bostonvaulter2]

Are you sure that's possible in chrome? I don't see it on Chrome Version 27.0.1453.116 m.

[untog]

This is a failure of the browser manufacturers, not the users. I had no idea this was even possible until now- they should surface a feature like this a lot more clearly if they want people to use it.

[jarek]

And yet users have repeatedly flocked to software, including browsers, that "surface" less features.

[pyre]

There is a middle-ground. Something like MS Office's 'Ribbon UI' where they set out to minimize the interface while exposing features that were usually hidden deeply enough that users couldn't find them.