Since Google’s move to enable users to hide the URL bar, we have seen what could be the beginning of the end of one of the key features of the web browser. Mozilla has its own thoughts, but there is little doubt that Mozilla is reconsidering the purpose of the URL bar in future versions of its browsers.

We have been pretty outspoken about our notion that the GUI of web browsers is about to change, much more than the reduction of elements that transformed browsers in 2010 and 2011. It is a fairly open discussion at this point and we believe that there is a chance that the traditional visualization tool for Internet content will evolve to reflects the commoditization of a technology that was once a playground for geeks.

We have take a closer look at Mozilla’s efforts and noticed that the company that should be credited with keeping the browser an interesting application field that goes far beyond the simple display of text and pictures, has had thoughts about the elimination of the URL bar for some time and is engaging in a much more lively discussion that now suggests that Mozilla is openly questioning the purpose of the URL bar.

 

Mozilla will, for example, drop the URL bar by default for app tabs, according to a Firefox feature description. Much more interesting is, however, a guest post on the Mozilla Labs blog – which was provided by a Mozilla Labs community member and not Mozilla itself. However, the post on Mozilla Labs’ site indicates that a reconsideration of the browser interface design. The post examines a possible approach to design a web browser from scratch, without “debris.” Author David Regev, who developed the concept of the experimental Firefox Ubiquitous extension, flat out suggests the replacement of the URL bar (location bar) as it is focused on just one command, wastes space and is “unreadable” for the average user. In a post published today, Regev writes:

“The location bar has to go. It has many problems. For one, it’s always visible and constantly takes up a large amount of space. Secondly, it’s hard to read, since people don’t really understand URLs. Moreover, it’s modal: it has a mode for displaying the current page’s location and a mode for entering your next destination. It’s not always immediately obvious which mode you’re in and what the current text is indicating, and switching modes is not easy either. Finally, the destination-entering mode is merely an example of running one command, and we already have a better interface for running commands: Ubiquity. We need to separate the location bar’s two modes and remove the location bar as we know it.”

It is important to note that Regev’s opinion does not necessarily reflect Mozilla’s opinion. However, his post was published on Mozilla Labs’ site with the purpose of “inspiring future design directions of Firefox” and there is at least the hint that Mozilla is gauging the interest in this topic. Regev suggests to replace the URL bar with a browse command. Such a command field could also serve as a way to provide an interface for additional support for more commands and common activities on the Internet.

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