The demise of Flash - so which browser to use?

[Dinarius]

Windows 10 x64

 

I play bridge on BBO using a laptop and mouse. (I use the BBO app on iPhone and iPad only for watching bridge, mostly the Vugraph.)

 

Currently I use both Firefox and Chrome for BBO.

 

If I'm staring a table, I use Firefox because, for whatever reason, Robots don't sit in the vacant seats and refuse to be removed, as they do with Chrome.

 

If I'm logging in just to play at someone else's table, I use Chrome for two reasons:

 

1. The Undo button appears at the bottom of the table by default in Chrome. It's hidden in a menu when I use Firefox.

 

2. The bidding appears in a tiny window in the top right hand corner of the table in Chrome. In Firefox, the bidding disappears as soon as the play begins.

 

When I login using Chrome, I am asked to activate Flash, which I do. (If I click Block, BBO doesn't open in Chrome at all for me.) Is Flash what makes the Undo and Bidding Window features visible during the play?

 

Questions...

 

1. Is Firefox using Flash in the background, but just not asking me?

2. Is it possible to have Undo and Bidding visible in Firefox during the play?

3. How are others accessing BBO?

4. Anything I should be doing differently?

 

Thanks.

 

D.

 

Ps. What I see if I use Microsoft Edge is identical to Firefox - no Undo, no Bidding during play.

[paulg]

https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/82737-bbo-google-chrome-vs-fireffox

 

You asked this question last week. Asking basically the same question in another forum just frustrates those who are trying to help, particularly when you seem to be ignoring the answers.

 

If you want to ask follow up questions, ask them in the original thread.

[Dinarius]

https://www.bridgebase.com/forums/topic/82737-bbo-google-chrome-vs-fireffox

 

You asked this question last week. Asking basically the same question in another forum just frustrates those who are trying to help, particularly when you seem to be ignoring the answers.

 

If you want to ask follow up questions, ask them in the original thread.

 

And it didn't solve my problem.

 

If I change the Chrome to V3, I get the same no Undo button and no Bidding displayed (during play) both of which do work in Chrome/Flash.

 

(In addition to which, saving my preferences so that I get email notification replies achieves zip. I don't receive any notifications. One reason I didn't notice a reply on the other thread.)

 

So, if there's a way of displaying the bidding during play, in V3, in any browser, do tell.

 

Thanks.

 

D.

[pescetom]

If you didn't get the answer in the first topic (and you did not) then netetiquette says to complain there, not start a new one.

 

AFAIK there is no way to display the bidding during play with V3.

That is not necessarily a bad thing as it would be a technical violation of the current laws of bridge.

[barmar]

You can display the bidding during play by clicking on the contract.

 

The undo button is in the blue hamburger menu.

[haka9]

You can display the bidding during play by clicking on the contract.

 

The undo button is in the blue hamburger menu.

 

Thanks for this information. I don't mind, if I can't see the contract during play. I want to see the contract, when I kibize.

 

I also found undo button now.

 

The remaining problem (or is it a feature?) with web version is alert. When I alert, a popup "Explain" pops up. When I klick "OK", another popup "Please explain" pops up. If I klick "OK", the "Explain" pops again up. If I klick "OK", the "Please explain" pops again up and so on. The latest popup is seen on my screen until end of the play. Does Alert act like that intentionally? I use Opera, if that matters.

[mjlichom]

I continue to use the Flash version as much as possible, but unfortunately for us stragglers, we will have to come to terms with Chrome and other browsers no longer supporting Flash in the future. I do not understand why the HTML version of BBO is so remarkably not user-friendly, this not merely being a consequence of being used to the older system. I will find myself frequently explaining to players how to change table settings, how to add convention cards, and, most importantly, how to undo. It seems that with this newer version, many of these options are well-hidden.

[barmar]

The remaining problem (or is it a feature?) with web version is alert. When I alert, a popup "Explain" pops up. When I klick "OK", another popup "Please explain" pops up. If I klick "OK", the "Explain" pops again up. If I klick "OK", the "Please explain" pops again up and so on. The latest popup is seen on my screen until end of the play. Does Alert act like that intentionally? I use Opera, if that matters.

When you first make the bid, you should put a description in the explanation field to the right of the Alert button.

 

The "Explain" popup comes up if an opponent clicks on the bid to ask for more details.

 

Also, the popup that displays an explanation has an "Explain" button to ask for clarification. I suspect some people mistakenly click on it when they're trying to dismiss the popup.

[jandi]

You can display the bidding during play by clicking on the contract.

 

The undo button is in the blue hamburger menu.

Where is "the blue hamburger menu"? I use Microsoft Edge...if that matters.

[paulg]

Where is "the blue hamburger menu"? I use Microsoft Edge...if that matters.

It is the blue box with three white horizontal lines. Normally at the top of the table (screen) to the right or left, depending on whether you use Hand Diagrams or card pictures. It is the same in every browser I've used.

[barmar]

Where is "the blue hamburger menu"? I use Microsoft Edge...if that matters.

it looks like this:

 

 

It might be at the top left or right depending on the size of your window.

[haka9]

When you first make the bid, you should put a description in the explanation field to the right of the Alert button.

 

The "Explain" popup comes up if an opponent clicks on the bid to ask for more details.

 

Also, the popup that displays an explanation has an "Explain" button to ask for clarification. I suspect some people mistakenly click on it when they're trying to dismiss the popup.

 

Thanks again. I thought that "Explain" button must be clicked to show alert text to opponents.

 

I fully agree with mjlichom: "I do not understand why the HTML version of BBO is so remarkably not user-friendly, this not merely being a consequence of being used to the older system."

[Gerardo]

I continue to use the Flash version as much as possible, but unfortunately for us stragglers, we will have to come to terms with Chrome and other browsers no longer supporting Flash in the future. I do not understand why the HTML version of BBO is so remarkably not user-friendly, this not merely being a consequence of being used to the older system. I will find myself frequently explaining to players how to change table settings, how to add convention cards, and, most importantly, how to undo. It seems that with this newer version, many of these options are well-hidden.

 

This is due to sharing a codebase with the mobile platforms (phone/tablets) where screen estate is scarse.

 

 

 

 

[pescetom]

Also, the popup that displays an explanation has an "Explain" button to ask for clarification. I suspect some people mistakenly click on it when they're trying to dismiss the popup.

 

You do finally suspect that?

That's one small step for BBO, one giant leap for BBO users B-)

 

Seriously, if you could replace it with two buttons "Request clarification" and "Accept explanation" then this feature would no longer cause such obvious and repeated problems.

[smerriman]

This is due to sharing a codebase with the mobile platforms (phone/tablets) where screen estate is scarse.

This is not a valid reason; responsive design / progressive enhancement / whatever you want to call it never should or needs to disadvantage desktop users for mobile users' sakes or vice versa, even when sharing the same codebase.

 

The actual reason seems more to be the HTML version had to be rushed out due to the demise of Flash, so still has a long way to go before becoming a proper desktop solution.

[shaky44]

BridgeBase works well on the Opera browser. I know it's not a well-known browser, but Opera has a pretty good experience all the way around.

[tibu 2]

I dislike the HTML5 version. I preferre to use opera. With opera I can see wahtsapp and telegram at the left. It does have a native vpn and supports flash. I will keep this as long as it works

[pescetom]

This is due to sharing a codebase with the mobile platforms (phone/tablets) where screen estate is scarse.

 

It's not necessarily true that tablets have scarse screen estate, mine has a 10" full HD with colour and contrast that make this PC screen look primitive.

And yet when I run the BBO app on it I cannot use Dual Screen to see History while I play.

And that is already in the shared codebase.

[peterb001]

Having only just started playing bridge on BBO, I have been using the online V3 interface, and I find it is fine. I have since been trained to use the Flash version (V2) for directing, but I find it more clunky and less intuitive than the later version. I also really like the Bridge Solver Chrome Extension for BBO. I also play and direct on my tablet, which only appears to offer V3 online (though the layout is slightly different!!)

 

So I don't know whether this is just being happy with what you are more familiar with, but there doesn't seem to be a large functionality difference between the 2.

[pescetom]

Having only just started playing bridge on BBO, I have been using the online V3 interface, and I find it is fine. I have since been trained to use the Flash version (V2) for directing, but I find it more clunky and less intuitive than the later version. I also really like the Bridge Solver Chrome Extension for BBO. I also play and direct on my tablet, which only appears to offer V3 online (though the layout is slightly different!!)

 

So I don't know whether this is just being happy with what you are more familiar with, but there doesn't seem to be a large functionality difference between the 2.

 

I agree with you most of the way, including the Flash version being clunky and Bridge Solver being brilliant.

But Bridge Solver should not be necessary (BBO has the internal functionality but it is broken in V3) and you cannot really direct a tournament on a tablet except within a browser. And even then important functions are missing in V3.

I only use the Flash client to do things which V3 cannot, and even then renounce many such things.

The situation could be a lot better and will have to be at the end of the year when Flash is dead.

Grateful yes but happy is a big word :)

[tsankaR]

Now in flash version, I cannot see results and director tab