Websites that load slowly because they are coded poorly are set to be flagged up by Google’s Chrome browser.
Google said it was working on several “speed badging” systems that let visitors know why a page is taking a long time to show up. The variations include simple text warnings and more subtle signs that indicate a site is slow.
Also, in a blog, said they started the project to “to help users understand when a site may load slowly, while rewarding sites delivering fast experiences”. The blog stated that they were working on a series of metrics that automatically define whether a site is quick or slow – and why.
Chrome is by far the most widely used browser, and considered one of the fastest with 64% of people who browse the internet using it.
In the blog, Chrome engineers said its plan to identify sites would be refined over time and was designed to improve the way websites were created.
“We are being very mindful with our approach to setting the bar for what is considered a good user experience and hope to land on something that is practically achievable by all developers,” it said.
Some questioned how easy it would be to identify what causes pages to be slow. Many said pages were more likely to be slowed down by off-site ad networks than poor coding.
One blogger said the warnings would be seen as a “badge of shame”.
He added, “What is fast depends on how the browser parses websites, so one website can be faster in Firefox but slower in Chrome, and still get a ‘badge of shame'”.
