This is my new tab page: https://imgur.com/TpSzOCZ
Note that the search bar can also be removed. So yes, as distraction free as you want to make it.
Note that the search bar can also be removed. So yes, as distraction free as you want to make it.
I don't think this fits the definition of spam. Many average Joe users happen to find those curated suggestions useful. Yes, user testing has been done.
> Defaults matter.
Yep. More advanced users also tend to be better positioned to opt out compared to average Joe opting in.
> user testing has been done
User testing isn't flawless, and is what got us the ribbon in Microsoft Office for example, an incredibly unintuitive interface.
On the contrary. The ribbon is a really excellent piece of UX work, much more discoverable and usable than the masses of menus that preceded it. It just isn't what people were used to. My favorite story is a friend of mine ranting about how he couldn't find anything with the ribbon in Word, and adding, "but at least they added styles to Word." I had to point out that styles had been in Word for a long, long time and the ribbon had just done its job very nicely.