Google removes '+' from Chrome's tab bar

code.google.com

14 points·MattJ100··8 comments

This is a terrible idea. Users shouldn't have to guess what a blank button does.

instead, they should have to guess what the plus sign means? plus doesn't globally mean "new tab". it doesn't even generally mean create. the only reason it is understood to mean new tab is because chrome has previously had a plus there. it seems to me a blank, vaguely tab-shaped button in line with the tabs is much more clear.

The current button doesn't really resemble a tab, so it could be hard to guess. Something like IE's approach seems more intuitive. Still, a blank button seems like an analogy, not a direct message. A plus sign at the end of a tab row definitely means that by clicking it, you are adding something to it. And what else could it be, if there are only tabs in that row?

It appears when you mouse over it. It seems to have been added back in again in the latest dev version.

It's not like this is the only browser that doesn't have a plus sign there. What else does the button next to the tabs do. I think this just shows that users will complain about anything.

a nod to future g+ integration in chrome perhaps?

Maybe. While I couldn't care less if the "new tab" button has a plus on it, Google has a tough job ahead of them if they want to replace every single use of the "+" symbol. This is a branding failure. In the end, it's a pointless endeavor because they can't overload every use of the plus operator with their own trademark. I hope the endgame here isn't a slew of law suits against all kinds of sites and content that use the plus in some fashion.

More likely they want to remove the plus symbol from all places where it doesn't refer to google+ just to strengthen their branding.

The removal of the "+" is one of the most idiotic decision they could've made!

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