Non-modal player pony

April 1, 2010 12:55 AM

Wouldn't the embedded youtube player be nicer in a non-modal draggable element, instead of this dim-the-lights-and-dont-click thing we've currently got?
posted by finite to Feature Requests at 12:55 AM (16 comments total)

So I said to her "what's a dim-the-lights-and-don't-click place like this doing around a nice non-modal draggable element like you?"
posted by Dumsnill at 1:09 AM on April 1, 2010 [3 favorites]

It would also be nice if it had a professional white background.
posted by davejay at 1:36 AM on April 1, 2010

Yes
posted by cobra_high_tigers at 1:42 AM on April 1, 2010

Every 5 years, the world reinvents both push technology and popup windows.
posted by DU at 2:50 AM on April 1, 2010

What we need, then, is pop technology and pushup windows. That'll teach 'em.
posted by davejay at 3:35 AM on April 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I prefer push-up technology.
posted by clearly at 3:54 AM on April 1, 2010

Right-click on the YouTube link and select "Open Link in New Window". Non-modal, draggable.
posted by Electric Dragon at 5:58 AM on April 1, 2010

Is this our April Fool's thread?

Weeeeeeee!
posted by slogger at 6:35 AM on April 1, 2010

Could it be inter-modal? Then it could work with ships, trains and trucks. Win-win-win.
posted by fixedgear at 6:36 AM on April 1, 2010

You should make sure it works with bikes too, fixedgear. Don't make me get all Ray LaHood up in here!
posted by Mister_A at 7:16 AM on April 1, 2010

In all seriousness, I love how the embedded YT player lets me cue up and watch a video while continuing to read the thread about it. It's not too dark to be readable, but I always have to scroll so I can read the text awkwardly above or below the player onscreen. And crazy multitaskin' me always gets the itch to open in-thread links in background tabs while this is happening, and I can't click them because the player's modal.

So my suggestion is to keep the lightbox effect, because it's a good visual cue that the player is still active, but also make the player non-modal and draggable. Actually now that I think about it, I'm not sure if it's technically possible to go non-modal and still keep the lightbox effect. But it's a pony worth considering.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:12 AM on April 1, 2010

Or we could swap the entire page background for the YT video in fullscreen. That would be painfully awesome.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 8:14 AM on April 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Another issue - I often read metafilter on my nonHD HTPC, whoe resolution is low enough that the "Close window" link is off screen, essentially freezing the page and forcing a reload. A draggable player would fix this for me.

That or buying me an HDTV. Up to you...
posted by jpdoane at 8:43 AM on April 1, 2010

My embedded YT pony would be having escape close it. That'd also help with the low-resolution issue.
posted by JiBB at 12:54 PM on April 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

Don't make me get all Ray LaHood up in here!

I'm from LaHood you know it's true
posted by grobstein at 1:14 PM on April 1, 2010 [1 favorite]

I generally middle-click to open in a new tab.
posted by dunkadunc at 3:45 PM on April 1, 2010