The bookmarking extension in Talis Aspire is changing. This article is designed to address some of the questions that users have asked us since the upgrade was announced in our August Product Update webinar. We will also update this should further questions be raised so that all users have access to the answers.
Why is the extension changing?
The upgraded extension is designed to be compatible with increased Web security standards, so ensuring that users can continue to save bookmarks in this way. This is a requirement for all extensions that will be enforced by all main browsers by the end of the year.
Which browsers are affected?
The upgraded extension will be available for all of the browsers that we support - Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari. In the case of Edge, we will now support an Edge store extension, where previously users had to install the Chrome version.
Is the extension going to be an upgrade to the existing one, or will it require a fresh install?
An upgrade which will be rolled out automatically by the web browsers. The exception being that we will now be able to release an Edge store specific extension - but that will only be for new installations. Existing Edge extension installations through the Chrome store will be upgraded automatically.
When will this happen?
The Chrome extension was released on 9th October. Other extension stores will follow in short order, but no precise availability timings can be known due to review processes by the various browsers.
Once the store has approved the extension, the rollout to browsers will commence, but upgrade will be dependant on the web browser. The user won't have to take any specific action to initiate the upgrade.
The upgrade may not take effect immediately, as Chrome pushes out extension updates on a rolling basis. But users will know when they are using the new version (1.0.8 for Chrome) as the extension icon will change to feature our new branding:
What if I want the upgraded extension sooner?
As mentioned above, no action is necessary as the upgrade will automatically take effect over the coming days. However, if you are very keen to get using the new Chrome version, you can simply uninstall the extension and re-install it. For users who are directed to the extension from within the 'My Bookmarks' page in Talis Aspire, they will also be taken to the upgraded version.
Does the academic need to take any action in their browser?
No action should be required by any end user that has the extension installed - it will update in the background. NOTE: We can see from our analytics that a very small number of users are being asked to reconfirm their institution when the extension upgrades, we are currently investigating the cause, but it is a tiny percentage of the overall total.
What will be the name of the upgraded extension?
We will keep the same name - Talis Aspire Reading Lists Bookmarking - for now. However, the icon will change to align with our new branding.
What are the main things being addressed by the new upgraded extension?
End users will likely not notice much difference, although the new extension will reinstate currently-broken Youtube bookmarking. It also has the advantage that all users will now be able to bookmark from websites which use Content Security Policy, which had sometimes affected some sites from interacting with the previous Safari extension.
Anything else to note?
For some sites, there may be a small delay between clicking the extension and redirecting the browser, but affected sites will reduce over time.
What if I notice some different bookmarking behaviour after the upgrade has taken place?
The new extension has undergone internal testing, but if you do spot anything you're unsure about, please let us know via a support ticket by emailing support@talis.com
If you have a query around the extension upgrade that is not covered by the above, please let us know by emailing support@talis.com . We will respond and also add the answer to this article.