For Tarako, we aren't anticipating that the user can use the app fully when not online, but they can browse the same data we use to jumpstart a warm load. Therefore, we should present some sort of message to the user telling them their functionality is limited, etc. Need to determine wording, presentation, and use case (e.me brings up an interesting one -- as you can attempt to access a detail page for cached or non-cached data, but you don't know which).

This problem feels very similar to 1001782 in the way I think we should handle "offline" and "updating cache." I made a quick sketch to jump-start this conversation (which you can see at: https://www.dropbox.com/s/brpl37o21n9m2nb/2014-04-29%2015.01.55.jpg) Essentially we should check in an interaction if the marketplace has an internet connection and if it doesn't we should display the "you're offline" screen (which will be getting a visual refresh per bug 1001775)If we are online, we allow the action and use the existing Marketplace alert box to show a "updating cache" message plus a loading indicator graphic (ideally a small, single color animated gif.) This message would display, overlaid, until the cache update is complete. If the user navigates to content we don't have cached, they should see the standard loading screen with the overlay still displayed. I presume this makes the whole process more performant (although please correct me if that's a bad assumption) because we're not polling to detect when we are or are not online. This also keeps up from interrupting a user until it's absolutely necessary, only disabling the UI when a user acts and we detect we're not online anymore.

If this is a notification (and presented as a notification at the base of the display), then are you concerned about disabling install buttons or anything like that while the notification is displayed?

I'm pretty sure we've discussed this outside this thread, clearing needinfo

We have an un-obtrusive notification at the bottom, showing up upon action.

this is done.