5 Ways to use Firefox to Filter the Web

Comments · May 13, 2008 at 6:48 am · Firefox Security, Firefox Usability

We are always talking about adding features to Firefox, what about for those people who would like to take them away?  Better yet, how about adding features that let you take other features away?  Ok, now I am even confusing myself. 

Firefox has some great add-ons to use when it comes to blocking, filtering or checking out the sometimes shady information that may be passing through it.

LeechBlock - This extension is much more for saving you from looking at random stupid links when you should be working.  If you can not keep yourself focused, you may need to add this to your own Firefox install.

Flashblock - Tired of seeing the offers to punch President Bush, the Pope or any other important person to win an iPod?  The Flashblock add-on has your back as it will block all flash until it is told not to.

Adblock Plus - How could you not love Adblock Plus?  Filter out the ads you don’t want to see - and automatically subscribe to filters so you don’t waste time setting these things up yourself.  Not to mention, I did interview the creator of the script a few months back (very awesome guy!).

NoScript - NoScript allow JavaScript, Java and other executable content to run only from sites you trust.  Some feel it is better to browse the Web this way to make sure you don’t get bit by something nasty by randomly surfing through pages.

CookieSafe - This extension will allow you to easily control cookie permissions. It will appear on your statusbar. Just click on the icon to allow, block, or temporarily allow the site to set cookies.

Know of another blocking or filtering tool that does a better job?

Tags: Ads, cookies, filter, Firefox Security, flash, javascript, safe

Auto Right-Click Highlighted Text

Comments · May 12, 2008 at 6:30 am · Firefox Usability

Isn’t it about time you gave your right button on your mouse a break?

Starting of the week with a simple, yet effective addon for anybody in the Firefox user base.  The Auto Context extension for Firefox will automatically right-click any text that you highlight. 

The fun doesn’t stop there though.  This add-on also lets you customize that right-click context menu with what you want, need and love.  Also, no need to worry about if it works with your current context menu changing extensions.  Here are some of them that it should work with:

Plain Text to Link, Open-Tran, BabelZilla Glossary Extension, SearchWith, Organize Search Engines, Add to Search Bar, Nuke Anything Enhanced, DownThemAll! and Define Word

Auto Context will save your right mouse button a lot of work through the day.

Tags: addons, extentions, firefox, highlight, right-click, time saver

ErrorZilla Plus

Comments · May 11, 2008 at 4:59 am · Firefox Usability

Taking a look at some of the “experimental” add-ons for Firefox, this one caught my eye.  ErrorZilla Plus looks like it is a refreshed version of the original ErrorZilla with a few more perks.

Here is a little more information from the developers…

This extension is a mod of the ErrorZilla Mod extension. I added a “Proxify” function into it. When error page shows, you can choose a web proxy from a list and browse the unreachable network address via it.  From Chinese users, it is especially useful because of the GFW’s cutoff. When hit a blocked website, just click “Proxify” and you will surf the forbidden area.

To use ErrorZilla you will need to register and login to the add-on’s specific page to gain access to it.

Tags: 404, addon, error, errorzilla, experimental, firefox, gfoc

Death to the Multi-paged Article or Post?

Comments (1) · May 1, 2008 at 6:31 am · Firefox Settings, Firefox Usability

Repagination is an add-on for Firefox that promises to end the need to click here to go to part two, part three and part four. At the end of some articles, you often see the links to more pages and for some people, that is a bothersome trait of Online publishing.

They want to see everything all at once. That is what Repagination has come to the dance to do.

For example, here is how you would use it on a Google search:

To use, right-click on a “Next” link (it works with other languages, too) or a “2″ link, select Re-Pagination, All. Or select Re-pagination, Limited and the number of pages to append. For an example, see the previews of this extension. For photos, right-click on the “Next” link, select Re-pagination, Slideshow and the duration in seconds of each page display. The pages will replace each other instead of appending.

So if your looking for an easy way to combine a multi-paged article into one single web page, give Repagination a shot.

Tags: addons, combine, extensions, firefox, navigate, repagination

7 Ways to Copy Successfully in Firefox

Comments (1) · April 29, 2008 at 6:34 am · Firefox Usability

Sure, you can highlight with your mouse, right-click and copy - but why do that when there are so many awesome add-ons for Firefox that will help you get it done better and faster?  If your looking for an extension to help power up your browser’s copying of links, information and more I have seven of them that should help you get the job done.

Copy All Urls - This copies and pastes all urls of open tabs inclusive history in structured and well defined form to and from clipboard.

AutoCopy - Want to just highlight to copy text, links and more?  That is what AutoCopy will help you do.

Copy Link Name - This add-on for Firefox will copy the name of the link, so you don’t have to.

Extended Copy Menu - Provides the option to copy selection as plain text or HTML.

Copy Links - With this extension you can copy multiple links from Firefox in a single bound.

Copy Plain Text - Copies the content without picking up any of the formatting.

Copy as HTML Link - Creates an HTML link to the current page using the selected text and copies it (into the clipboard) for pasting.

So who, what, when, where and why are you copying?  Via my own day job, I have to send a lot of information back and forth from my own documents to the web and visa versa - so the idea of super charging my copying is a blessing I can not live without.

Tags: addons, best-of, copy, firefox, links, paste, popular

Browse Through Only the Images

Comments (1) · April 22, 2008 at 6:32 am · Firefox Usability

Wish to access only the images on a page and none of the clutter - like those annoying big words, style and layout? For those out there who want the images and the images only the Browse Images add-on should get the job done.

Once installed you can browse all linked images of a page one after another or all at once.

On the positive side of things, Browse Images does make it rather easy to browse through multiple images when a web site might not make the job all that fun to do (thanks to bad design or bad organization of the links. On the negative side, I really could do without having yet another toolbar in Firefox. I think a lot of this functionality could have been kept in a statusbar icon.

Tags: addon, browse, firefox, images, toolbar, Web

Firefox Tab-a-mania!

Comments (5) · April 21, 2008 at 6:49 am · Firefox Usability, Tabbed Browsing

There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that tabs are a big part of the success of Firefox. So to pay homage to that trait that we all know and love I pulled out some of the most popular tab tips to date that I have posted here on Firefox Facts. Some of them you remember, and some you may have missed.

Here we have 40 A+ tips though that will make your tabs even more terrific!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: best, customize, edit, firefox, popular, tips