• Google
• Yahoo
• Microsoft
• Network Advertising Initiative Members

Here is a peek at the interface of Beef Taco:

Personally I have never understood the reason for wanting to block advertising cookies in the browser, but for those of you who like to keep things nice and private – Beef Taco will help you get the job done. If anything, you could pick and choose who’s ads you want to accept and who’s you want to block too.

You can pick up Beef Taco from the Firefox Add-ons website.

Here are some of the most popular plugins that help with increasing the privacy or security for your Firefox installation.

NoScript

The best security you can get in a web browser! Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Clickjacking attacks.

WOT

WOT, Web of Trust, warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. Protect your computer against online threats by using WOT as your front-line layer of protection when browsing or searching in unfamiliar territory.

Stealther

Do you like to pretend that you are a super secret spy when browing the Web? Maybe you just don’t want that nosy brother or sister looking in on what you have been doing. No matter the situation, if you want to stay secret – the Stealther Firefox extension is for you.

FoxyProxy

FoxyProxy is an advanced proxy management tool that completely replaces Firefox’s limited proxying capabilities. It offers more features than SwitchProxy, ProxyButton, QuickProxy, xyzproxy, ProxyTex, TorButton, etc.

Fire Encrypter

Want Firefox to help you encrypt your secret files and documents? Maybe you just want to learn more about the encryption process? No matter which camp you fall into, the Fire Encrypter Firefox extension is for you. It brings the top secret world of encryption right into your favorite little browser.

Sxipper

Forget your passwords! Sxipper accurately fills in forms, manages passwords and your OpenIDs.

CookieCuller

Want more control over your cookies? No, I’m not talking about the ones your grandmother loves to shove down your throat – I am talking about the ones that involve your browser. The Firefox extension CookieCuller gives you total control over which cookies stay on your computer by letting you protect cookies of your choice while automatically deleting the rest.

Flashblock

Flashblock is an extension for the Mozilla, Firefox, and Netscape browsers that takes a pessimistic approach to dealing with Macromedia Flash content on a webpage and blocks ALL Flash content from loading. It then leaves placeholders on the webpage that allow you to click to download and then view the Flash content.

TrackMeNot

With all this talk about your privacy being attacked and people snooping on what you have been searching about, you are bound to feel a little paranoid. You might be watching over your shoulder as you type. You might be turning the lights out before you get Online. How can you protect yourself from being tracked in your searches though? If you use Firefox, you need the TrackMeNot extension.

BugMeNot

Tired of web sites asking you to register to view the content inside?  Bypass compulsory web registration with the context menu via bugmenot.com.

Know of another Firefox security add-on that is well worth using, just not that popular yet?  Do any of these add-ons make you sleep a little easier at night?  Let me know what you think the best security add-on for Firefox is.

It this entices your cultural taste buds, then you might want to add the Add-Art extension to your own Firefox install.  Add-Art replaces advertising images on web pages with contemporary art from a curated database.  It is also worth making note of  that the install is bundled with the AdBlockPlus extension.

Worried about seeing the same art too many time?  The galleries are updated every two weeks and feature contemporary artists and curators.  You can pickup the addon on Mozilla’s site or their official site, Add-Art.org.

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?

So might be time to pass this URL to all your friends, amigos and buddies:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/firefoxfacts

Now ad free but still full of goodies!

Now there is no secret that thee are a number of folks out there that don’t like Firefox. Many of them say it is because the browser has a very dedicated fan base. These guy though (at whyfirefoxisblocked.com) prove they must swim on the shallow end of the intellectual pool.

The Mozilla Foundation and its Commercial arm, the Mozilla Corporation, has allowed and endorsed Ad Block Plus, a plug-in that blocks advertisement on web sites and also prevents site owners from blocking people using it. Software that blocks all advertisement is an infringement of the rights of web site owners and developers.

That last line is what gets to me. I have been back on forth on this issue a few times, but for the most part I have to side with the users. I don’t mind some ads (I think most AdSense ads are fine and actually helpful) – but other do deserve to be blocked. It isn’t the user’s fault the links are not getting clicked for those ads – it is the ads fault for not giving the consumer what they want.

Tech Blorge also has an interesting article written up about it that tells more of the story. So what do you think about the anti-Firefox crowd?

All you need to do is to pick up this user script for the Greasemonkey extension. The Yahoo Mail Cleaner is a great fix for this really annoying issue.

Later today Firefox will begin broadcasting, for the first time, four “fan-produced” commercials on prime time television. Initially the ads will only run in the San Francisco and Boston regions, but this will be expanded over time.

The 4 video ads are a sampling of approximately 300 clips which were submitted to Mozilla’s Firefox Flicks program. The theme of the ads is that Firefox is “the safest, fastest and most enjoyable way to experience the Web.” The ads are also partly sponsored by Firefox fans – and Mozilla will insert the names of those sponsors at the end of each commercial.

+ Read More of the Interview With Asa Dotzler!

So here’s your chance to be a part of history by joining in on the first test run. Our first TV test will work like this: With help from you all, we selected 4 ads to send to television. The first 72 sponsors to partner with Mozilla by adding $10 dollars to our Flicks ad fund will have their names appear on the air as part of actual ads.

+ Make History with You and Firefox Flicks on TV!

+ Purchase Text Link Ads on FirefoxFacts.com!

I have room for four of them, so be sure to act quickly! The links will appear under the search box on every single page here on FirefoxFacts.com. Help support this Web site and get to purchasing.