CyberWraith
07-08-2005, 07:40 PM
25 Best plug-ins for Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/)
Compared to rival browsers (such as Internet exploder), Mozzila’s Firefox’s (http://www.mozilla.org/) killer feature is that the developers insist on it being a small app. IE: features beyond the nuts and bolts of Internet navigation are rarely added, this keeps the browser down to a rather manageable 5MB. This means that all the best stuff was stripped out and made into what they like to refer to as Extensions (Stand alone Plug-ins),
Here for your perusal and delectation are 25 of my favourite plug-ins,
Search Tools
Make your searches much more productive in the absence of Copernic Pro (http://www.copernic.com/) with Search Sidebar (http://searchsidebar.mozdev.org/) which lets you search multiple engines simultaneously. Or if you really can’t live without Google’s all encompassing presence, Try GooglePreview (http://ackroyd.de/googlepreview/)- It alters the Google search results to show you a small pic of the site next to each match. For more precise searching, Context Search (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=240) allows you to select text, then choose a list of search engines to use for that text.
Download Tools
Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) downloads everything to one location, which is ok if you have very few downloads but it’s nice to be able to sort them into different types such as apps , video, or MP3’s, Download Sort (http://downloadstatusbar.mozdev.org/downsort/) let’s you do just this with out the hassle of a so called Download Accelerator which turns out to be anything but.
Another powerful tool for your downloading arsenal is the Download Statusbar (http://downloadstatusbar.mozdev.org/index.html), which allow you to keep an eye on your downloads in the status bar, so you never need lose them again. For those mass downloaders I would say that Spiderzilla (http://spiderzilla.mozdev.org/) is definitely worth a solid look.
Web Annoyances
Flashblock (http://flashblock.mozdev.org/) replaces those darned annoying flash movies with a play button giving you the choice to view or not to view so to speak. Nuke Anything (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=79) removes things from pages that just plain annoy- like chunky adverts, or an animated Gif, Bug Me Not (http://roachfiend.com/archives/2005/02/07/bugmenot/) gives you re-made accounts for popular sites to bypass creating one yourself, and finally should it be necessary IE View (http://ieview.mozdev.org/) opens the current page in Internet exploder. Why I hear you cry, well believe it or not delicate reader, some sites have Bad HTML, I know I know, sit down and have a drink of water…..
Keeping In Touch
If you use a Blogger for your Web log, BlogThis (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&category=Blogging) for Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) lets you add the current link to your blog, along with any other text you want,
For del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us/) users Foxylicious (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&version=1.0&os=Windows&numpg=10&id=342) adds the current links to your bookmarks, also with any comment you deem necessary. For those more dedicated chatters amongst us , Chatzilla (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=16) is a full blown IRC client that squeezes it’s self into a 250k download whilst giving most of the features that others manage to bloat out to 10 times that figure.
Navigation
Using Back, Forward and home is so last decade, But Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) has extensions that liven this process up. Mouse Gestures (http://optimoz.mozdev.org/gestures/) allows you to wiggle the mouse in a certain way to represent actions, for instance drag left for go back drag right to go forward and so on and so forth, this takes some getting used to but when you are you will wonder how you coped before. For the less experienced users Target Alert (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=230) pops an icon up after file links so you know what your gonna get before you click
Entertainment
Before settling on the name Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) they went through a load of names including Firebird, Phoenix and before that plain old Mozilla, you can relive the name game with Firesomething (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=31) which changes the name each time you launch it, or you could use Wikalong (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=251) which give you a useful side panel full of useful info for the current site you’re viewing, you can contribute back as well.
Finally and not by any means least we have FoxyTunes (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=219) to control the media player of your choice through the browser.
RadialContext
By far the most useful and powerful navigation extension for Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) Is known as RadialContext (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=67), it works rather well, right clicking causes a circle popup to appear and on this circle are all your options, the power of the extension lies in the fact that you just have to move the mouse cursor in the right direction and then release, to make in do the action for example , hold down the mouse move left and let go and you go back, at this level it’s similar to gestures but RadialContext (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=67) also has sub menus. This plug-in takes a lot of getting used to but once you’re there it becomes second nature.
Please suggest your own favourites.
Compared to rival browsers (such as Internet exploder), Mozzila’s Firefox’s (http://www.mozilla.org/) killer feature is that the developers insist on it being a small app. IE: features beyond the nuts and bolts of Internet navigation are rarely added, this keeps the browser down to a rather manageable 5MB. This means that all the best stuff was stripped out and made into what they like to refer to as Extensions (Stand alone Plug-ins),
Here for your perusal and delectation are 25 of my favourite plug-ins,
Search Tools
Make your searches much more productive in the absence of Copernic Pro (http://www.copernic.com/) with Search Sidebar (http://searchsidebar.mozdev.org/) which lets you search multiple engines simultaneously. Or if you really can’t live without Google’s all encompassing presence, Try GooglePreview (http://ackroyd.de/googlepreview/)- It alters the Google search results to show you a small pic of the site next to each match. For more precise searching, Context Search (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=240) allows you to select text, then choose a list of search engines to use for that text.
Download Tools
Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) downloads everything to one location, which is ok if you have very few downloads but it’s nice to be able to sort them into different types such as apps , video, or MP3’s, Download Sort (http://downloadstatusbar.mozdev.org/downsort/) let’s you do just this with out the hassle of a so called Download Accelerator which turns out to be anything but.
Another powerful tool for your downloading arsenal is the Download Statusbar (http://downloadstatusbar.mozdev.org/index.html), which allow you to keep an eye on your downloads in the status bar, so you never need lose them again. For those mass downloaders I would say that Spiderzilla (http://spiderzilla.mozdev.org/) is definitely worth a solid look.
Web Annoyances
Flashblock (http://flashblock.mozdev.org/) replaces those darned annoying flash movies with a play button giving you the choice to view or not to view so to speak. Nuke Anything (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=79) removes things from pages that just plain annoy- like chunky adverts, or an animated Gif, Bug Me Not (http://roachfiend.com/archives/2005/02/07/bugmenot/) gives you re-made accounts for popular sites to bypass creating one yourself, and finally should it be necessary IE View (http://ieview.mozdev.org/) opens the current page in Internet exploder. Why I hear you cry, well believe it or not delicate reader, some sites have Bad HTML, I know I know, sit down and have a drink of water…..
Keeping In Touch
If you use a Blogger for your Web log, BlogThis (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&category=Blogging) for Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) lets you add the current link to your blog, along with any other text you want,
For del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us/) users Foxylicious (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?application=firefox&version=1.0&os=Windows&numpg=10&id=342) adds the current links to your bookmarks, also with any comment you deem necessary. For those more dedicated chatters amongst us , Chatzilla (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=16) is a full blown IRC client that squeezes it’s self into a 250k download whilst giving most of the features that others manage to bloat out to 10 times that figure.
Navigation
Using Back, Forward and home is so last decade, But Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) has extensions that liven this process up. Mouse Gestures (http://optimoz.mozdev.org/gestures/) allows you to wiggle the mouse in a certain way to represent actions, for instance drag left for go back drag right to go forward and so on and so forth, this takes some getting used to but when you are you will wonder how you coped before. For the less experienced users Target Alert (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=230) pops an icon up after file links so you know what your gonna get before you click
Entertainment
Before settling on the name Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) they went through a load of names including Firebird, Phoenix and before that plain old Mozilla, you can relive the name game with Firesomething (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=31) which changes the name each time you launch it, or you could use Wikalong (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=251) which give you a useful side panel full of useful info for the current site you’re viewing, you can contribute back as well.
Finally and not by any means least we have FoxyTunes (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=219) to control the media player of your choice through the browser.
RadialContext
By far the most useful and powerful navigation extension for Firefox (http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/) Is known as RadialContext (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=67), it works rather well, right clicking causes a circle popup to appear and on this circle are all your options, the power of the extension lies in the fact that you just have to move the mouse cursor in the right direction and then release, to make in do the action for example , hold down the mouse move left and let go and you go back, at this level it’s similar to gestures but RadialContext (https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=67) also has sub menus. This plug-in takes a lot of getting used to but once you’re there it becomes second nature.
Please suggest your own favourites.