If you use Microsoft Windows, then it’s my sincere hope that you also use the Mozilla Firefox Web browser (www.mozilla.com) for viewing websites, instead of Microsoft’s lame Internet Explorer. As I’ve noted in previous columns, your computer will be much less susceptible to viruses and spyware when you use Firefox. Reserve Internet Explorer for running Windows Update only.
Another neat thing about Firefox is that it can be easily customized to suit your own preferences, habits and needs through the use of tiny customized programs known as plugins, extensions and add-ons. The three terms seem to be used interchangeably, so I’ll simply refer to all of them as “plugins.”
There are some plugins that you must have in order to do complete Web surfing. A checklist of must-have plugins is at https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/plugins/. You’ll want Acrobat Reader to read PDF documents, Flash Player and Shockwave in order to view certain types of animations, Quicktime and Real Player to handle audio and video files, and Java to run programs and “applets” that are found on many websites.
Other plugins aim to improve security, such as warning you away from bogus “phishing” websites that are trying to steal your money. Netcraft makes an anti-phishing plugin called “netcrafttoolbar,” which assigns a risk rating to every website that you visit. Petname Tool 0.17 allows you to save reminder notes about relationships that you have with secure sites, such as your bank. The tool then automatically displays these reminders every time you visit the site.
NoScript is another good security plugin that protects you from a wide variety of security vulnerabilities. Also consider Adblock Plus, which enhances Firefox’s built-in ad blocking function by allowing you to block specific ads that show up on frequently visited websites. It’s very cool. Be sure to also get the Adblock Filterset.G Updater, as well.
Many plugins enhance the functionality of Firefox. Fasterfox allows you to tweak various settings that can significantly speed up your Internet experience. The Email This! Bookmarklet Extension enables you to email the link, title, and highlighted text of a website — very nice. Another great plugin is Morning Coffee, which lets you organize your “daily routine” websites and open them up simultaneously in separate tabs. This is really handy if you read multiple sites that update on a regular schedule, such as news, sports, stocks, etc.
Perhaps you have a zillion websites bookmarked and you’d like the same list of bookmarks to be on more than one computer. An easy way to accomplish this task is with a “bookmark synchronizer.” I haven’t tried them all, but my top recommendations are Foxmarks, Bookmarks Synchronizer 3 and Bookmarks Sync and Sort.
You can find all of these plugins by searching the Firefox plugins website, along with many others that I’m unable to fully discuss in this brief article. But, while you’re at it, check out Roboform, Clipmarks, myurlbar, OpenBook, Bumble Search, NeedleSearch, and the People Search and Public Record Toolbar.