I have been using Firefox since sometime in 2003 when it was still called Phoenix. At that point there were only a few people using this “new” browser and therefore did not have many extensions. I got used to running the browser in its default state without any add-ons. I did not know what I was missing until recently when I started playing with the different extensions that people have built. I now have found a select few extensions that allows firefox to run fast and securely.
NoScript
Most
people do not realize that having javascript enabled on a browser is
very insecure. If you go to a malicious web site they can do just about
anything to your computer without your knowledge. Most people have seen
the scare tactics with javascript where a site shows your internal IP
address to you. This in and of itself is harmless, but when combined
with the ability to scan your entire network for anything they want it
is harmful. More on this security hole can be found in the security now
netcast #52.
I used to use flashblock
to block annoying flash from autoplaying, but with NoScript it has the
ability to do the same thing and also any embeded files — flash, java,
and video files. If you want to surf securely in firefox you need to
turn javascript off, this adds the abiliy to white list certain web
sites so that they will still function if you trust them.
AdblockOne
of the most annoying things about the internet today is ads. With
adblock you can stop them from loading and make most sites load quite a
bit faster. NoScript will block most ads as they are loaded from
external javascript files, but there are always sites that try to get
around that and host them locally. This extension will allow you to
block them with a few clicks.
There are extensions out there to automatically update to block ads automatically in adblock, such as Filterset.G. I find these to block too much and impede on a sites valid content. I prefer to block only certain items I find annoying.
Fasterfox
If
you ever feel that firefox runs too slowly install fasterfox. This
extension tweaks the firefox settings to provide the fastest experience
possible. There are quite a few articles out there on how to speed up
firefox by editing the about:config, but editing this is like editing
the Windows registry — a pain.
Since I run my own server I find
that fasterfox in its default settings can cause problems with a small
server such as my own. That is why I choose the “optimized” setting
rather than “turbo charged”. This helps the speed of the page load
without compromising the server at the other end.
Web Developer
If
you do any sort of web development then this extension is a must have.
It has so many neat functions that its just something you should look
at to see if it has something that will be handy to you. Some of the
features I use is the HTML and CSS validation buttons and the outlining
tools.
Nightly Tester Tools
I
originally got this tool to test the beta version of firefox 2. It
provides the ability to install extensions that are not compatible with
the version of firefox you have. It has so many other geeky options
that I kept it installed after firefox 2 was released.
Greasemonkey
This
extension allows you to use javascript to customize a page. The issue
with this extension is that if you use NoScript to block javascript on
a page this extension will not work properly. It works great on trusted
pages, but not on untrusted ones.
The neatest part about
greasemonkey is all of the scripts that people have already created.
They have an entire web site dedicated to them userscripts.org. One of the scripts I use adds a link to duggmirror on all digg posts so you can easily go to the mirror if the site goes down with traffic.
Add n Edit Cookies
Allows
you to quickly edit cookies in firefox. I use it primarily to change
the expiration date on sites that log you out after a certain amount of
time.
IE Tab
While
using Windows I prefer to open a new tab with Internet Explorer rather
than opening up IE in its own window. This works great for sites like
Microsoft updates which only works in IE.
Reload Every
Reloads the page at set intervals. I find this to be quite handy when trying to test web design functions.
Extensions I no longer use
These are extensions that I used at some point but no longer use for various reasons
Foxytunes
This extension was great while I use Windows as my primary OS. Since I no longer use Windows to listen to music and control xmms in gkrellm I no longer need this extension.
Live PageRank
I
used this for a while until I found out that the extension was tracking
my every move on the internet. Talk about creepy spyware.
Forcastfox
When
I used to have to go outside for work I used this extension to know
what to expect. I how have an office with a window and can just look
outside.
Fireftp
This
adds the ability to have a FTP client inside firefox. I found it to be
buggy and it would crash firefox. I have not used it in a while and
they have probably fixed these issues, but I just would rather fire up
an actual FTP program.
FlashGot
Allows
you to download a ton of stuff in one click. I just do not have a use
for this extension at this point. I don’t save all that much to my hard
drive anymore.
Final Note
Extensions for
Firefox should represent yourself and not someone else. If you do not
use an extension remove it as it can slow down Firefox if you have too
many extensions installed. Don’t be scared by extensions, it is very
easy to add and remove extensions so try various extensions out until
you find a combination that you like.
