Here's me and my wanna be techie blog post.
Firefox 3.0.1 has been released, and the folks over at Mozilla have been really pushing the idea of add-ons to customize one's personal web preferences. I've participated whole heartedly in this add on phenomena - which leaves me in a constant state of Internet browsing bliss while I'm sat at my own computer... however, when I'm using another computer, I'm at a total loss! Gone are the days of logging on the good ol' Internet Explorer to find all the same search bar options and familiarities, no matter where you are. After spending 2 days at a friend's house recently, I found myself updating his Firefox and trying desperately to customize his add-ons to re-create my beloved interface. I'm left wondering if this add on idea couldn't be taken a step further: As with Google products, one can log on to Google at any computer and see their customized web page... why not offer that for Firefox? If I could sit at a computer and open the browser, then log into it, my preferences could load, my bookmarks could load, etc... that would make more sense to me.
In any event. Firefox 3.0.1 - get it. Some terrific add-ons- Surf canyon - wow - do you ever browse craigslist ? This app will insert the photos from each posting into the main search page, therefore, eliminating all the time it takes you to open and close each posting (as one would do when searching for an apartment, or used furniture, etc)
Take it a step further, and add Cooliris Previews which allows you to open a preview window where any link is provided, again, eliminating the time it takes to open and load a new window.
I also happen to love Stylish - which allows you to change the look and performance of many frequented pages, such as Google, Facebook, Myspace, Gmail, etc... just by adding on styles, which can be removed with the click of a button.
One last application that I've found to be extremely useful is StumbleUpon. You fill out some basic interests when you set the account up,and whenever you feel like it, you click the Stumble! icon, and random (but relevant to your interests) windows will open up.. this has been such a terrific resource for me since I'm hugely interested in industrial design innovations and architecture. I've discovered so many amazing sites this way. Even cooler is the option to add friends to your account so you can pass sites along to them.
Maybe all these add-ons will be a positive change in your Internet viewing life, maybe they'll end up crippling you when you leave the safety and comfort of your customized universe. Let me know what you think!
