For this assignment we were to look at Mozilla's firefox to play with an alternative way to browse the web. Working through the 23 things blog, I wrestled with the meaning of "open source software" and finally understood how that could be important. The sharing component with its frequent updates would possibly allow not only for a more flexible & user-friendly product but also one that was a bit more secure. Rather than waiting for officially released protective patches, shielding would come in various layers, that would constantly be available. (At least that's the glimpse of insight I felt.) I really enjoyed the YouTube videos on Firefox 101 by demogirl.com. I hope to be able to go through all 10 segments when I get time.
I clicked on the popular and recommended extension links from the 23 Things blog. There was quite a gamut from which to pick.
I downloaded Firefox and tried some tabbed browsing. I am familiar with tabbed browsing but I usually become distracted or busy and click on the wrong x & loose everything. With this in mind I tried the Colorful tabs add-on. I had it working for a while. It helped me be more aware of which tab I really wanted to click. This feature disappeared when I closed out of Firefox. After reading through the other participants' comments I now understand that it may not have been an error on my part.
I will have to work with this browser some more. The Flagfox add-on intrigued me.
As for thing #19, using the CTRL + / CTRL - keys to zoom in and out on the text size is an incredibly easy to use and to remember feature. I usually don't bother trying to change text size in IE because I never remember exactly how it is done.
It's so nice when 'open source' can combine with 'safe.' Doesn't always happen, but it seems like Firefox is doing a bang-up job on that front. I'm going to check out the DemoGirl YouTube videos myself - thanks for the heads-up!
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was a pretty positive experience for you. I understand the need for more 'play time' however. I downloaded Google Chrome (another new browser) and felt so lost, I kind of gave up and went back to Firefox. You've inspired me to take some more time with it and check out its pros and cons!