Kevins Tips

Firefox was created to be a lean web browser. In order to so, all the extra features found in many of the competing browsers (like IE) had to be removed. These are features that the average person most likely will not use.

You see when a piece of software, like a Web Browser starts up, it has to load up everything it needs all at once.

Let’s look at it in a layman’s type of example…

Say you are going on Vacation and in order to go on “Vacation” you have to pack clothes. However this abstract thing “Vacation” doesn’t know where you are going, so you have to pack ALL of your clothes, winter and summer clothes. Well if you “always” vacation in Florida, taking winter clothes will be a waste of time, effort, and space. This is what a web browsers in the past have been doing all this time because “maybe” you’ll be going to someplace cold??? Not to mention the people that never go on vacation.

Now comes along Firefox. Firefox doesn’t know anything about “Vacation” (it comes with just some basic functions), however you can get an “Add On” that allows you to tell it about your Florida Vacation. You load it into your personal version of Firefox and when you go on “Vacation”, it knows you only need summer clothes. Now you will be able to pack faster, with less effort, and have a lot less to carry and bring with you.

Software has been made this way for a long time. There are a lot of features that you may never use, yet they are included in the software, resulting in bloated software.

Firefox took a different approach and said, what’s the basic things you’ll need to browse the web, fast and securely. Let’s give you that, and then YOU can add want you want to use use as Add Ons. This way the browser will load and work fast.

So where do you get these Add Ons? When you bring up Firefox, look under Tools>Add-ons — then look at the bottom right hand side of the pop-up window. There is a link called “Get Extensions”, click on it and it will bring you to the Add on page. Including Add ons into the browser is straight forward, just click on the button “Add to Firefox” and it installs. You will have to restart Firefox in order for it to take effect though.

How much do Add ons cost? - Nothing, they are FREE

What kind of Add ons are there? Check here - Add ons

Here are a few of my Favorites…

- Mouse Gestures - This is a MUST have - I use it mostly to open a new Tab for a link. It seems almost silly at first, but its very useful.

- Image Zoom - Let’s you right-click and instantly enlarge any photo or image on a web page by using the mouse wheel.

- Tiny URL Creater - Create a Tiny URL by a right-click and selecting it from the pop up menu.

What’s a URL? Simply put, a URL is a Web Address like http://KevinsTips.com

Many times a URL is MUCH longer then that and may have all kinds of information in it. Very often, the long URLs come from places like News websites like CNN. When you copy/paste the URL and email it to someone, half the time it get’s cut into several lines and may not work.

Along comes “TinyURL”.

TinyURL is a simple concept, it’s just a unique, short, URL that will forward you to that long URL. It’s also simple to use. Highlight the long URL, Right-click on your mouse and select Copy (or Ctrl-C), then go to the TinyURL website, Right-click on your mouse and select Paste (or Shift-Insert) into the form. Then click on the “Make Tiny URL” Button. You will be given a URL like http://tinyurl.com/68xq68 or you can make a custom one like http://www.tinyurl.com/kevinstips (if it’s available) If you put this URL into your browser, it will bring you to the same web page as the long URL.

There are some other websites that do this same thing, TinyURL is the one I’ve been reliably using for years and is used by most people. Firefox also has an Add on that makes the entire process even easier by simply doing a Right-click on the webpage your on, and select “Create TinyURL for this Page” from the pop up menu. Then you just shift-insert (ie. paste) it where you want.

Website: TinyURL

Many have heard about it, many here probably use it, but there are still many of you who don’t know what it is, or are not using it.

What is Firefox?
Firefox is a GREAT Web Browser.

What’s a Web Browser?
Simply put, it’s software that let’s you Browse the Web.

If you are viewing this webpage, your probably using a web browser. Most people are using Internet Explorer also called “IE”. Most people use Internet Explorer because it came with your computer, it was there, and it works. Nothing really wrong with using it, but I’d like you to explore your options by trying Firefox.

Why use Firefox?
Because it’s what all the COOL kids are using!!!

Firefox has been known and used among the geeks (and more computer savy folks) for a long time now. It is more flexible, faster, and more secure then IE. Features you are using in IE now, were already in Firefox several versions ago.

One of the biggest distinctions Firefox has over IE is that outsiders can develop cool things for it. It is also highly customizable and flexible. There is also a highly dedicated team of developers who are constantly figuring out ways to make it better, and it has the support of all those geeks that love to make cool and useful features for you.

I’ll be posting more about Firefox in the near future, so stay tuned.

Click on the graphic below and download Firefox now - Oh and it’s 100% FREE!!!

Note: You can use both IE and Firefox and the same time, one will not interfere with the other.