Give me extensions or give me death
I haven't been updating my three year old extensions post, so I figured it was time for an overhaul.
Extension StatusDescriptionNotes
Adblock PlusNormalEver been annoyed by all those ads and banners on the internet that often take longer to download than everything else on the page? Install Adblock Plus now and get rid of them.Since the initial set-up, I've rarely thought about this extension. It just does its thing quietly in the background.
Better GCalNormalAdds collapsible header and sidebar, event title text wrap, colored weekend days, week numbers, and skins to Google Calendar.Installed mainly for the "week numbers" feature, but the ability to collapse the header and sidebar turned out to be my favorite.
CalculatorNormalCalculator has an interface similar to Microsoft Powertoy Calculator and it offers great features like history, conversions, many functions..My favorite things about this calculator: History. Saves all my past calculations. Conversions. Converts temperature, mass, volume, length, etc. Invaluable in my line of work.
Chrome ViewNEW!Open a page in Google Chrome.I wanted an extension that integrated Chrome into a Firefox tab, but this will have to do for now.
ClippingsMUST HAVE!Save frequently-entered text for pasting later.I use this for everything from the standard "Thanks!" emails I send to translators when they deliver a file to passwords that Firefox won't save. I'm lost without it.
CoLTNormalCoLT makes it easy to copy either a hyperlink's text or both the link and the link's text.Used to link every item on this list! [Just like the last time I put together this list three years ago.]
Download StatusbarMUST HAVE!View and manage downloads from a tidy statusbar - without the download window getting in the way of your web browsing.Is there anyone who can do without this at this point? It should be integrated into Firefox in my opinion. <-- [What I said three years ago. Still true!]
ErrorZilla ModNormalImplements a useful error page when a website cannot be reached. Will add Try Again, Google Cache, Coralize, Wayback, Ping, Trace, and Whois buttonsI hardly ever use it, but when I do, It's invaluable.
Extended Copy MenuNormalProvides the option to copy selection as plain text or html...Not quite the same as CoLT. Installed to provide an easy way to include images in the copied material. I hate linking images by hand, and thanks to this, Semagic and LiveJournal Hook, I never do.
Fast DialMUST HAVE!Visual bookmarks.Combined with Xmarks and you always get the same fast dial sites on all your computers. I love that "overflow" dials will be put on another screen (that you access by scrolling down) because it means that at work I have the work dials up front and the personal ones on the screen below, and vice versa at home.
Favicon Picker 2NormalTired of that boring default icon next to your bookmarks? This extension adds an interface allowing you to pick the icon for each of your bookmarks.This really helps organize your bookmarks, especially when you use the Smart Bookmarks Bar.
FaviconizeTabMUST HAVE!This extension adds a new "FaviconizeTab" option to the context menu of the tab...Alt+Click on tab to Faviconize it. Considering the number of tabs I keep open, I can't do without this. Not to mention how it helps hide LJ browsing when at work.
FireFTPNormalFireFTP is a free, secure, cross-platform FTP client for Mozilla Firefox which provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers.Because why NOT have an ftp client in your browser? Still using standalone FTP clients as well, but I use this pretty frequently as well.
FireShotNormalFireShot is a Firefox extension that creates screenshots of web pages. Unlike other extensions, this plugin provides a set of editing and annotation tools.Best screenshot tool out there.
FissionAll but gone...Fission combines address bar and progress bar (Safari style).I'm not sure why I keep this around. Habit?
ForecastfoxNormalGet international weather forecasts from AccuWeather.com and display them in any toolbar or statusbar with this highly customizable and unobtrusive extension.Since I hardly ever watch TV, I need to get my weather forecasts from somewhere.
FoxClocksNormalFoxClocks lets you keep an eye on the time around the world - or just your local time - by putting small clocks in your statusbar.This is great for keeping track of what time it is where my flisters are at. Especially Brazil, since the time zone/south of the equator Daylight Savings thing always screws me up.
FoxyTunesNormalFoxyTunes lets you control almost any media player and find lyrics, covers, videos, bios and much more with a click right from your browser.Anything that'll help me rule the world control my computer from my browser works for me. This one handles all my music needs.
Gmail NotifierMUST HAVE!The original notifier for Gmail. Supports checking multiple accounts as well as Gmail Hosted accounts. Development has stopped for this one, so soon I'll probably have to find a new one, which is a shame because nothing beats the simplicity of this one.
Google Image HelpNEW!Helps you perform google image results quickly by allowing view of the full size images directly. I'm hoping this will take the place of Google Images Re-linker, which I miss terribly.
Google ShortcutsNormalDisplay all of your Google Services as buttons just next to your addressbar or anywhere you like it...I like to put it on the menu bar or bookmarks bar, where there's LOTS of unused space perfect for buttons.
GooglepediaNormalShows you a relevant Wikipedia article along with your search results. Clicking links in the article will trigger new Google searches, making it a very useful research tool... LOVE THIS. A quick way of finding a Wikipedia article to glance through while still getting all the Google search results in case you need to go elsewhere.
GreasemonkeyMUST HAVE!Allows you to customize the way a webpage displays using small bits of JavaScript.Absolutely essential for the modern surfer. Here are some LJ-specific scripts to get you started.
gTranslateNormalWith gTranslate you can translate any text in a webpage just by selecting and right-clicking over it. The extension uses the Google translation services to translate the text.Curious about what your foreign flisters are really saying to each other? Just highlight, right-click and choose gTranslate. Babblefish at its finest, of course, but it does give you a sense of the conversation.
HashColouredTabs+NormalImproves tab identification by providing a small colored icon for any site which doesn't have its own 'site icon'. Good for FaviconizeTab and for general overview purposes. It does irk me that you can't pre-pick colors for frequently visited sites, but it's better than nothing.
Hide MenubarNEW!Supports to hide Menu Bar automatically, you can press the ALT key to show it temporarily.So far so good! I rarely use the menu, and having a widescreen monitor means that the browser window is always disproportionate in height, especially when you've done a page search and are downloading something (which I ALWAYS am these days, what with all the DRAMA).
Image ToolbarNormalSingle-click access to common actions for images (e.g. saving, copying, printing). I use it mainly for the Copy Image function, since that's how I transfer screencaps into Photoshop when I'm making icons/picspams.
Image ZoomMUST HAVE!Adds zoom and rotation functionality for images.I use this A LOT. Especially the "zoom to fit" (simultaneous right and left click. Right-click+wheel click restores image to its original size), which I use for icons that I want to take a closer look at and screencaps with higher - or lower! - resolution than my screen.
IMDb PreviewNormalPreview movie & actor posters when hovering over their IMDb links. I use this mainly on LJ. Since it's kind of annoying to have the pop-up pop up immediately when you're actually on IMDb, I set the delay to 500 ms instead of the pre-programmed 100 ms.
LiveJournal HookNormalIntegration of LiveJournal specific tags and text formatting into the right click context menu. The only thing I HATE is that the icon randomizer is preselected. Make sure you uncheck that box immediately unless you want it to pick your icons for you. You can use it on other LJ-compatible sites by listing the site names in the Clones tab under Options.
My Image HereNormal# Replace images on websites with images you select from your local computer. I don't really use this, I just feel more secure knowing I CAN.
NoScriptMUST HAVE!The best security you can get in a web browser!
Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Clickjacking attacks.Yes, it's annoying to allow sites all the time, but it's better than the alternative.
Organize Search EnginesNormal# Organize your search engines with separators and folders. I have TONS of search engines installed, and this is the only way to keep them in check.
Organize Status BarNormalThis extension will enable you to organize your status bar icons. You can now rearrange or remove any item (icon or text) in the Firefox status bar.I used at most half of the stuff that was there before installing this.
PDF DownloadMUST HAVE!Allows to choose if you want to view a PDF file inside the browser (as PDF or HTML), if you want to view it outside Firefox with your default or custom PDF reader, or if you want to download it! Kind of weird to have this as a must have, I admit, but I absolutely LOATHE pdfs opening instead of downloading. I never want a pdf to open in the browser, why can't I disable this?!
post 2 del.icio.usAll but gone...Bookmark the current page at del.icio.usI just can't be bothered to maintain my delicious account, so why I have this is beyond me. I probably installed it in a fit of organizational frenzy and used it for two days before giving up.
Read It LaterNormalSave pages to read later with just one click. When you have time, access your reading list from any computer or phone, even without an internet connection!I mostly use it for fic I don't have time to read right now, but I suck at the follow-up. I'm actually hoping to replace it with Too Many Tabs (below).
Resurrect PagesNormalWhat do we do when a page is dead but we still want to see it? Call in the clerics, and perform a resurrection.I...have nothing to say about this extension.
Save Image in FolderMUST HAVE!Easily save images in personally customized folders.
Save Link in FolderMUST HAVE!Easily save links in personally customized folders.I can't live without these two extensions.
SearchPreviewNormalThe extension previously known as GooglePreview. Inserts preview images (thumbnails) and popularity ranks of web sites into the Google, Yahoo and Bing search results pages. Makes it easy to see at a glance what you're getting before you click on the link.
Smart Bookmarks BarNormalNot enough space on your bookmarks bar? Smart Bookmarks Bar extension comes to the rescue here by hiding bookmarks names and only showing icons. Bookmark names will be displayed on mouse over.More space! Always of the good. I do enable folder names, but then I use symbols instead of naming them, so they don't take up that much space anyway.
Stop AutoplayNormalDisable the autoplay of the embedded music and video. I prefer to open YouTube vids and alike in a background tab, and having music suddenly start to play for no reason either annoys me or freaks me the hell out.
Stop-or-Reload ButtonNormal# Merges the Stop and Reload buttons into one. Space saver! Always of the good.
Tab Mix PlusMUST HAVE!Includes such features as duplicating tabs, controlling tab focus, tab clicking options, undo closed tabs and windows, plus much more. Also includes a full-featured session manager.When the extension isn't updated on Mozilla's site, it can be located here, in the forum.
Tab ScopeNormalPreview and navigate tab contents through popup.Great for use with Favicon Picker 2 and Faviconize Tab.
Too Many TabsNEW!TooManyTabs allows you to store as many tabs as you like by adding extra rows in the Firefox! It saves your browser's space and memory as idle tabs are put aside. The extra rows also help to better prioritize and visualize your tabs.Just installed this, so I haven't had time to fully test drive it, but so far, I'm in love. I've got three rows currently: Downloading, fic and stuff. The downloading row is the one that I find most useful right now since I've got about 15 LJ comm tabs open at any given time. The fic row I'm hoping will replace Read It Later. Other useful stuff: The ability to change the name of the tab (so all fic tabs can start with the fandom) and the ability to apply different colors to tabs (the green ones here are shows I've started downloading but not finished, for instance). Also, you can toggle the TMT bar to show/not show very easily with an icon in the status bar - or you can put an icon anywhere you want. I have a second one next to my Google Shortcuts bar.
Update BookmarkNormalAllows bookmark properties to be set to the current page's properties or to clipboard text quickly via the context menu. Ummmm, I'd forgotten I had installed this? I'll have to use it to know if it's useful or not.
URL AliasNormalBinds short strings typed into address bar to URL patterns, allowing bookmarking sites by keywords and searching from address bar.Ummmm, forgot about this one too. I'm not even sure what it does. Must have found extension recs somewhere...
View Source ChartNormalInspect the DOM at lightning speed. Learn HTML at lightning speed.I've used it a few times, but it's not exactly a part of the daily surfing experience.
Web DeveloperNormalThe Web Developer extension adds a menu and a toolbar with various web developer tools.One of these days, this extension will come in handy, I swear! <-- This is from my post three years ago. Still holds true!
WOT - Safe Browsing ToolNormalWould you like to know which websites you can trust? The WOT add-on is a safe surfing tool for your browser. Traffic-light rating symbols show which websites you can trust when you search, shop and surf on the Web. Just another way of seeing if the link you're clicking on is safe.
Xmarks SyncMUST HAVE!Xmarks is the #1 bookmarking add-on. Keep your bookmarks, passwords and open tabs backed up and synchronized across computers and browsers. THE BEST. THE END.
YouPlayerNormalYouPlayer is a video player with playlist similar to Winamp. You may add/drag a video link into the playlist and watch it or download it. A good way to save links to your favorite YouTube vids.
As you can probably tell from the novel length notes, Too Many Tabs is my favorite find this time around.
Extension StatusDescriptionNotes
Adblock PlusNormalEver been annoyed by all those ads and banners on the internet that often take longer to download than everything else on the page? Install Adblock Plus now and get rid of them.Since the initial set-up, I've rarely thought about this extension. It just does its thing quietly in the background.
Better GCalNormalAdds collapsible header and sidebar, event title text wrap, colored weekend days, week numbers, and skins to Google Calendar.Installed mainly for the "week numbers" feature, but the ability to collapse the header and sidebar turned out to be my favorite.
CalculatorNormalCalculator has an interface similar to Microsoft Powertoy Calculator and it offers great features like history, conversions, many functions..My favorite things about this calculator: History. Saves all my past calculations. Conversions. Converts temperature, mass, volume, length, etc. Invaluable in my line of work.
Chrome ViewNEW!Open a page in Google Chrome.I wanted an extension that integrated Chrome into a Firefox tab, but this will have to do for now.
ClippingsMUST HAVE!Save frequently-entered text for pasting later.I use this for everything from the standard "Thanks!" emails I send to translators when they deliver a file to passwords that Firefox won't save. I'm lost without it.
CoLTNormalCoLT makes it easy to copy either a hyperlink's text or both the link and the link's text.Used to link every item on this list! [Just like the last time I put together this list three years ago.]
Download StatusbarMUST HAVE!View and manage downloads from a tidy statusbar - without the download window getting in the way of your web browsing.Is there anyone who can do without this at this point? It should be integrated into Firefox in my opinion. <-- [What I said three years ago. Still true!]
ErrorZilla ModNormalImplements a useful error page when a website cannot be reached. Will add Try Again, Google Cache, Coralize, Wayback, Ping, Trace, and Whois buttonsI hardly ever use it, but when I do, It's invaluable.
Extended Copy MenuNormalProvides the option to copy selection as plain text or html...Not quite the same as CoLT. Installed to provide an easy way to include images in the copied material. I hate linking images by hand, and thanks to this, Semagic and LiveJournal Hook, I never do.
Fast DialMUST HAVE!Visual bookmarks.Combined with Xmarks and you always get the same fast dial sites on all your computers. I love that "overflow" dials will be put on another screen (that you access by scrolling down) because it means that at work I have the work dials up front and the personal ones on the screen below, and vice versa at home.
Favicon Picker 2NormalTired of that boring default icon next to your bookmarks? This extension adds an interface allowing you to pick the icon for each of your bookmarks.This really helps organize your bookmarks, especially when you use the Smart Bookmarks Bar.
FaviconizeTabMUST HAVE!This extension adds a new "FaviconizeTab" option to the context menu of the tab...Alt+Click on tab to Faviconize it. Considering the number of tabs I keep open, I can't do without this. Not to mention how it helps hide LJ browsing when at work.
FireFTPNormalFireFTP is a free, secure, cross-platform FTP client for Mozilla Firefox which provides easy and intuitive access to FTP servers.Because why NOT have an ftp client in your browser? Still using standalone FTP clients as well, but I use this pretty frequently as well.
FireShotNormalFireShot is a Firefox extension that creates screenshots of web pages. Unlike other extensions, this plugin provides a set of editing and annotation tools.Best screenshot tool out there.
FissionAll but gone...Fission combines address bar and progress bar (Safari style).I'm not sure why I keep this around. Habit?
ForecastfoxNormalGet international weather forecasts from AccuWeather.com and display them in any toolbar or statusbar with this highly customizable and unobtrusive extension.Since I hardly ever watch TV, I need to get my weather forecasts from somewhere.
FoxClocksNormalFoxClocks lets you keep an eye on the time around the world - or just your local time - by putting small clocks in your statusbar.This is great for keeping track of what time it is where my flisters are at. Especially Brazil, since the time zone/south of the equator Daylight Savings thing always screws me up.
FoxyTunesNormalFoxyTunes lets you control almost any media player and find lyrics, covers, videos, bios and much more with a click right from your browser.Anything that'll help me rule the world control my computer from my browser works for me. This one handles all my music needs.
Gmail NotifierMUST HAVE!The original notifier for Gmail. Supports checking multiple accounts as well as Gmail Hosted accounts. Development has stopped for this one, so soon I'll probably have to find a new one, which is a shame because nothing beats the simplicity of this one.
Google Image HelpNEW!Helps you perform google image results quickly by allowing view of the full size images directly. I'm hoping this will take the place of Google Images Re-linker, which I miss terribly.
Google ShortcutsNormalDisplay all of your Google Services as buttons just next to your addressbar or anywhere you like it...I like to put it on the menu bar or bookmarks bar, where there's LOTS of unused space perfect for buttons.
GooglepediaNormalShows you a relevant Wikipedia article along with your search results. Clicking links in the article will trigger new Google searches, making it a very useful research tool... LOVE THIS. A quick way of finding a Wikipedia article to glance through while still getting all the Google search results in case you need to go elsewhere.
GreasemonkeyMUST HAVE!Allows you to customize the way a webpage displays using small bits of JavaScript.Absolutely essential for the modern surfer. Here are some LJ-specific scripts to get you started.
gTranslateNormalWith gTranslate you can translate any text in a webpage just by selecting and right-clicking over it. The extension uses the Google translation services to translate the text.Curious about what your foreign flisters are really saying to each other? Just highlight, right-click and choose gTranslate. Babblefish at its finest, of course, but it does give you a sense of the conversation.
HashColouredTabs+NormalImproves tab identification by providing a small colored icon for any site which doesn't have its own 'site icon'. Good for FaviconizeTab and for general overview purposes. It does irk me that you can't pre-pick colors for frequently visited sites, but it's better than nothing.
Hide MenubarNEW!Supports to hide Menu Bar automatically, you can press the ALT key to show it temporarily.So far so good! I rarely use the menu, and having a widescreen monitor means that the browser window is always disproportionate in height, especially when you've done a page search and are downloading something (which I ALWAYS am these days, what with all the DRAMA).
Image ToolbarNormalSingle-click access to common actions for images (e.g. saving, copying, printing). I use it mainly for the Copy Image function, since that's how I transfer screencaps into Photoshop when I'm making icons/picspams.
Image ZoomMUST HAVE!Adds zoom and rotation functionality for images.I use this A LOT. Especially the "zoom to fit" (simultaneous right and left click. Right-click+wheel click restores image to its original size), which I use for icons that I want to take a closer look at and screencaps with higher - or lower! - resolution than my screen.
IMDb PreviewNormalPreview movie & actor posters when hovering over their IMDb links. I use this mainly on LJ. Since it's kind of annoying to have the pop-up pop up immediately when you're actually on IMDb, I set the delay to 500 ms instead of the pre-programmed 100 ms.
LiveJournal HookNormalIntegration of LiveJournal specific tags and text formatting into the right click context menu. The only thing I HATE is that the icon randomizer is preselected. Make sure you uncheck that box immediately unless you want it to pick your icons for you. You can use it on other LJ-compatible sites by listing the site names in the Clones tab under Options.
My Image HereNormal# Replace images on websites with images you select from your local computer. I don't really use this, I just feel more secure knowing I CAN.
NoScriptMUST HAVE!The best security you can get in a web browser!
Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Clickjacking attacks.Yes, it's annoying to allow sites all the time, but it's better than the alternative.
Organize Search EnginesNormal# Organize your search engines with separators and folders. I have TONS of search engines installed, and this is the only way to keep them in check.
Organize Status BarNormalThis extension will enable you to organize your status bar icons. You can now rearrange or remove any item (icon or text) in the Firefox status bar.I used at most half of the stuff that was there before installing this.
PDF DownloadMUST HAVE!Allows to choose if you want to view a PDF file inside the browser (as PDF or HTML), if you want to view it outside Firefox with your default or custom PDF reader, or if you want to download it! Kind of weird to have this as a must have, I admit, but I absolutely LOATHE pdfs opening instead of downloading. I never want a pdf to open in the browser, why can't I disable this?!
post 2 del.icio.usAll but gone...Bookmark the current page at del.icio.usI just can't be bothered to maintain my delicious account, so why I have this is beyond me. I probably installed it in a fit of organizational frenzy and used it for two days before giving up.
Read It LaterNormalSave pages to read later with just one click. When you have time, access your reading list from any computer or phone, even without an internet connection!I mostly use it for fic I don't have time to read right now, but I suck at the follow-up. I'm actually hoping to replace it with Too Many Tabs (below).
Resurrect PagesNormalWhat do we do when a page is dead but we still want to see it? Call in the clerics, and perform a resurrection.I...have nothing to say about this extension.
Save Image in FolderMUST HAVE!Easily save images in personally customized folders.
Save Link in FolderMUST HAVE!Easily save links in personally customized folders.I can't live without these two extensions.
SearchPreviewNormalThe extension previously known as GooglePreview. Inserts preview images (thumbnails) and popularity ranks of web sites into the Google, Yahoo and Bing search results pages. Makes it easy to see at a glance what you're getting before you click on the link.
Smart Bookmarks BarNormalNot enough space on your bookmarks bar? Smart Bookmarks Bar extension comes to the rescue here by hiding bookmarks names and only showing icons. Bookmark names will be displayed on mouse over.More space! Always of the good. I do enable folder names, but then I use symbols instead of naming them, so they don't take up that much space anyway.
Stop AutoplayNormalDisable the autoplay of the embedded music and video. I prefer to open YouTube vids and alike in a background tab, and having music suddenly start to play for no reason either annoys me or freaks me the hell out.
Stop-or-Reload ButtonNormal# Merges the Stop and Reload buttons into one. Space saver! Always of the good.
Tab Mix PlusMUST HAVE!Includes such features as duplicating tabs, controlling tab focus, tab clicking options, undo closed tabs and windows, plus much more. Also includes a full-featured session manager.When the extension isn't updated on Mozilla's site, it can be located here, in the forum.
Tab ScopeNormalPreview and navigate tab contents through popup.Great for use with Favicon Picker 2 and Faviconize Tab.
Too Many TabsNEW!TooManyTabs allows you to store as many tabs as you like by adding extra rows in the Firefox! It saves your browser's space and memory as idle tabs are put aside. The extra rows also help to better prioritize and visualize your tabs.Just installed this, so I haven't had time to fully test drive it, but so far, I'm in love. I've got three rows currently: Downloading, fic and stuff. The downloading row is the one that I find most useful right now since I've got about 15 LJ comm tabs open at any given time. The fic row I'm hoping will replace Read It Later. Other useful stuff: The ability to change the name of the tab (so all fic tabs can start with the fandom) and the ability to apply different colors to tabs (the green ones here are shows I've started downloading but not finished, for instance). Also, you can toggle the TMT bar to show/not show very easily with an icon in the status bar - or you can put an icon anywhere you want. I have a second one next to my Google Shortcuts bar.
Update BookmarkNormalAllows bookmark properties to be set to the current page's properties or to clipboard text quickly via the context menu. Ummmm, I'd forgotten I had installed this? I'll have to use it to know if it's useful or not.
URL AliasNormalBinds short strings typed into address bar to URL patterns, allowing bookmarking sites by keywords and searching from address bar.Ummmm, forgot about this one too. I'm not even sure what it does. Must have found extension recs somewhere...
View Source ChartNormalInspect the DOM at lightning speed. Learn HTML at lightning speed.I've used it a few times, but it's not exactly a part of the daily surfing experience.
Web DeveloperNormalThe Web Developer extension adds a menu and a toolbar with various web developer tools.One of these days, this extension will come in handy, I swear! <-- This is from my post three years ago. Still holds true!
WOT - Safe Browsing ToolNormalWould you like to know which websites you can trust? The WOT add-on is a safe surfing tool for your browser. Traffic-light rating symbols show which websites you can trust when you search, shop and surf on the Web. Just another way of seeing if the link you're clicking on is safe.
Xmarks SyncMUST HAVE!Xmarks is the #1 bookmarking add-on. Keep your bookmarks, passwords and open tabs backed up and synchronized across computers and browsers. THE BEST. THE END.
YouPlayerNormalYouPlayer is a video player with playlist similar to Winamp. You may add/drag a video link into the playlist and watch it or download it. A good way to save links to your favorite YouTube vids.
As you can probably tell from the novel length notes, Too Many Tabs is my favorite find this time around.