Tips, Toys, and Temptations for Firefox, Livejournal and Gmail (Summer 2010)

[wanderlustlover]

It's been over a year since my last one of these and I've fallen in love with a handful of programmable bits since then, so I thought it was time for an update.

Smart to warn you guys that it's a plethora of Firefox, which will then be followed with some things which are more related to Livejournal regardless of the Firefox. Let me also warn you most of this is background stuff because I rather passionately dislike even having one additional bar added to the top of my screen, so if something goes up there it's a very small icon somewhere without creating another line. And I edit the bars smaller and thinner often (right-click the bar area, choose customize and go crazy).


Firefox Add-ons

• Adblock Plus
  This removes ads from web-pages all over. Helpful for things with blinking, flashing ads that drive me crazy.


• Add to Search Bar
  One of my all around favorite finds of the last year. Have a website you love surfing and searching for things on? For shopping? Or fandom? Or any kind of information? This add-on makes it possible to add the search box from that website into the search in Firefox's browser. A tiny sampling of my created ones includes Livejournal Interests, Bartley, Etsy, Dictionary.com and IMDB.


• All-in-One Sidebar
  Another 2008-2009 fav find. You can run Bookmarks, History, Downloads, Add-Ons, Multipannels, and get page information in an expanding side-bar. Firefox EBay Companion opens in it, as well. I did futz with it so the downloads don't show up for me. I've recently become massively in love with its Add-On Recommendations page, too. And I'm in love with its ability to conceal down to the thinnest tiny bar on the side, meaning it doesn't take up my browser space.


• AutoPager
  A recent find that makes life brilliantly easier. Do you use websites that incessantly need you to hit Next Page. This solves that problem for many (but not all of course) by loading the next pages as you simply scroll down the page, never having to hit that link again. It's now invaluable to my Etsy and EBay wanderings.


• Cooliris
  My hands down favorite add-on to date. No write up I do will ever do this program justice. It's overwhelmingly pretty and made to be used to look over pictures and videos very quickly. It works both with the internet and with your own computer. You can scroll through everything, stop and look at things clearer, favorite them, go to their actual websites. I've done the news, my icons, people's picture galleries and work Google searches through it in the bare week I've had it. I'm never letting this one slip through my fingers. If you don't look at any other add-on I talk about go see this one.


• Download Status bar
  I love this little program. You get to watch the status of multiple downloads at the very bottom of your screen, without it taking up more room, and hovering over it will bring you all the information you could want on the file's progress. Very helpful.


• DownThemAll!
  Very recently I finally figured out how to use this program. Since that moment I've been using it nearly every day to other day. It makes the download amazingly faster and smoother, doesn't take up space I need to be watching, or any of my internets that I can tell.


• eBay Sidebar
  Keep an eye on your eBay listings without needing to open the page to it. It’s a free, convenient, lists what you've bid on as well as what you're watching or selling. If you lose something it will give you examples of other things exactly like it. Has a refresh that keeps you up-to-date with how old/new the information you're looking at is.


• Fasterfox
  Dramatic speed increases, tweaks for performance, a page load timer, and a clock for pop-ups all in one nice neat package.


• FoxClocks
  A truly beautiful and amazing invention. In the lower bottom bar little times area for the zones you program. This works well for scheduling writing with people in other countries, as well as is starting to get me adjusted to what time it will be in Korea for me while everyone is on a different schedule her at home.


• Greasemonkey
  One of the most beautiful things I was ever introduced to, this application allows you to customize your way through web pages with the smallest bits of JavaScript.
  
• Always link to full Live Journal user info
  
• Livejournal Preview Images from Inside the Cut - Displays a preview image
  
• LJ Autologin - Automatic logins during those pesky lj login forgetting moments.
  
• LJ Clean Friends - Kills tables and forms that are quizzes. Sets maximum size allowed.
  
• LJ Inline Expander - Open lj-cuts, read comments and unfold comment threads all on your friends page.
  
• LJ Instant Tag - Easy access, one click tagging.
  
• LJ Message Center: Delete Multiple Subscriptions - Cleans out subscriptions faster
  
• LJ Message Center: Quick Track - Track entries with one click, no other opening page.
  
• LJ Message Center: Tracking Subscriptions/Notifications - More tracking, conveniently in your inbox.
  
• LJ Parent Quick-View - Easier way to see the main thread.
  
• LJ Taglister
  
• LJ Thread Unfolder - Expand nested discussion threads without going to a new page.
  
• Show Latest Post on LJ Userinfo - Latest post onna profile
  
• Text Area Backup - Saves text which goes missing in hiccups.


• IE Tab
  A pretty self-explanatory add-on. This opens an IE tab in Firefox, as certain websites are browser specific and this eliminates the need for keeping both programs.


• ImTranslator
  Still playing this one, but it's supposed to be a truly amazing translator service for websites and words. Which I can use for my writing, my gaming, and just plain living in Korea.


• Java Console
  Enables me to monitor and debug applets that pop up here and there.


• LastPass
  The last information saving device I ever needed to find. This stores passwords, addresses, and almost all information you enter into any form you enter on the internet. Convenience at my finger tips for log-ins, switching, and nearly everything that involves using my information in this country.


• Lazarus: Form Recovery
  New as of last night, but it's supposed to save all writing in a crash, which would be heavenly given livejournal posts, writing, and tags.


• Linkification
  A beautiful, well loved on program that changes all text links into genuine, clickable links. Works well with the No-Referrer.


• LiveJournal Hook
  Another one for handling amazing amount of information htmling for while writing comments. Also, this supplies a wonderful thread that randomizes which icon you post with at each response, which I love playing with.


• LJlogin
  Another time saver, this program allows you to switch livejournal accounts with the tap of a button. No more signing in and out and dealing with extra screens. It's at the bottom of your screen. You open it with a click, which brings up the list of all your accounts, you tap the one you want, and bam, your now logged in to that account.


• MR Tech Toolkit
  Everything Extension List Dumper was and wanted to be and more. This is so convenient and catalogs everything, makes lists in different formats. Keeps track of everything you had and have, what’s working, what's waiting on updates, what your plug-ins are.


• No-Referer
  Allows you to open links without the http header involved.


• Openhxxp
  There are specific places online you'll see link done as hxxp or h**P or etc. This program makes it so you don't have to fix them, just right click and open them like a normal link.


• Screengrab
  Pretty self explanatory. This can be used to grab copies of the screen you're looking at anywhere.


• Session Manager
  It saves and restores the state of all windows - either when you want it or automatically at startup and after crashes. Additionally it offers you to reopen (accidentally) closed windows and tabs.


• SkipScreen
  Skips unnecessary pages on sites like Rapidshare, Megaupload, zShare, Mediafire, and more.


• SmarterFox
  It helps you to browse faster by speeding up common tasks. Helps with searching for information, browsing Wikipedia, visiting your favorite sites, copy & paste, and more.


• Sun Cult
  Very, very, very convenient witchy add-on. This one gives you worldwide sunrise, sunset, twilight start and finish, moonrise, moonset, next full moon, and present moon phase. If you don't have it, I advise it. I use it to schedule things and when I don't need it the moon and sun hang out in the corner very innocuously.


• Surf Canyon - Search Engine Assistant
  Make your search systems work even more for you. On your search pages Interclue puts an icon you can click on that will lead you to more links like the one which is appropriate to what you are looking for, without switching pages. Another this week pick up but very convenient thus far.
  
  
• Tab Counter
  Just a small number in the high corner keeping track of how many tabs I have open.


• Tab Mix Plus
  Tab Mix Plus enhances Firefox's tab browsing capabilities. It includes such features as duplicating tabs, controlling tab focus, tab clicking options, undo closed tabs and windows, plus much more. It also includes a full-featured session manager.


• TabRenamizer
  Allows you to edit the names of your tabs and change the icons in them. Totally not used for sneaky things, like hiding what’s on a page, or telling at a quick glance who's threading together in that tab.


• WOT
  WOT, Web of Trust, warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam.
  
  
• Xmarks
  Xmarks is the #1 bookmarking add-on. Install it on all your computers to keep your bookmarks and (optionally) passwords backed up and synchronized. This has saved me so many random times it’s not funny. Invaluable and here forever.


Livejournal (and Livejournal-to-Desktop/Desktop-to-Livejournal) Toys

• Joule
  A friendly friend-of monitor, that tracks all of your history as you've checked through it. It's rather amazing to see who's come and gone (and come and gone and come) across the years. The patterns of your life and interests.


• Last.fm
  The connection to the social musical revolution, that I use mostly to follow my friends on one side, and on the other, because the beautiful little gadget they've made which displays on my livejournal userinfo what music I've been listening to recently on my computer. It's fun to swap and share music, getting new tastes and exploring new genres.


• ljArchive
  A program frequently unknown for some reason, I have almost everything I've ever written in every journal on my computer because of this program--including full posts and comments. It contains everything by date, downloads all new posts each time you open it, and boasts a rather masterful search engine to check through all your posts and comments (which has come in quite handy over these many years).


• LJ Book
  Handy, dandy program for turning your journal into a PDF which can be printed, bound, etc. I plan to get this done by year for mine someday. I will hold on to it. You should go have fun playing with it. The options are rather fun.


• Semagic
  This is my livejournal client of choice, because I can effect and control so much of how my content comes to me or goes from me through it. I love the midnight birthday posts, the dictionary options, the helpful extra html, previewing, and much more.


• RSS Feeds
  I, personally, love the ability to create RSS feed ability. (Perhaps even more than finding ones already there waiting for me.) I follow a handful of cartoons. If you have a journal not on here, and I'm really all about following you, I will create one. Like the one I did for Terry Moore's blog, or eiluned's peace one, or toshichan's traveling one, etc. It's very, very convenient, and I don't mind creating them for people if they need them either.
  
  
• Loud Twitter
  Presently in a crash, burn and DNR state, I'm holding out hope because I'd really fallen in love with the shipping of my Twitter comments during the day to my journal. Twitter which, while it was a place to rambles at times, also became the way I recced everything from small daily moments to pics, vids, fics, news articles and more.


Gmail Labs
Haven't played with Gmail Labs before? You can do so under the tab for it in Settings.


• YouTube, Picasa & Flickr Previews in Mail
  I'm not a big fan of YouTube exactly, but you've probably gotten the drift if I cannot leave my current tab I'm happier than anything. This makes it so YouTube videos which are e-mailed to you (mine frequently coming in from friends or from updated subscriptions) can be watched without navigating away from the e-mail that sent you the link/update. Very useful and never complicating. Oh, I'll toss my Picasa and Flickr ones for the same thing in here. Same thing.
  
  
• Superstars
  A good, multicolor and shape, fashion in which to label e-mails by offering even more changes to the star highlight.
  
  
• Sender Time Zone
  Invaluable to the girl in Korea, or any random country, this little whiz makes fast work of what time it is in my senders world.
  
  
• Forgotten Attachment Detector
  This beauty actually reads your e-mail looking for certain words, and if it thinks you meant to put an attachment in and forgot to actually upload the attachment a box pops up. Very helpful for those of who get distracted by the sudden random anything of life.
  
  
• Authentication icon for verified senders
  Does what it says on the label. Specifically for eBay and PayPal.
  
  
• Undo Send
  Another on the one label easy one! Hit "Send" too soon? Stop messages from being sent for a few seconds after hitting the send button.
  
  
• Search Autocomplete
  Provides search suggestions for contacts and operators as you type in the search box. Very helpful little thing.