Get back the Black Bar Toolbar on Google

Why do Google remove efficient mouse based UI's for favor touch screen based UI's on PC platforms?  After the trouble everyone was having with the Google Compose in Gmail, this is another nail in the coffin.

The issue access to apps like "Drive",  "Calendar", "News", etc is NOW restricted by the need to navigate a grid all the way on the right side of the screen.  This focus stealing design is no way efficient and only tailors a user experience for touchscreen users.
What used to be "Look, Point, Click" is now, "Scroll Right, Click, Look, Read, Click".

Great F*ckin Work

There is a solution for the new time robbing issue:
Install Stylish from Userstyles.org or from FF Addons page.
Install Google black nav bar returns from the Userstyles.org page.

On a serious note, these stop gap solutions just to gain user efficiency is wearing thin.  And it is of a similar road to being frustrated with all the baggage tolerated using Microsoft Windows products, which lead to finding alternatives.


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Get the Gmail Compose back on Firefox source code xpi oldcompose

I hate the new compose apart from resorting to Thunderbird, there was no viable solution.  Several people suggested oldcompose.com, which offers a Chrome and Firefox extension to give back the classic gmail compose interface.

Apart from bringing back the compose window like the way is should be, the extension also displays email addresses in the TO field in full text.

The link to the Firefox xpi addon page is here.

Inside the xpi archive there are three files:

• bootstrap.js
• icon.png
• install.rdf

The files appear not to have any malicious code or call home urls.







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Firefox Progress of Ongoing Downloads Revert to old style

Once again, like the pdf thing that Mozilla did a while back.  The new download window:

• Takes up a whole tab
• Cannot be resized
• Blocks any bookmarks on your bookmarks toolbar

Unfortunately the only fix to the old style, aka, before FF21 is to do two things:

• Revert from private browsing (Preferences > Privacy > History > Custom Settings)
•  Open about:config and toogle browser.download.useToolkitUI to TRUE

Un-tick private browsing :(

The analogy is that private browsing does not remember any downloading history, so the browser.download.useToolkitUI change will not show any downloads in the old style list.



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Ghostery, it's better than nothing or is it

Ghostery is probably better than nothing but several facts exist.

1. Ghostery filters are updated by Ghostery company Evidon, Inc themselves.  This feel a little closed source for me, it means that they could white list some trackers if they felt like. 
2. Ghostery is closed source, they claim that you can look thought their xpi package to see what is inside it, but that is like M$ asking their someone to look into their exe file to see what is inside.
3. You may not disassemble or reverse engineer Ghostery for any purpose other than reviewing the code for personal edification, so much for trying to be open source soon...
4. Participating in the GhostRank program (default)  This is a no-brainer.
5. Merger, Sale, or Reorganization of Evidon
   If Evidon should ever file for bankruptcy, or have its assets sold to or merged with another entity, information Evidon receives from you, from the Website, is an Evidon asset and may be transferred.
6. And this: http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/31/ghostery-a-web-tracking-blocker-that-actually-helps-the-ad-industry/
   
   "After all, the thinking goes, many ad networks sell their advertisements via real-time bidding, so they often lack a clear idea of where their tags are appearing. In short, online ad networks are just as hungry for information about web users as they are for data about themselves. Ghostery gives them that information."
   "This gives Evidon a clear target market and even clearer plan of attack: Use Ghostery users to build the tracker database, then turn around and license the data to ad networks who can use the data to bolster their own efforts."

So in essence, the use of Ghostery is helping ads networks find better and more covert ways to track you online presence and these guys are using you to make a nice little database....
I'm not bothering to go any further and look at the chatter on the wire, do not install it.  Stick with adblock-lite +Fanboy Adblock List + Tracking List + Annoyance Block List.

If you still don't get it, too bad your a sad panda.

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Disable Firefox Built in PDF Viewer and get your power back

Why do these fucks at Firefox implement shit that without asking permission first.  New in Firefox 19, a built-in pdf viewer that makes me wretch like watching the bad old win32 Adobe pdf plugin.  Worst of all it is selected to be on by default!

Heres how to get ones freedom of choice back.

Navigate to Edit -> Preferences -> Applications and search for 'pdf', Set it to 'Always Ask'.

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Linux Mate Mint, Firefox Open Download Folder launches Nautilus

Where:  Firefox in Linux Mint Mate
Problem:  Nautilus is invloked instead of Caja
How:  Right clicking a downloaded file from the downloads dialog and selecting 'Open Containing Folder' Triggers it.

Solution:  in mate menu look for preferred application under preferences menu

If the drop down box is blank, reselect mate file manager.

These solutions below did not work or might of helped?  Source

in about:config
create two bolean strings and set both to TRUE
network.protocol-handler.expose.file
network.protocol-handler.external.file
Create a string and add 'caja' to this
network.protocol-handler.app.file

~/.local/share/applications/mimeapps.list
add line
inode/directory=caja-folder-handler.desktop;

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Displaying multiple web pages on a single web page

Source: http://www.sevenforums.com/browsers-mail/152344-multiple-web-pages-1-screen-page.html

If you like to keep a eye on multiple web pages without flooding tabs here is a way to do it.

I know there are FF extensions that can do this.

http://pastebin.com/z33nh5tw

<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
http-equiv="content-type">
<title></title>
</head>
<body>
<table style="width: 1000px;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%"><iframe src="http://slashdot.org" style="width: 500px; height: 400px;"></iframe><br>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%"><iframe src="http://slashdot.org" style="width: 500px; height: 400px;"></iframe><br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%"><iframe src="http://slashdot.org" style="width: 500px; height: 400px;"></iframe><br>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%"><iframe src="http://slashdot.org" style="width: 500px; height: 400px;"></iframe><br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</body>
</html>

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[solved] How to run manage multiple ebay / gmail accounts on firefox

If you want to log into multiple ebay accounts on firefox for shill bidding / selling etc,  it is simple.

Just create multiple profiles, the example below is for Linux

Copy these instructions before going any further.

Close firefox

In the command line type "firefox -P"

Click "add profile" and call it "default2", don't overwrite your existing profile or your bookmarks will be lost.  Create as many profiles as you need!

Close off the profile manager

Now you can create a shortcut for you new profile
"firefox -no-remote -P default2"

So your original firefox shortcut will open the "default" firefox profile and your new shortcut will open the profile called "default2", notice that profile default2 has no bookmarks etc.

You can now change the appearance / settings of the profile default2 to match whatever.  I made mine look like a different colour.

Works for multiple gmail accounts, twitter, facebook the list goes on and on.  It will never work for accounts that rely on IP addresses like file download sites i.e oron or rapidshare.


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Turn off Google Instant [Solved]

I hate google instant when using Firefox.  It steers away from my original search terms, and on flaky connections it is a pain in the arse.

The settings on google, to turn off instant are cookie based and depending on your browser settings, instant my be back on when you restart your browser.  So many people have complained on the web about this and still google have not done anything to help the people out.

Frequent complaints include:

• Steering away from the users original search terms.
• Network congestion from multiple call backs to google servers.
• Halting of instant due to multiple call backs causing instant to freeze.
• The ability to opt out of instant not sticking on browsers.

There have been a few solutions on the web so far, some which have temporally worked or not at all.  These include Firefox / Greasemonkey plugins.

Only one solution so far has seemed to work, i involves changing setting on browser and is not cookie or session based.  This solution will not follow you around but at least will disable instant on the computer you set it on, and it will stick.

Reference:  http://www.ehow.com/how_7190054_disable-instant-search-permanently-firefox.html

Press the "Ctrl" and letter "N" keys to open a new Firefox browser window. Type "About:Config" in the address bar. Press the "Enter" key.

Read the warning. Press the "I'll Be Careful, I Promise!" button.

Type "Firefox" in the blank field labeled "Filter."

Double-click on the following entry to open a dialog box: "general.useragent.extra.firefox."

Type "www.google.com" into the blank field. Click the "OK" button to close the dialog box. Exit out of the browser window.

Open a new Firefox browser session and navigate to Google's search engine page. Begin typing in search terms and notice no instant!

How to add Secure Google to Firefox

Surfing the web is great, but there is always a possibility that someone could be listening in on your traffic.  Running SSL encrypted sessions help, as long as you attentive enough to check the verifying signature and it possibly? could give you a indication if someone is doing a MITM attack + SSLSTRIP at the same time.

Google have introduced SSL encrypted searches some time ago, the search address can easily be recognised by the https:// URL and the indication of a padlock on the bottom left hand corner of the Firefox browser.

To add Secure Google search in firefox:

Go to Firefox add-ons page and search for Secure Google, proceed add it to Firefox.

 
 Once that is done, select Secure Google Search from the search bar.

Enjoy secure searches, note the verification authority and the https:// in the URL bar.

Gumtree Perth Not working on Firefox [Solved]

I recently have been having trouble placing Ads on Perth Gumtree, it seems that the AdBlock Plus Subscription was causing blocking of the placement of a new ad.  Disabling the plugin allowed Ads to be placed however it was not the best method of dealing with it.

I decided to track the problem down using AdBlock Plus Diagnostics which proved useful.

Problem:  Placing a Ad on Gumtree was not working on Firefox while AdBlock Plus was enabled.

Installed AdBlock Plus Diagnostics to see what was being blocked.

Edited my AdBlock Plus subscription to disable kijiji from being blocked.

Placing a advert on Gumtree now works!

Thank you AdBlock.org for providing such a great program, saving everyone visual confusion and speeding up the net!