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Do you use Mozilla’s “Firefox” web browser?
No? Still stuck with Internet Explorer because it’s “what you know”? I’ll give you two good reasons to think about changing right now.
One of the great things I find about Firefox, other than its security and unhackability, is how it’s constantly being updated and bettered by “add-on” features. Unlike with the major browser in use today, which changes only when its parent company decides to bring out an entire new version, Firefox is always offering new and exciting stuff. Making your browsing experience easier, quicker and more fun.
You can see a list of the add-ons Firefox is currently recommending by going to https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/recommended. In the meantime, however, I’m going to focus on just two of them.
GDirections
If you’re looking at a website – let’s say, the website of a potential customer – and planning a trip to see them, how do you normally work out your route? You go to Google Maps, Multimaps or another of the online mapping sites, right? You then input your address and ask the website to work out how to get from here to there. It’s not the most time-consuming thing in the world, but there is a much better way.
GDirections will make your life happier. Once you’ve downloaded and installed it, you should first set it up so that it knows where you are. Go to the Firefox browser’s “Tools” drop-down menu. Then “Add-ons”, “GDirections” and “Options”. Insert your home address and make sure you have the right country location selected – UK, in my case. Press “OK” and close the “Add-ons” box.
And that’s pretty much all you have to do! From then on, whenever you see an address you’d like to check out, you simply highlight the postcode (or the full address; it’s up to you, but I find just doing the postcode best) of the place you’re going, right-click, go to “GDirections” and then “home to (address you’re going to)”. The Google Maps page will then open up in another tab with all the information you need. Love it.
This is where you’ll find it: addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1104 .
Clear Fields
If, like me, you spend a lot of time cutting and pasting keyword phrases and URLs into search boxes and navigation windows, you’ll appreciate this add-on.
When you’re doing a search, you have to erase the contents of the field you’ve been using (control + A and then “Delete” or dragging the cursor over everything and “Delete”), which, although simple enough, can be a pain if you’re doing a serious number of searches for several things.
The Clear Fields add-on acts as an eraser. Simply press the eraser icon next to the field you’re about to use (search box, address box, whatever it might be) and then put in what you’re going to look for.
What I’ve written probably sounds a bit lame, and I haven’t really done it justice, but it’s a handy little application that you’ll soon find indispensable. G’wan.
This is where you’ll find it: addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2408 .
All add-ons have been made by programmers not affiliated with Firefox. They just made them (for free) because… Well, becauseYou’re very welcome to reprint any of the Good Business Weekly articles on your website and/or newsletters free of charge, provided:
Daniel O'Connor is a website copywriter, advertising copywriter and marketing copywriter using the name Daniboy. He can be contacted in the UK on +44-1892-518269 or at mail@daniboy.com. Visit http://www.daniboy.com for further details of his services, including bespoke article writing, and more free reprint articles.
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