Firefox - USE ME!

Research has shown that only 25% of the users who download the Mozilla built browser Firefox use it regularly. That is a very good start but not enough...
Why is it so hard to outrun Internet Explorer?

First of all and most importantly - Internet Explorer comes with Windows and is ready to use. There is no additional work for the user and all Windows applications work hand-in-hand with it.

Another part of the users will simply not want to switch because they feel more comfortable with Internet Explorer and don't see the reason why to make the switch.
How to increase the Firefox market share?

Mozilla has build valuable partnerships to further increase their market share. Google Pack now includes Mozilla Firefox. When a user downloads and installs the software pack the possibility is given to choose to install every single item separately but also as a bundle. It is all about the ease of use - and the possibilities are much higher for people to install the software if less work = less hassle is involved.

Mozilla Firefox has agreed on a new strategy with a 12 point plan retention to increase its usage:

1. Change Firefox icon label to resemble action of getting to the Web
2. Put the Firefox icon in a better location
3. Make default browser settings easier to use
4. Big outbound marketing program driving brand recognition
5. Improve download page and first run pages
6. Improve support page
7. Make plug-ins work out of the box
8. Make add-ons and personas more accessible
9. Make the Web feel more human
10. Improve messaging through communications channels
11. Stickier start page
12. Explore Changing the Firefox icon image to closer resemble the action of getting to web

Tetridia's advice - be adventures and you will not regret it: download Firefox !

by Anja Glauch

Who Will Win the Race - Internet Explorer or Firefox

For the first time in a web browser’s era, we are witnessing real action behind a browser other than Internet Explorer. The most browser history we can remember, major and widely accepted internet browser was Internet Explorer.

In late 90s, there was a time when Netscape was trying to claim superiority in that browser market share, but Internet Explorer walk away winning a lions share. However at present, for the first time Microsoft is facing tough competition. The new contender of Internet Explorer is “Firefox”, which is likely to take advantage of the security concerns that is counted as loop holes in Internet Explorer structure.

A browser from the producers of Mozilla, Firefox is drawing massive attention. Firefox is a browser that focuses on opening websites rapidly while keeping malicious pop-ups and spyware a side.

While, at final stages Firefox luckily was picked for the upcoming browser two federal agencies that recommended Internet users to select browser other than Internet Explorer for the first time, because of security concerns.

Internet users began switching over Firefox after facing numerous security issues with Internet Explorer. Users believe that Internet Explorer has not actually been upgraded since beginning of 20s. Users have to download the patch known as Service Pack 2 as well as upgrade their system up to windows XP for more secured Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer use to hold around 95 percent of market share for web browsers but slide down to nearly 92 percent in just the few months. This might seem a few percentage points, but these few percentages depict millions of people who have switched over to Firefox from Internet Explorer.

It shows that Firefox is becoming widely accepted by millions of its fans, for its excellent features such as download speed, outstanding user interface along with its pop-up blocker.

But the biggest advantage for Internet Explorer is that most websites are still built to work best with Microsoft's browsers. It may result that some sites may not sees right or not be accessible at all through internet browser other than IE.

So, who will win this race Internet Explorer or Firefox? If Firefox sustains getting market share as it has at current phase than future is bright for Firefox. But, if Internet Explorer comes out with the solutions for its security issues, it can hold onto its over 90 percent lions share in the browser market.

Whatever, but the fact is that both browsers have had advantages along with security problems and loop-holes. So only the time will show the right answer, just wait and watch.

by: Allen Brown

Why Mozilla Firefox is So Popular?

If we want to understand the reasons behind Firefox success we have to find the origins of the browser. During, September 2002 the first version of the browser was released to the public called Phoenix. The browser was based on Gecko engine from Mozilla Suite. After, a number of releases the name was changed to Firebird but due to a legal dispute it was changed again to Firefox. This browser has received a great deal of publicity as an alternative browser to Internet Explorer.

There are many factors behind Firefox's success but I think the added features and the marketing strategy make a whole lot difference in users' adopting the software. Another thing, I want to add is that Internet Explorer after winning the battle with Netscape's browser was left with no significant changes. Of course, this has changed with the upcoming new version of windows called Vista and a new version of Internet Explorer. I suppose Microsoft is trying to correct some omissions and bugs in various levels of the browser.

We are now going to explore the main features Firefox has at the moment. One of the main goal of the developers working in Firefox is enhanced usability and accessibility for the end user. Tabbed browsing, where you load many pages on the same window, is a valuable feature in Firefox as it can make your browsing a lot faster. Also, pop-up blocking eliminates those irritating ads and the user can easily find information on a particular page using the 'find as you type' feature. The built in search bar includes all the major search engines such as Google, Yahoo etc. and you can add more search engines if you want. People working on the accessibility of the browser have manged to make Firefox work with several screen readers, screen magnifiers and on-screen keyboards. These accessibility features can help people with impairments browse the Internet easier than before.

Another feature Firefox users like very much is that they can customize easily many aspects of the browser. Extensions such as the popular web developer or the Venkman debugger can be added to the browser and enhance the functionality of Firefox. Users, often like to have an appearance according to their preferences so they use different themes in Firefox. Therefore, themes are used to change the visual appearance of the browser.

Security is really important for end users and corporations. Both, want a secure browser that they can trust without the security holes of Internet Explorer and its ActiveX technology. Mozilla Firefox fulfills this requirement mainly by giving the opportunity to other developers to check the code for security bugs and using various successful security techniques and models such as the sandbox security model. In addition, the browser can be used in many different platforms and the source code is freely available for anyone to compile it and contribute to the project.

We have seen numerous features that Firefox has but I would like to talk a little bit about the marketing strategy that is used. The development of the browser is supported by search engines Google and Yahoo through partnerships and mostly by the open source community. Mozilla Foundation which is responsible for the development of the browser believes that community based marketing can be successful. They have proven their point by using a community based marketing web site called spreadfirefox.com. They were able to place an ad on New York Times through donations made by the community of developers and devotees during the release of Firefox 1.0.

The secret behind Firefox's success is the valuable features available for the user and the enthusiastic community which helps financially through donations and spreads the word.

By Giannis Sfyrakis

Website Design Browser - Firefox the Top Choice for Website Design

Website Design just got easier. Using Firefox extensions you can load your browser with an array of tools that make website design a streamlined process. Found under the Tools menu, Extensions will make your web design much easier. In todays competitive field of website design one needs to consider factors like validation, accessibility and cross browser display.
With Firefox browser extensions you can:

Edit CSS in the browser

Disable CSS

Validate for Xhtml, CSS and 508

Display Overlays over page that have block size info, ID and Class details, Access keys or Anchors

The list could continue on forever. One thing I like is the ability to add a style sheet to a page. If I am trying something new I can add a different style sheet and see how it looks without having to upload anything or change html in the head tag. As a learning tool extensions will help you learn as you surf the web. Ever seen a cool layout and you just can't figure out how they did that. Well now with firefox extensions you can easily take a look at the CSS file or view a color coded source all from in your browser.
When you want to check how your page looks in other pages Firefox extensions have that aspect of website design covered as well. You can easily check how your page would look in all the major browsers or if you have them installed then you can load the page in that browser with one click.
Firefox is by far the choice for all web designers. If you are not using firefox I would urge you to start. You can find the extensions page at https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/


By Angelo Tremonte

Optimizing with Firefox

One piece of software any optimizer should love is Firefox. Now some may say "Why Firefox, it's only a browser?" Yes, it's a browser, but one that supports a big variety of plugins, some of them very useful for search engine optimization. So let's see what those plugins are:

1. SEOpen ( https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/570/ ): this is one of the best and most used Firefox seo plugins, and has many tools that make it a favorite of mine. So let's see what it can do:

* in Google it can check for: backlinks, indexed pages, related pages, cache and PageRank.
* in Yahoo and MSN: backlinks and indexed pages.
* for Alexa: overview, traffic details, backlinks and related sites.
* keyword density of the most used words on the page.
* DMOZ checker: see if the site is included in the directory.
* check for robots.txt.
* validator to check your page for errors (it uses the validator from www.w3.org).

There are other things, but these are the most important.

2. SEO Links
( http://www.webmasterbrain.com/seo-tools/firefox-extensions/seo-links/ ) is another extension I use everyday. When the extension si active and you hover over a link a tooltip will appear that will show you Yahoo, MSN, and Google link popularity and ranking data for the URL and anchor text pair. When you're simply browsing this can be annoying, but you can simply deactivate it with a right-click!

This could be very easily used to check your search engine rankings for a certain page, and here is how: write up a list with all the keywords and keyphrases that you want to rank for, and then link those words or phrases to the web pages associated with them!

Now every time you want to check your ranks activate the SEO Links extension and hover over the links -- you will see where your pages are in Google, Yahoo and MSN.

3. Don't waste anymore of your precious screen real estate just to find out what your PageRank and AlexaRank is! SearchStatus ( https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/321/ ) can sit anywhere you want (I keep it in the status bar) and you'll receive the precious info at a glance. But this little tool can do a lot more than that:

* it shows what metatags a site has
* checks for backlinks and indexed pages in Google, Yahoo and MSN
* it shows the robots.txt file
* keyword density report function
* and best of all: the highlight "nofollow" links will show you what links will be followed by search engine spiders -- very useful when you want to submit your site to a directory and don't know if it will matter from a seo perspective.

So in case you're not using Firefox, go get it! It could be your best friend when it comes to search engine optimization!

By Florin Costache

Is Mozilla Firefox Really a Secure Browser?

Many people use Internet Explorer everyday as their primary browser because it comes pre-installed with their home PC, but doing so poses a significant threat if you are not a sophisticated computer user.

It's easy to understand why if you know some history about the browser wars. In 1,995 Netscape grew extremely fast and in a very short time gained almost 90% market share waking up the giant Microsoft that started rapid improvements in his own browser making version after version almost every year. Suddenly, once Internet Explorer became the dominant browser, Microsoft stopped new developments.

Although Microsoft Internet Explorer is the dominant browser with more than 85% market share, Firefox is steadily gaining ground because of its many features and greater security. Internet Explorer was designed very fast to take Netscape out of the market, but in the process to add features his security was left behind.

Firefox can help you protect from very serious threats like: viruses, spyware and other malware because it's harder for this malware to get through your browser and get installed in your PC.

Although Firefox is more secure than Internet Explorer, all computer users should also have a personal firewall, antivirus software and a spyware cleaner. Also, some knowledge about general security could help minimize your exposure.

By Andres Berger Copyright 2006 – Andres Berger contributes on various topics about the Firefox Browser.

How To Soup Up Your Firefox Browser

Most experts agree that the free Firefox browser from Mozilla is superior to Internet Explorer. For one thing, it has a feature called Tabs that lets you have many different web pages loaded at the same time and then just “tab” back and forth between them.

But you can soup up Firefox and make it even better and even more versatile, thanks to a feature called Extensions.

What are Extensions?

Extensions are like after-market accessories you can add to your car. For example, if you car did not come equipped with a DVD player, you might choose to add one. Extensions is the same sort of thing – accessories you can add to Firefox to make it even more versatile.

How do you get Extensions? Just click on Tools and then scroll down to and click on Extensions. The screen that opens will show any updates you need to be aware of and then a list of Extensions that have already been added to your copy of Firefox.

Four neat extensions

Next, click on the link Get More Extensions. This opens a list of the Most Popular Firefox Extensions. You can scroll down this list to see which Extensions you would like to add to your Firefox. A good one to start with is Adblock, which lets you filter out annoying ads at their source-address.

The second Extension I like is ForecastFox. This neat, little add-on lets you automatically get weather forecasts from AccuWeather.com and display them on your toolbar or status bar. Two other Extensions I recommend are Scrapbook and Answers. Scrapbook lets you save web pages and more easily manage collections of pages. Once you install Answers, you can just hold down Alt (or Option on a Mac) and click on any word to get a quick definition, an up-to-the-minute reference and more. However, to get Answers, you will have to search for it by typing Answers in the Firefox Add-ons Search box at the top, right hand part of the page.

How easy is it to install these Extensions?

Installing one of these Extensions is simplicity itself. Just click on the Extension and you will go to a page with a description of the Extension and an Install Now button. Click on this button and then Install Now. The Extension will be downloaded to your computer, then, in most cases, you will see a message that the Extension will be automatically installed next time you open Firefox.

So, go ahead. Find the Extensions that can make your browsing experience easier and more fun. It will be like turning your car into a custom hot rod.

Something else that's neat and free is a new technology called HD Radio that enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally. These digital broadcasts provide listeners with radically improved audio quality, more radio channels through multicasting, and new data services. To learn more about this amazing new technology, just go my Web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz.

By Douglas Hanna Platinum Quality Author Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of moe than 100 articles on HD radio, the Internet and family finances. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Douglas_Hanna

Mozilla Vs. Firefox

For those who are unclear on the differences between the Mozilla package (Netscape is also comparable to Mozilla except they're two different companies) and Firefox / Thunderbird, here it is:

• Mozilla is a complete package meaning it comes with email, browser, address book, newsgroup, and chat applications integrated.
• FireFox is a stand-alone browser application. It doesn't have email built-in. There is a chatzilla extension available.
• Thunderbird is the stand-alone email application. It doesn't have a browser built-in. The address book is included.
• If you use Mozilla for email and click on a link within an email, it will open them in Mozilla not FireFox even when FireFox is the default browser.
• The applications are similar, yet different. The look and feel is different. It requires experiencing it for yourself to understand this.
• Commands and features are not identical. For instance, Mozilla has F9 to open the sidebar with search, history, bookmarks, etc. whereas FireFox only opens Bookmarks and History in the sidepanel via Ctrl+B and Ctrl+H respectively. There are a few extensions to do more with this.
• FireFox has fewer options because it doesn't have other applications integrated with it, which can make it easier to modify.

At this point, Mozilla is tapering off while Mozilla.org moves forward with its brightest star, Firefox.

By Meryl K. Evans Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meryl_K._Evans

What Is All The Craziness About The Firefox Browser?

The Firefox Browser is a hot topic among computer professionals because they know that this browser has many features than his counterpart, Internet Explorer from Microsoft, don't have. Microsoft has been very busy updating his software recently, although they haven't touched it for 6 years after they wiped out Netscape from the market in 2,001, but Microsoft normally acts this way, they only fix their software when things go wrong.

First of all, Firefox is a better-designed browser. No hurry to get more market share, as in case of Microsoft, makes people design systems better. The better is designed a system, the easier it is to update and to maintain, because the subsystems work between each other in a coordinated way.

Next comes the better navigational system. Firefox was the first to include tabbed browsing to allow multiple websites in the same window. If you try to do this with Internet Explorer 6.0, you will end up with so many windows opened that it could crash your computer.

You can update the functionality of the software. Instead of creating bloated software with an enormous list of features, the Mozilla Foundation created a solid piece of software that could be expanded every time users wish, using a component called "plugins". There are many plugins that you can add to Firefox to make it friendlier.

One important feature is the printing facility. Internet Explorer does not behave well while printing documents, but Firefox could adjust the size of the document to fit the page you are using.

The standards are also respected in Firefox. Maybe you don't mind about this, but a browser that respect web standards, help developers create web pages that look the same in other browsers and other devices. Microsoft added non-standard features on purpose so when developers started using them, these web sites looked very ugly in all other browsers. This is the main reason why many people thought that Internet Explorer was the best browser for a long time.

The most important thing about Firefox is that it was designed with security in mind. Firefox alerts about "Phishing" web sites. Those are web sites that look like the real thing, but are owned by other people which are able to read all what you type in there, including your login name, password, your personal data and all you write in the fake site. Last year, "Phishing" sites defrauded more than 2 million people, converting this kind of risk in the most important in the line of "identity theft". Fortunately, Firefox helps you identify this kind of web pages, blocking access to those sites.

Although Firefox is a terrific tool to help you stop many threats from the Internet, it is very helpful that you know which are the many possible threats in order to reduce the probability to be the target of cyber-criminals that want to dry up your bank account in a blink of an eye.

Computer Expert writes often about the Firefox Browser. Thousands are now receiving this free course on computer security, explained very easily, in plain English so even a 6 year old could understand.

http://modzilla.safecomputer.org By Andres Berger Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andres_Berger