Mozilla Firefox 3.6.6: My Favorite Add-Ons for Safer Browsing and No Advertisements EVER!

Until I switched to Mozilla Firefox over a year ago, I thought all the hype about this Internet browser was just that: hype. Previously, I insisted on using Internet Explorer because I assumed it was the best suited browser for computers running Microsoft Windows. I was wrong. Here are my personal reasons why Firefox is my favorite browser software ~ and as a bonus, it's totally free and easy to download!

About Mozilla Firefox: This free Internet browser software has been around since 1998 and I'm currently running version 3.6.6. I keep my software current by responding to periodic notifications to update Firefox. I like that Firefox never does anything without asking for my permission.

Background: Several years ago, my computer performance began lagging from viruses, spyware and other downloaded junk which slowed it to a crawl. My spyware software and registry editor made things even worse, eventually leading to my computer not even recognizing my Internet connection! After a tough intervention and total restoration of my PC by a professional, I switched to Mozilla Firefox. Not only does this free web browser let me do everything Internet Explorer ever did, it does so much more ~ I absolutely recommend it and here are some reasons why:

Speed. Firefox claims they are a quick browser which uses less memory to run. I do agree that the browser is lightning fast ~ even on my non-upgraded DSL. As for memory, firefox.exe uses about 350 MB of my total 3 Gigabytes. That's quite a bit more than iexplore.exe, which uses around 45 MB. In any case, I still have tons of memory to spare, but if you're running low on RAM you might want to upgrade before switching to Firefox.

Keeping your PC Secure: Firefox offers a number of built-in security features that guard your internet activity from suspicious links, scripts, phishing and other hazards. You can read much more about each of them from Mozilla's website, so the following tidbits are just a preview.

Anti-Phishing protects you from visiting fraudulent websites which pose as popular companies like Paypal or government agencies.

Outdated Plug-in detection keeps your software updated to ensure protection against new threats and malicious codes unleashed on a daily basis.

Password Manager: you could allow it to save your passwords, but I choose not to.

Anti-virus software compatibility: Firefox supports third-party software. I use AVG anti-virus and it checks my downloads and verifies other websites for safety as I browse.

Pop-up blocker: it's easy to block all pop-ups except for those I want from trusted websites.

Add-ons and Plugins: I can choose from hundreds of add-ons that do everything but brew me an espresso. Some of my favorites are described below, but many plugins like super-quick Java script and others work quietly behind the scenes.

No-Script: Safe browsing is happy browsing. Firefox offers dozens of complimentary programs which enhance your ability to avoid the consequences of visiting annoying, unsafe or phishing sites. My favorite is No-Script. I can see it working by the status icon in the lower right corner of my browser screen. When No-Script is activated, websites are not allowed to run malicious scripts without my approval. I choose which sites I approve (like Epinions.com, of course) and control which sites are allowed to run scripts. I love the total control I feel while No-script is running ~ I am aware of every process which was approved or denied on my PC (there are hundreds; it's frightening when you see how many scripts attempted to run but were denied access).

Ad Blocker Plus: This gem makes surfing the Web as refreshing as drinking from a cool spring after hiking through the desert. It's not a mirage, though. Literally, Ad Blocker Plus stops all advertising from infiltrating my browsing session! You know all those targeted ads which appear on the sidebars of your favorite websites like Facebook or gmail? Well, advertisements are toast with Ad Blocker Plus. They never appear on my screen... EVER! Now, if for some reason you feel like viewing ads, you can turn it off ~ just click the ABP stop-sign icon at the top right of your screen. Me? I never turn it off. I didn't even know Facebook had advertising until my kids turned ABP off and sponsored ads appeared on my page. Yuck! Ad Blocker Plus to the rescue!

Cool Looking Skins: Personas is another totally free add-in which offers hundreds of pretty, colorful or even romantic skins to transform your browser from boring to beautiful. Clicking on Personas gallery lets you choose new looks from abstract to scenic to even cartoons or anime. I like wearing a new persona every day... it's my own little distraction from the big distractions in life, like the Internet.

Bookmark toolbar: Like other browsers, multiple websites are organized by tabs accessible at the top of the browser. You can also drag an open tab to the Bookmarks toolbar, which gives you instant access to your favorite websites. I love the bookmark toolbar because it takes a long time to scroll through my bookmarks list.

Spelling red-alert: I'm persnickety when it comes to proper spelling. Firefox automatically red-lines misspelled words while I'm typing in most dialog boxes on the web. Just right-click on the red-lined word and choose the proper spelling from the list. Funny, one of the only times redlining doesn't work is on Epinions.com. I don't believe redlining is available on Internet Explorer (which my DH insists on using).

Just for fun: I have a poetic streak, and I love that Mozilla rhymes with gorilla, scintilla, chinchilla and even Godzilla. You can't say that about Internet Explorer.

Note: I originally published this article on Epinions.com. The article seems to be invisible to Google search, so I am republishing it on Associated Content. The original article is here: Mozilla Firefox: Ad-blocker-plus, No-script & Personas make Internet Safe and Fun