Firefox rather than IE?

garibaldired · Post by **garibaldired** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 1:05 pm

Thanks everybody for all your advice.

I see Microsoft will have a patch ready for download at 6 pm tonight!

Meg

Post by **paddyscar** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:57 pm

Thanks Susan. You and Bob have both kept it simple for me and others like me.

Frances

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:48 am

Anybody,

Are you a Firefox user who sits down at a computer which only has Internet Explorer installed and thinks you’re having a nightmare?

There’s a portable version of Firefox (and many other programs). Just install it onto a USB thumb drive along with your profile folder (favourites etc), plug it into any computer anywhere and you’ll have Firefox exactly as it appears on your computer at home.

See Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition, under Internet on this page http://portableapps.com/apps

Alan

Post by **paddyscar** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:13 am

Hi Bob and Susan:

I've downloaded Firefox and at the end of its launch, it asks do you want to import your cookies, history and favourites so I didn't even have to make use of your helpful directions.

I am amazed at the quality of the display! It's like getting new glasses - I can see! I can see!

Thanks for your help,
Frances

Post by **Tracey** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:23 am

So, having read all the replies to the original question i still dont see a reply explaining how Firefox may protect you from the concerns that Meg has ?
There is confilicting and no convincing advice i can see in the above links to change over

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:14 am

Hi Tracey
See the news item concerning IE
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7788687.stm

For anyone wishing to cause trouble (of the criminal type), Microsoft products are the No.1 target to exploit as they are the most widely used across the globe. It is not impossible that someone might develop code to exploit some weakenss in the code for Firefox, or any other browser for that matter, as you can see in the news item, but it is less likely as they would not reach so many targets that way.

Many people also just prefer one browser to another for various reasons: some browsers will display a web page more quickly than others for example, some have a more slick user interface, and some people prefer to use anything that does not contain the word "Microsoft" in order to prevent world domination.....

Best wishes
Lesley

Archiver · Post by **Archiver** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:47 pm

The security flaw in IE was only affecting IE, not any other browser. So by changing to Firefox, you are no longer at risk from potential breaches. Microsoft have released a security patch now however.

Firefox does look slightly different to IE, but not much. It uses tabs, like IE7 (though it was using them before IE7 was released) but other than that, there's not much difference in functionality.

Favourites and cookies can be imported from IE when you change to Firefox as has been said, so you won't 'lose' them.

FF also has some excellent add-ons which can be used, such as an Ad Block feature. Installing this from the Mozilla site means that you can block adverts, thus making some webpages load faster (I've heard this makes a big difference on GenesReunited).

So all in all, it is now down to preference since IE have released their update. If you like IE, stick with it, but FF has different features which can be added to your browser to make life on the internet a little bit safer and easier. FF is generally accepted to be more secure than IE, even before this security breach.

Edit - Lesley & I appear to have posted at the same time!

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:30 pm

Another useful Firefox add-on is IE Tab for use on those occasional web sites written specifically and corruptly for IE that don’t work quite right with Firefox. And if text on most web sites is a little too small for comfort try No Squint and increase the text size only (see options) permanently on specific or all sites by 20% or whatever.

You can install as many different web browsers as you like on your computer. Try several and use the one that suits you, none of them are perfect. Just be aware that IE, because of the way it is tightly integrated into the operating system and because of the use of ActiveX etc. etc. is less secure than the others and users should tread warily.

There’s quite a lot of information available on the security issue, some of it may be fairly old because the problem has been around for a long time. IE has copied some of Firefox’s features but is still applying band-aid solutions to a much flawed web browser. Here are a few comments:

http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_ge ... _inte.html
http://www.geekgirls.com/net_better_browser.htm
http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~mguidry/firefox/
http://www.dwheeler.com/blog/2007/02/05/
http://browsehappy.com/

Firefox forever,
Alan

PS
Here’s a good one to read if you have reasonable eyesight. A limited preview of the Internet Bible “Internet for Dummies” probably available at a newsagent or bookshop near you. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=4o4 ... 2#PPA90,M1
Alan

Post by **Tracey** » Wed May 20, 2009 3:22 pm

I dont know if along the way i said i installed Firefox (after Nelmit told me to

) but........................like many i moan and moan about how slow Ancestry is to load pages etc well, as i got a new sub recently, today i decided to try using it through Firefox and boy what a difference (touch wood)

it is how it should be - quick !
Im sure many of you are laughing and thinking where had this woman been

but for those of you who havnt go it and moan like me - try it !

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu May 21, 2009 12:30 pm

Good for you Tracey,

Also consider some of the add-ons mentioned by Archiver and others. Adblock and Flashblock cuts out all those annoying ads and replaces the flash ads with a play button that you can click if you need to. I also use IE Tab for problem sites and No Squint for my eyes.

If there’s a particular feature you wish your browser had you’ll probably find a Firefox add-on that will provide it. There are probably thousands of them from the indispensable to the ridiculous.

All the best,
Alan