4.1. Hacks 33-43

The problem with software is that there's never enough choice. There are only a few really good word processors, only a few really good graphic design tools, and only a few really good web browsers. Among those few choices, it's just not possible for one browser, not even Firefox, to satisfy all of the people all of the time. This chapter explains how to change the Firefox user interface so that it behaves the way you want it to.

They say dog owners tend to look like their dogs, and maybe the same is true of web surfers and their web browsers. How Firefox looks to you depends on which parts of it you spend the most time with. A classic example is bookmarks [Hack #33] . The Firefox bookmark system is quite a rich little thing, as you'll see. If you happen to be a heavy user of bookmarks, there are many powerful and less well-known bookmark tricks to try out.

Most of the power features of Firefox are not bundled with the browser. They're available as extensions, both from Mozilla's official update web site (update.mozilla.org) and from miscellaneous places around the Web. Most of this chapter is a tour of the very best user extensions currently available. Finding an extension that matches your activity profileone that blesses you with faster workflow and less frustrationis like finding a gold nugget in your own backyard. So start digging. There are new extensions being published all the time.