Category Archives: Web Links

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Tech Friday: Firefox Extensions

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If you haven’t noticed the little orange badge in the bottom right corner of my blog (and from the stats, most of you have) I’m a fan of Firefox over IE. There are multiple reasons, but I’m through trying to persuade you to switch, I’d rather tell you about some of the great things I use at firefox.
I recently had to start my computer back up from scratch, which has meant restarting my firefox installation. Before I had added so many extensions that they were conflicting with one another and freezing up firefox at least once a day. I couldn’t bear to part with them though so I left it in conflict and just got used to restarting.
But, now I’m starting from scratch and I’ve decided to move quite slowly and only install my absolute favorite extensions, one at a time. So for those who have just entered the firefox extension world here are my current Must-Haves:

  1. TabMixPlus– This is my first install because of a couple of the great features:
    -undo (restores tabs you closed right back to their original position with their history intacted)
    -Session Manager (restores all your tabs from the last time you closed Firefox, let’s me pick up right where I left off)
  2. Google Toolbar– They greatest feature currently is that you can pick and choose which buttons to add to where on your toolbars:
    -Autofill (saves hours of time filling out forms)
    -Spellcheck (keeps me from looking like an idiot)
  3. Greasemonkey– I wish I could explain how cool this is, but the list is endless. If you ever thought a site would be cooler if… there is probably a script for it.
    And these two are more specific to your situation and interest:

  1. FireFTP: for those who do webdesign easy upload
  2. Screengrab: if you like to take full length screen shots of webpages
Blog, Web Links

Facebook web design

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I just have to give an applause to facebook for a very well put together site. I was hesitant to get started in facebook because it sort of seems like just a big stalker site, but more on that later.

I finally dove in and I’ve been extremely impressed with the layout and design of the site. It runs really smoothly and does a lot of cool things. I wasn’t gonna load many pictures up, but once I took a sec to load a profile picture I was so impressed with their photo tools that I loaded a bunch more. You can select people within a picture and tag that person with their name, a VERY cool feature. Not only is it cool it runs really fast.

Well done facebook, well done.

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Keeping organized

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PocketMod

So, I write EVERYTHING into my little pocket calendar (courtesy of a wonderful bank in Minnesota). There are periods of time where I didn’t have a planner, and I tried my own little inventions. I made this tiny tiny little notpad out of one sheet of paper and a rubberband and I used it to write everything.

Well, I ran across this sweet site, that took the “a single sheet of paper makes a great organizer” idea and elaborated it.

For those of you who don’t have your own planner currently I STRONGLY suggest this site.

I printed off one with storyboard pages (and one game of sudoku) to post ideas for blog post.

enjoy.

Blog, Web Links

Nashville Library Look-up

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For all you Public Library addicts like me your gonna find this extremely useful. Are you ever looking for a book or dvd or something on Amazon.com and then go over to the Public Library to see if you can find it there and put it on hold?

Well someone went to the task of creating a LibraryLookup bookmarklet, such a brilliant idea.

For Nashville folks here’s all you have to do:
1. Drag this link into your bookmarks bar: LibraryLook-up
2. search on amazon.
3. When your on the item you want just click the bookmark and it should bring up the library page with that item on it, now you can see where it is or put it on hold!

For those in other cities and states, let me know if you want help doing this for yourself, or just go here and follow the steps.

Blog, Web Links

Why I use Firefox

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Based on some feedback on Firefox I thought I should give some insight into why it is so wonderful and the ways I use it.
I’ll just make a list of what and why:
1. Firefox. It’s just plain better then IE, and is way better at blocking ads (pop-ups etc).
2. Tabs are the coolest feature about firefox. Here’s a picture of what it looks like.
3. Tab mix makes tabs even cooler. Mainly I just use Tab undo incase I closed something I didn’t want to. It also remembers your session so you can close firefox and the next time you open it, you’ll have your 10 tabs open you where working on before.
4. I’m not a huge themes guy, but the one I have is minifox, basically cause I like a lot of screen space.
5. Another cool thing about Firefox is you can move all buttons onto the menu bar (so instead of two toolbars you have one)
6. Google Preview gives you a thumbnail image of the website next to the google search results
7. BugMeNot is a great tool to avoid compulsary registration, and firefox has a one click tool for it.
8. Customize Google adds a one-click search of other search engines as well as blocks google ads.
9. ForecastFox is a graphical weather update. I use this now cause it’s important when biking to and from work.
10. MenuX adds a bunch of cool toolbar buttons.
11. And now the coolest tool around, Greasemonkey. It does TONS of things. (people make “user scripts” for it)
12. This one adds a xanga rss link
13. This one allows scrolling zoom on googlemaps
14. And last but not least Platypus allows you to make your own scripts, removing ads, making clean printable pages, etc.

Okay, not a detailed explanation, but enjoy.

Web Links

Newsweek huh?

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Newsweek link

Okay, I’ll be honest the real reason I’m posting this is to see how Technorati works along with Newsweeks tracking of bloggers. Supposedly, When a blogger links to an article and writes about it there’ll be a link on the Newsweek site, so sorry if you had to hear that when your looking for my thoughts on the article!

So, Wheaton College gets the “Hottest Christian College” award. I mean, I went there and I felt I got a good education, so I don’t want to knock it too much. I guess maybe we are a lot better then some as far as Newsweeks standards go for a good college. I guess it just that as Christians I don’t think the world’s standards should be what we are focused on, but it seems like that is constantly what it is. We call ourselves the “Harvard of Christian Colleges,” we boast our #1 food service, we pride ourselves on being in the top tier of the US News and World Reports college listings, and every orientation is not complete till we hear the average GPA, SAT and ACT scores of the incoming freshman.

Okay, I’m done talking about Wheaton, I just wish our standards and our focus where on other then being prestigious in the world’s eyes.

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Google Talk, you knew it was coming

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So in google’s continued attempt to take over the world (and if they do I don’t know if I’ll mind), they’ve just launched an Instant Messaging program called Google Talk.

I just downloaded it, but until some other people do the same we can’t really test it out. It has a talking feature, so with a microphone and speakers you can chat with probably just about anyone. This would be great to talk with friends overseas I bet.

I have been impressed with just about everything that google does. I know some people don’t like the ads that are based on your personal searches, etc. But I’d rather have those then big, bright banners that don’t relate at all to what I’m searching (for example, I am married, and I have no need for an online dating site).

Is anyone with me? IM me once you get it at ariahfine@gmail.com (I guess that’s how you’d find me.