Mozilla Firefox - The Future Of Browsing

MadPenguin ^ | 5 October 2004 | MadAdmin

[ShadowAce]

Since the recent security warnings surrounding Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser were issued, more and more people around the world have been turning to a small Open Source alternative spawned from the developers of the Mozilla browser: Mozilla Firefox

. Though it is small in download size, don't let it fool you. There's nothing small about this application. It's one hell of a contender for the Internet browser throne. Can it topple the software giants flagship product? Yes, I think it can.

Sure, Internet Explorer dominates 90+ percent of the market, but I think people are starting to grow weary of the risks involved in using that program for any serious Internet tasks such as online banking. As we all know, the risk doesn't stop there, it extends to casual surfing as the unsuspecting user downloads tons of spyware, adware, and various other malware designed to either snoop into your personal online activities and habits or simply overwhelm you with advertising you really didn't want to see in the first place. This kind of activity, in my opinion, should be illegal in the first place. Nobody should be legally allowed to install software on your computer remotely without your express permission. Period. It's an invasion of privacy and akin to breaking and entering.

Not only should this kind of activity be illegal, the company who manufactures the browser should also be held accountable for the security flaws which allow such activity to even occur in the first place. If the browser were indeed as secure as it could possibly be, we wouldn't see near the amount of malicious activity we see today. If I were to take it one step further, should the end users also be held accountable for the damage they do to themselves and others? Should we take pity upon them every time their PC is infected or breached? That takes more thought doesn't it? I would say yes, it does indeed.

If (and this is a big if) end users were aware of the reasons that they endure so much heartache for using the Internet every day I could see holding them accountable for their actions, but in reality most of them don't understand why they get bombarded with ads, viruses, and PC slowdowns. They don't understand how someone could get the bank account information, etc. They really don't. This is due, in my opinion, to the fact that they are not well informed of neither the reasons for their problems nor the alternatives they have to circumvent them. If more people were made aware that there are better browsers available, and there are ways to avoid the hassles of malware, I think we'd see a trend favoring a browser other than Internet Explorer. After all, any browser can get the job done in one way or another. It's all about state of mind and overcoming the human aversion to change.

Why Firefox?
The choice is simple really. Firefox is free, small, fast, and secure. Those are the basic reasons anyway... the list goes on. Sure, there are other mainstream browsers out there such as Mozilla, AOL's Netscape, and Opera, but none of the come close to what Firefox has to offer us. The interesting part is that Firefox has gotten more attention lately than it's rock solid parent, Mozilla. It's deserved it too, but why aren't people turning to the Mozilla suite instead, since it comes with a capable email client, calendaring support, etc? I can't say for certain, but I suspect it's due to the pure energy surrounding the tiny offshoot. Developers are excited about working on it, as are theme developers, artists, and extension writers. Mozilla Firefox is capable of being customized by anyone who has the notion to do so, and that adds to the magic of it all. End users can sense the excitement surrounding it just like anything else in life. If enough excitement and electricity is generated by a product, people will flock to it. Look at the Apple iPod. There are tons of other portable music players out there, but Apple has a certain mystique about it that nobody can touch. Well, maybe that isn't the perfect example but you get the idea.

In my experience, most people are hesitant to use Firefox over Internet Explorer because they have become accustomed to using IE in a way only a heroine addict can truly appreciate. It has also been my experience that when these same people actually give Firefox a chance, they fall in love with it and become inseparable. In the same way as their former addiction to IE? Possibly, but at least this is a safe addiction. Nobody is going to lose their life savings over this one to some criminal who understands IE Zone flaws all too well.

I'm sure most of you reading this probably have Firefox running on all of your systems since our logs shows almost 60% of you are using it, and that's a good thing. I've personally been using it since it was first released under the Phoenix (and subsequently Mozilla Firebird) name. I have watched it steadily increase in stability and feature set, while maintaining it's small footprint and download size. What prompted me to sit down and actually write this column was the latest 1.0 Preview Release. I was so impressed by it that I needed to sit down and write about it in one form or another. I originally intended to write a review, but it turned out quite different... and that's fine by me. This browser, and the people who have had a hand in it's development, deserve all the attention we can throw at them... and then some.

Tabbed browsing in Firefox Popup blocker fine tuning

The bottom line is that Firefox has matured into a hugely successful browser on so many levels. From the technology that drives it to the aesthetics, right down to its mighty capabilities, this browser is a heavyweight in every sense of the word. Even though Internet Explorer dominates the current market (and we all know how quickly that can change... does anyone remember Netscape pre-Internet Explorer?), when placed side by side with Firefox, it is dwarfed in comparison. Firefox has features that IE can't even come close to touching... including:

• Tabbed browsing – Open multiple sites in one window.
• Improved inline search (overhauled in 1.0PR) – Search for words, phrases, or links without even touching the mouse.
• Security security security – No more adware, no more spyware, no more anything that you didn't install yourself. The latest version allows more finite control over this security by allowing to to give permissions to sites of your choosing to install software on demand.
• Popup blocking – You have complete control over popups with the new Firefox. Block all popups or fine tune to allow only certain sites.
• Customizable multi-site Internet search capabilities – Search Google, eBay, Amazon, Yahoo, IMBD, or any one of hundreds of sites available right from your browser toolbar (image).

• Download manager (overhauled in 1.0PR) – Easily keep track of multiple downloads from one window (image).
• Dictionary search – Search an online dictionary for any word you like simply by typing dict word in the address bar.
• Live bookmarks – Allow you to pull live news from sites without ever visiting them. This is one of my favorite features. All the news you could want right from your bookmarks menu.
• Themes – Make Firefox look like the browser of your dreams by choosing one of the many free themes in the online repository.

• Extensions – Extensions = functionality. You can install as many or as little of these as you like. Each one adds a certain feature/function to the browser, so your browser can be completely unique.
• The list goes on.......

Granted, it has it's bugs and little quirks, but I challenge you to find a piece of software that doesn't. My biggest complaint thus far with Firefox is that support for NTLM proxy authentication needs to be streamlined considerably before it can be considered for the enterprise (and this is where it needs to start getting a foothold if it is to gain some serious ground). Authentication actually does what it's advertised to do: authenticate to Windows-based domains/proxy servers. The problem with it is that it prompts the user to authenticated every time the browser is launched. This is entirely annoying for most users, especially when they see IE doesn't suffer from the same problem. If I can make one suggestion to the Firefox developers regarding this feature. Make it a little less intrusive. In my opinion it can be worked one of two ways: The first way would be to prompt only once during initial configuration and then cache the info. It already caches the information so why not make it invisible after the initial prompt. If you change your password, you can clear it from the password utility in Firefox's options. The second way (and this would be available only for the Win32 version) would be to have the browser pull the information similar to the way IE does, right from the running system. It would essentially pass the credentials from the logged on user right through the browser to the proxy server. That is my $0.02 for the day, and it's actually my only real big problem with the browser. Other than that, I am staring at the closest thing to a perfect browser I have every worked with. Period.

The Firefox web browser – click for full size view

I enjoy using Internet Explorer. Why should I switch?
The following section is for those of you who may be reading about this out of curiosity. Perhaps you heard about Firefox from a friend or collegue? Perhaps you have a relative who swears by it? Either way, you should benefit from reading this. Luckily, the answer to your question is an easy one... depending on whether you want to listen to what I am telling you or not. The browser most of you are using (and I am indeed referring to Internet Explorer) is outdated and so full of security holes that it is a risk to use for anything more than very very casual Internet browsing. If you are using it to do your online banking or other critical business, you are putting yourself at risk. It's really that simple. Internet Explorer is seriously dangerous to use, and if you don't believe me, find out for yourself if you haven't already. Internet Explorer is built on old technology in the same way that Windows essentially is, and it is full of security holes that Microsoft ignores in favor of adding more multimedia features, bells, and whistles to make it appear more attractive. This is just smoke and mirrors. Firefox is an actively maintained browser, developed by talented programmers from around the word, true professionals in every sense of the word. When a security flaw is discovered it is often fixed in hours... hours... this is in comparison to the weeks, months, and often years it takes Microsoft to patch their problems. This is no joke. What you enjoy using will (notice I say 'will' instead of 'could' here) harm you in one way or another.

Firefox also doesn't get infected by anything close to what everyone refers to as 'spyware'. Perform an experiment for me if you don't mind. Download a tool such as Spy Sweeper and clean your system with it. Run IE as you normally would for one week and sweep your system again. Count the traces of spyware it finds and remove them. Then run Firefox as you normally would for one week (don't use IE at all during this week) and run Spy Sweeper again. What you will see is ZERO traces of spyware. Try it and prove me wrong. You'll notice a strange lack of popups windows while using Firefox too... this is a great built-in feature. No need to download a third party plugin to do it for you. Those are only glorified spyware applications anyway if you weren't aware.

In addition to being safer and not being subject to endless hoards of spyware and annoying popups, you have an endless supply of extensions, or plugins, available to you to enhance your browser however you like. You can add additional search engines to the toolbar, mouse gestures, Image and multimedia controls, and tons of other browser goodies... all for the cost of the time it takes to download them. I'll note here than most of the features are tiny and take very little time to download. Try it and see what you've been missing. I'd be willing to bet that you won't be able to believe how good this browser really is. Why trust your critical information to a browser produced by a company who doesn't care about your well being and safety? Put your faith in a product designed by people just like you... good people with good intentions who want the same things you do... and are willing to give them to your for nothing. Not many good things in life are free these days, but I assure you, Mozilla Firefox is a rare exception.

[RichardW]

It has promise but I couldn't download the updates to McAfee. I had to go back into IE, and make IE my default browser and reset everything, then I could download. It seems to be quicker but I'm not yet completely sold.

[smith288]

I have NEVER, in all my time using Opera, even noticed the advertisements.

Ok...want a cookie? I do notice them.

[Wonder Warthog]

"See? That's all inter-necine. All I care about is seeing the pages. Okay? IE sees the features, Mozilla doesn't."

No, actually it's not. Otherwise there would be no need for standard size screw threads, tire sizes, and almost everything else that makes our civilization possible. Imagine what it would be like if every car manufacturer used his own size wheels, and they were all different. Or if every computer and/or appliance manufacturer specified a different power voltage.

Standards are what make it possible for all the bits and pieces of civilization to work together in engineering and science. Software is no different. Known, published standards with which everyone complies save huge amounts of money and makes things hugely more efficient.

[edchambers]

I have used Mozilla and firefox even the old "firebird" but I went back to IE for a couple reasons.The Mozilla products were unstable on my older machines and not really much faster on my new one.I also was not that happy about being redirected to download "plug-ins" to open web pages that would just work normally in IE.I also think the security issue is over hyped, there are just too many good free spyware removal tools available for me to switch browsers over what is largely a non issue to me.

[Truth Table]

Gotta open the folder so that the contents have focus, then sort by name by right click

[BibChr]

Somehow, I knew you'd argue with me. I'll try one more time.

There's a page: http://hcsb.broadmanholman.com/crossmain.asp

It has footnotes that are viewable as mouse-over events, or as clicked events.

I want to see them. I don't care how they're coded.

Avant lets me see them.

Firefox doesn't, and won't.

I've read the Bible many times, closely, and there's no moral issue with coding.

So seeing it is all I care about.

You want to keep arguing that point, it will be a soliloquy, and unlikely to rival Shakespeare's in quality, longevity, or readership.

Dan

[edchambers]

One more thing if pop-ups are your main source of frustration there are free pop-up blocking toolbars available from both Google and Yahoo.

[Wonder Warthog]

I "never" try to argue with an idiot, which you've just proven yourself to be.

[js1138]

What exactly is the difference, form a convenience point of view, of loading spybot, vs loading all the plug-ins and enhancements you need just to get alternative browsers off the ground?

I have tried Opera and Firefox. They are fine programs, but not worth my time.

[Truth Table]

The whole browser is based on Java and xul. XUL is an XML language, and the entire browser is rendered "from scratch" when it is called up--because xul is itself a application platform. Go here to learn more.

http://www.mozilla.org/why/framework.html

Now, does FF issues that can be exploited by hackers because it is based on xul? Sure. Go here:

http://www.nd.edu/~jsmith30/xul/test/spoof.html

BUT

The user would know exactly what was going on because the SPOOF can only use the default chrome and extensions. In other words, if you've added any extensions or changed your default theme, you would be able to know you were being spoofed.

This is far and again less dangerous than what can happen to you in IE...

[Truth Table]

...you need just to get alternative browsers off the ground?. That's the point. You don't need extensions to run FF. They are optional. Your question may be slightly reworded: How much of the features of IE do you actually use do justify it's C bloat? A plug in is really small (no more than a few hundred K at most), and you get to pick which ones you want loaded. FF gives you the options. Right out of the download, it rips IE apart as far as speed and page rendering--That is something that just cannot be denied. It's fast, and it's tight. As an aside, look at open source for the broswer. Bugs are fixed. Fixed now. And the fixes work. Why? ...For the exact same reason the Blogosphere was able to take down CBS.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Mozilla is a browser AND a mail client. If you don't need the mail client, remove Mozilla and install Firefox 1.0.

That's what I did. It's a smaller package with only what you need, that's all.

[js1138]

...it rips IE apart as far as speed and page rendering--That is something that just cannot be denied.

I would have kept using FF if I had noticed that. My mileage differed. I will say tht it seemed faster at first, but after a week or so I couldn't tell the difference.

My browsing is probably different from most. Other than FR I mostly go to commercial sites looking for instruction manuals, drivers, catalogs, stuff like that. I avoid sites that put up flash videos on the home page. I just don't go back. If I want to buy something, I generally head for the site that has the simplest, cleanest and fastest interface. That's pretty independent of browser.

[edchambers]

Spybot can be configured to either run in the background,on a schedule, or when ever you feel like it.If you're not hooked on tabbed browsing, not having to install and tweak a new browser would seem to be more convienient to me.Actually I'm the type of person who enjoys tweaking and experimenting with computers, that's why I have 3 of them,but so far my experiance with Mozilla has not been all that good.The first time I installed Mozilla it changed all the thumbnails in my "My Pictures" folder to flaming Mozilla icons, nice.

[js1138]

I'm not trying to run down alternative software. I'm just lazy. I have a hardware firewall ($89) that makes all the computers in my home invisible to the net.

I installed zonealarm to protect the other direction. For various reasons I have installed SpywareBlaster, AdAware, and Spybot. Only Spybot runs in the background. Mostly what these programs find are tracking cookies. These cookies are dropped by some mainstream websites that should not be doing this.

A few weeks ago I went to CNET looking for a game. I thought they could be trusted, but I got an amazing load of spyware that took hours to clean up. I don't have a lot of advice to offer, except that trusting some magic bullet like a alternate OS or browser will probably not save you. You still have to pay attention to what's going on out there.

[Truth Table]

Other than FR I mostly go to commercial sites looking for instruction manuals

Ah. Okay. Understood. I do like the way FF uses RSS to live bookmark FR. Very Cool. For me, it's all about rendering time, and tabbed browsing. 3rd Party "tabbing" browsers based on IE core are usntable. I still Use IE (once in awhile), and because it is so tied into windows in general (for example the chm help system, which lots of apps use now) I keep it around, but do not really use it to surf anymore. Way too slow. In the end I 'spose it comes down to user preference.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I enjoy using Internet Explorer. Why should I switch?

While I understand the argument for using FireFox, the typical home user isn't going to understand most of the argument why they should switch, because it reads as if it was written by an IT tech for IT techs. This article is counterproductive and a complete waste of time for "Casual Web Surfers" or computer/internet newbies.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I don't know, but when I use FF and then run adaware I find none.

Odd, I get the same thing after I've used IE. The new XP service pack 2 added a popup blocker on IE. Pretty cool, now I can truly dump the Google toolbar.

[js1138]

This is particularly true since web sites fine tune their pages for IE rendering. There are lots of quirky things about how tables with graphical elements are rendered.

Now I will put on my tinfoil hat and speculate that there is essentially a conspiracy between commercial web sites and MS. IE allows tracking cookies that store information about site you visit, and which can be accessed by more than one site. How much motivation do these sites have to support browsers that block this?

Am I wrong about this?

[BigSkyFreeper]

Right out of the download, it rips IE apart as far as speed and page rendering

Actually YMMV. For me, IE opens and renders pages faster than FF. IE on my machine renders pages faster from the cache as well as freshly downloaded pages and graphics, including interlaced GIF images.