What browser extensions do you recommend?

[Steve]

Here's a few I'd recommend for Firefox. Some of these are also available for Chrome.

 

Foxy Gestures - A mouse gestures extension that's easy to use, but also offers a ton of customisability.

 

Hoxx VPN Proxy - I don't really trust any free VPNs, however, if you need to be able to access a site that's blocked in the UK or you need to appear as if you're in another country cos of geo-locking, this is a solid option. I definitely would NOT use this if you want a VPN that you can have enabled all the time though, and I would sign up via a disposable email address.

 

I don't care about cookies - All it does is automatically accept cookie warnings for you on most sites, so you don't see those stupid pop-ups. You can submit a site to be added to the list of supported sites, and you can also whitelist sites if you need to.

 

uBlock Origin - Arguably the best ad blocking extension out there. If you're using Chrome, another good option is Nano Adblocker.

 

Nano Defender - This is an anti-adblock defuser, so it's designed to combat sites that detect if you're blocking ads and then prevent you from accessing the site until you disable your ad blocker. If you're using Nano Adblocker, all you have to do is install Nano Defender and you're good to go. If you're using uBlock Origin, you need to manually configure it to work with Nano Defender, although that only takes a couple of minutes (instructions HERE).

 

Selection Context Search - This allows you to highlight any word/phrase on a web page, then search for it with any search engine you have configured (EXAMPLE). It's one of the extensions I use the most cos it allows you to quickly find stuff on Amazon, eBay, YouTube, Discogs etc. etc.

 

Upload to Imgur - Allows you to right-click an image on a web page and upload it to Imgur. A direct link to the image will then open in a new tab. It's very basic, but for me that's fine. If you need more features, try Imgur-Uploader.

 

View Image - Adds the "View image" and "Search by image" buttons back to Google image search. Google were pressured into removing these options by Getty, who had filed a lawsuit against Google for copyright infringement but agreed to drop it if these options were removed.

[JHouse]

Pretty much the only Firefox plugins I used were Firebug and Awesome Screenshot Plus. The former is for editing html/css code on the fly, meaning right in the browser. Then once you have it dialed in, copy and paste the code into the file you're editing and upload. Definitely expedites web development 'cause I can test/implement in real time. It's been replaced by a native Mozilla extension for debugging. Awesome Screenshot plus was great for capturing screenshots of the full page, not just what's visible. I would include a link to this solution, but I think there are better alternatives available.

[Jam Burglar]

Thanks for posting this.

[djdiggla]

I use Chrome. The extensions I use are:

 

AdBlock - adblocker (duh)

FB Purity - basically cleans up Facebook and lets you know stuff like when people defriend you or delete their account

 

Not currently enabled but have used in the past:

Mixcloud downloader - self explinatory

The Great Suspender - auto suspends unused tabs (used when I had a slow computer)

Wayback Machine - from the Internet Archive. Pulls up the archive of 404 pages. Also allows you to help them archive pages. Pretty cool IMO.

VerticalTabs - Steve suggested this some time back. I like it but don't love it. Allows you to browse with vertical tabs instead of horizontal.

GoodWordGuide - Dictionary, audio pronunciations, etc

[Steve]

Here's one that's especially useful for UKers/Euros: -

 

Send to Outline (Firefox)

 

There are a few equivalents on Chrome, but I've not used any of them so I won't link to any of them here.

 

If you ever click on a link and the site is blocking European users - something that has become an issue since the GDPR kicked in - you can right-click on the link and choose "Send to Outline". Outline is a website that gives you a clutter-free version of a web page, designed to make pages more readable with no distractions, but one bonus is that you can send pages that are blocked in Europe to it and read them.

[Steve]

Here's one that's potentially cool - SponsorBlock.

 

If you watch a YouTube video that has a sponsored ad in it (an actual segment of the video), it will automatically skip it. It's based on crowd-sourced info, so you can report sponsored ads in vids and that info gets added to the database.

 

I've only just installed it, but the ratings for it are great.

 

Firefox

 

Chrome or Edge

[JHouse]

Nice one, will have to check that out.

[savwar]

On 7/15/2018 at 3:35 PM, Steve said:

Selection Context Search - This allows you to highlight any word/phrase on a web page, then search for it with any search engine you have configured (EXAMPLE). It's one of the extensions I use the most cos it allows you to quickly find stuff on Amazon, eBay, YouTube, Discogs etc. etc.

 

 

This is brilliant, one of the most useful extensions ever! Cheers.

I use it for YT discogs, looking up books etc, but it's also great when doing stuff in spanish for translating...

[Steve]

A couple more that I use now: -

Image Search Sizer - Brings back the option to select a minimum pixel size when using Google's image search, so if you're looking for high res album cover art or whatever, you don't have to sift through a bunch of low res crap to find what you want.

ViolentMonkey - Provides user script support for Firefox.

Here's a couple of the user scripts I use via ViolentMonkey: -

YouTube - automatically expand subscription list - When you open your subscriptions list on YouTube it shows you the first few, then it says "View 88 more" (or whatever) and you have to click to view the rest. This script automatically expands the list for you. I know it's only 1 click, but still, lol.

Google Image Search - Show Image Dimensions - Shows the dimensions of images when you use Google image search, another feature that Google removed.

[Steve]

This extension is fucking sick if you use Microsoft Rewards: -

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/abs/ipbgaooglppjombmbgebgmaehjkfabme

It can be installed in the latest version of Edge as well.

It does the daily searches for you, including spoofing the mobile searches, and it answers all of the quiz questions correctly for you automatically.

Obviously, use it at your own risk, cos you may be breaking the Rewards ToS by using an extension like this, but it makes getting the full daily rewards a breeze. I'm gonna use it and see how it goes.

[JHouse]

I'm gonna rat you out Steve!

[Steve]

I've been using that ABS extension for over 3 months now with no negative consequences. It's great.

[Steve]

@savwar How did you set up Selection Context Search to do language translation?

I've tried to do it using Google Translate, but when I click on "Add Search Page", nothing happens.

[mfsop]

I only use a few Firefox extensions:

AdBlocker Ultimate

Don't Track Me Google

Facebook Container

NoScript

Opt-out for Analytics

 

Very satisfied mostly. Then again, I have problems posting on DV and I suspect it's one of the extensions. 🙃

[savwar]

21 hours ago, Steve said:

@savwar How did you set up Selection Context Search to do language translation?

I've tried to do it using Google Translate, but when I click on "Add Search Page", nothing happens.

 

this is all i did

[Steve]

@savwar Weird. I have tried exactly that, but when I try and use it, all it does is open the Google Translate page. It doesn't actually translate the text I've highlighted.

EDIT - This works: -

https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&text=~$S$~&op=translate

 

[Steve]

I've been using Nitter for a few months now. It's an alternative front-end for Twitter that's focussed on privacy and performance.

For someone like me, who has no Twitter account but reads it from time to time, it is perfect.

It shows you only the stuff you want to see, so there's no ads, no log in prompts where it blocks you from viewing more tweets until you log in, no "harmful content" blocks, no recommendations to follow X or Y etc.. It gives you some extra options too, such as being able to hide profile banners, pinned tweets, and tweet replies, plus you can choose from a few different skins.

To use it, all you need to do is install an add-on, then it will redirect you automatically when you click on a Twitter link. You can easily toggle it on or off if you need to. This is the add-on I use in Firefox: -

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/nitter-redirect/

[Steve]

A couple more I've been using: -

Bypass Paywalls Clean - This bypasses paywalls on news sites, so you can read articles that would otherwise require a subscription. It doesn't work on every site, but it works on a lot. The link is for the Firefox version, but there is a Chrome version too.

Return YouTube Dislike - Returns the ability to see dislikes on YouTube videos. It's not 100% accurate, but it's good enough for you to be able to see that a tutorial video is trash, for instance, due to it having, say, 20 times as many downvotes as upvotes.

[mfsop]

On 7/15/2018 at 4:35 PM, Steve said:

Hoxx VPN Proxy - I don't really trust any free VPNs, however, if you need to be able to access a site that's blocked in the UK or you need to appear as if you're in another country cos of geo-locking, this is a solid option. I definitely would NOT use this if you want a VPN that you can have enabled all the time though, and I would sign up via a disposable email address.

Do you recommend any VPN extensions in 2022? Lots of them want you to pay and I don't know which ones are trustworthy. I guess I'd also pay a small monthly fee if it's more secure.

[Steve]

25 minutes ago, mfsop said:

Do you recommend any VPN extensions in 2022? Lots of them want you to pay and I don't know which ones are trustworthy. I guess I'd also pay a small monthly fee if it's more secure.

I bought a 3 year subscription to NordVPN, cos I saw a really good deal on it. Unfortunately that deal is no longer available.

You could try KeepSolid, as I have a code that gives you 6 months free. Sign up for an account, then redeem the following code: -

VPNU_CBACUP

That gives you 6 months of premium access on up to 5 devices.

I haven't used a free VPN since I mentioned that Hoxx extension, so I can't recommend any extensions similar to that unfortunately. You could install the Opera web browser, which has a free VPN feature built-in.

[Steve]

Another one I'd recommend is Remove YouTube Shorts. It removes "Shorts" from the menu on the left and it makes shorts play as normal videos, instead of in that stupid vertical format that's fine for phones, but shit for computers.

[JHouse]

Oh, fuck yeah Steve. Nice one. Not a fan of the chorts while on my laptop either.

[Steve]

For Firefox users, I would highly recommend TWP - Translate Web Pages.

Before finding TWP I'd tried several different language translation add-ons, but none had ever worked as well as the translation that's built into Chrome. TWP is the first add-on that actually works better than the translation built into Chrome IMO.

It has a bunch of different options. You can have it always translate a particular site, or never translate it. Likewise with individual languages. You can highlight a bunch of text on a page, a little translate button appears, then you can click that to have the translated text appear in a pop-up, which includes a button you can press to have the text read aloud to you, and you can alter the speed at which the text is read. You can assign hotkeys/keyboard shortcuts. It's really good.

[Steve]

On 10/28/2022 at 6:08 PM, JHouse said:

Oh, fuck yeah Steve. Nice one. Not a fan of the chorts while on my laptop either.

YouTube must have changed some code, because with that Remove YouTube Shorts extension enabled, my Subscriptions page won't load. It just gives me a spinning loading circle.

If you're having the same problem, you'll need to disable the extension for now. It has been reported to the developer, so hopefully they fix it, cos I fucking hate those stupid shorts!

[Steve]

Regarding the above, it's caused by a new option that was added in an update released earlier today. If you go into the extension's options and disable "Hide Shorts from Subscriptions page", it starts working again.