Hack 93: Extend Your Web Browser
Level Medium
Platform All (Firefox/Chrome)
Cost Free
The best feature of web browsers such as Firefox and Chrome is their openness: these browsers are built so that anyone can write a feature-adding extension for it. As a result, developers all over the world have made thousands of plugins available to enhance and streamline the way you use your browser.
Several of these Hacks exemplify how browser add-ons can extend the functionality of your browser, including Hack 15, “Securely Track Your Passwords,” Hack 39, “Limit Visits to Time-Wasting Websites,” Hack 56, “Bypass Free Site Registration with BugMeNot,” and Hack 118, “Keep Your Web Browser in Sync Across Computers.” This hack discusses in more detail how to find and install some of the best feature-enhancing browser add-ons with Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome: two free, modern browsers that work on all operating systems with impressive extension support.
How to Install a Firefox Extension
In this example you install the excellent Web of Trust Firefox extension, which helps you identify websites you can trust and sites you shouldn’t. Here’s what to do:
1. Using Firefox, click the Add to Firefox button on the Web of Trust extension home page at https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/wot-safe-browsing-tool, and then from the dialog box, click the Install button.
2. Firefox downloads and installs the extension and then prompts you to restart. Click Restart Firefox to complete the installation ...
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