Pet Peeves About Firefox 3.5.2

[lopburi3]

Not sure if this is the 'approved' work around, but I set my home page to www.google.com/ncr

This then reconciles the search engine window to the ncr setting [no country required] rather than locality.

HTH

Regards

PS Just to add there is an inbuilt geo-location function in Firefox for sites able to recognise it. You can however turn it off:-

about:config

Find the filter geo.enabled double click it to disable the function.

Believe the NCR is 'no country re-direct'. And if you do not clear cookies only has to be entered one time to keep from getting Thai search results.

[klikster]

Not sure if this is the 'approved' work around, but I set my home page to www.google.com/ncr

This then reconciles the search engine window to the ncr setting [no country required] rather than locality

A_Traveller, that worked. Thanks for the help.

[klikster]

My primary whine .. maybe someone can tell me how to fix it?

In older versions I was able to set the search engine URLs (search window) as I pleased. Now, geotargeting seems to be permanently engaged and any search in Google shows results from google.co.th.

I think that's more Google's fault than anything else. They are using this retarded technology everywhere now, as if it was a good thing. What I don't get is that these sites, who, for the most part, recognize me through a Cookie, don't remember that I am rather fond of the English language. Worst offender is Blogspot / blogger which consistently shows me everything in Thai. <deleted>. I have changed it to English many times, but it think it's smarter. You've travelled to Thailand - surely,now, you'll want all pages in Thai, right??

/ rant

For Google, it's very simple, do this:

1 - Go to http://www.google.com/

2 - This will redirect you to google.co.th, but don't be deterred!

3 - Look at the bottom of the page, where there is a link saying "Use Google.com in English" or something to that effect

4 - Click on the link

From now on, your Google search bar searches, and everything Google will go to Google.com instead of Google.co.th. They actually do remember this in a cookie, so if you update browsers cookies sometimes get lost and you are back on the (mostly useless) google.co.th....

Thanks, nikster. I'll try this as well as the ../ncr/. Although I do surf with "clear history when Firefox closes".

[Gary A]

The latest Firefox works great on my Windows 7 OS. It opens VERY fast and has fewer glitches with this OS than with XP Pro. I'm no techie and use Firefox as downloaded except with a few add ons. If it were not simple and intuitive, I wouldn't use it.

[lopburi3]

Actually I am using Win 7 also and it is a slow opener - taking about 45 seconds - not sure if because of tab restore or not - but this just started with latest version.

Just did a close and not save tabs - to get display of Firefox took 20 seconds from click on shortcut. IE8 took 10 seconds.

Edited August 14, 2009 by lopburi3

[Gary A]

I have the Firefox icon in my toolbar. Firefox is set to open with a blank page. That blank page opens within a few seconds. I then click on the bookmarks toolbar. Thai Visa opens within five seconds.

[filingaccount]

Actually I am using Win 7 also and it is a slow opener - taking about 45 seconds - not sure if because of tab restore or not - but this just started with latest version.

Just did a close and not save tabs - to get display of Firefox took 20 seconds from click on shortcut. IE8 took 10 seconds.

It is a known bug in FF 3.5. FF accesses the temporary files for IE, FF and temp folders for generating random security of some sort.

3.5.1 and newer attempts to fix this bug. Time to update perhaps?

Another crude way of dealing with this issue is to clean IE and FF caches and the temp files folder(s).

[elkangorito]

Actually I am using Win 7 also and it is a slow opener - taking about 45 seconds - not sure if because of tab restore or not - but this just started with latest version.

Just did a close and not save tabs - to get display of Firefox took 20 seconds from click on shortcut. IE8 took 10 seconds.

Firefox always takes quite a while to INITIALLY load (shortcut clicked on) but once loaded, all internet pages load very quickly.

I'm currently using FF 3.5.2 & have no problems whatsoever. I have no idea why the OP is complaining. Oops! Forgive me please. If I want to do 5000 things a second, I need a browser that can accommodate my requirements.

Thank god I can only do 1 thing per second (if I try hard).

[CosmicSurfer]

It is a known bug in FF 3.5. FF accesses the temporary files for IE, FF and temp folders for generating random security of some sort.

3.5.1 and newer attempts to fix this bug. Time to update perhaps?

Another crude way of dealing with this issue is to clean IE and FF caches and the temp files folder(s).

I'm using FF v3.5.2.. so this bug still exists.. and it's bugging me!

CS

[Sunny Valentine]

You are "Da Man".. all the answers... a Firefox doctor... and without any disrespect intended, ( I do respect your greater knowledge), I must ask..... Why is a doctor necessary in the first place, unless the program has serious flaws and shortcomings to begin with.... These tweaks, should be in the preferences, where anyone can get at them and make their adjustments without fear of screwing around with the registry or any other crucial and sensitive parts of the O/S. It's fine if you are into geeky stuff and love reading all the technical blogs and forums, or like to dive into the code and see what happens... I assume that is how you got your knowledge... but that is dangerous for the Great unwashed who are only looking for a program that is intuitive and easy to operate and set up right out-of-the-box. I can follow and implement your instructions.. but my Father would have a Heart-Attack. And that is my initial argument... FireFox is for Geeks not Consumers.

I am a big man, and I have no problem in agreeing with you about IE and it's shells (Avant & Maxthon). They are bigger (Bloated??) and so, have all the missing functionality that I desire pre-built in... (One big ADD-ON, as you put it), but that is in fact the whole point isn't it.. By having it built-in and easily configurable via the preference page, once it is configured after install to suit my needs and browsing style, then I can forget about it....

Now with Firefox I have to waste time going out to find and install all that missing functionality, or consult the "Doctor to find all the hidden "fixes" and tweaks and wade through the confusing multiplicity of competing add-ons, all promising to do the same thing and each claiming to be the best at it... I hate choice.. It's a headache and time consuming.. and in the end.. I end up with a program just as bloated as IE is accused of being.

Promises of changes in the future, just indicate Firefox will end up where other browsers are now. Wasn't that what happened to Netscape??? Started off Lean and Mean.. then disappeared after even it's own supporters accused it of too much Bloat. Meanwhile, IE is still around, being more choosy about the functionality it implements, and maybe slower at getting it right... But still here, increasingly better and Still #1... though I admit that it is slipping... All things have dips and valleys, however, and nothing is forever.... (I still mourn for AltaVista and MusicMatch.)

So where is the benefit??? I ask Again! (Which is, after all the Topic of this tread.)

Your fix, while appreciated, still leaves me with the continuing question...

Why do I have to do this? Where is the Benefit?

Is there any benefit when it's users must go through all these hoops in order to get it to the functionality they want?

Or is it just a continuing manifestation of the old "Microsoft is the Devil" Syndrome?

CS

Well, that's a tough one. But you might also realize that there are some users of Firefox (some examples can be found on this very thread) who are already overwhelmed by the sheer endless number of configurations possible in the Tools - Options menu. So voting to add your missing configuration option in there would end in having hundreds of more options there, conseuently. I have a few ideas too, as well as I guess lots of others ....

So in general I think it is a good idea that Firefox gives you a subset of easily reachable configuration options in the menu, and on top of that allows you to configure thousands of other options in the more hidden about:config settings page.

I understand that you want the pages update every time. Someone in this thread has already explained that the reason most pages do not update is mainly the fault of the programmers of these sites. So I can see the reason for Firefox having the "in an ideal world" setting by default, that would give you your results immediately if everyone would stop programming sites without adhering to published standards. And why are people programming Websites out of standards: Because IE is not following them! If MS IE were banned, all these problems would go away almost instantly ....

So, I personally (Firefox user since 5 Years, I tried and did not like Safari, Chrome or Opera) am quite happy with most of the defaults. There are some that I learned to tweak, but most of the time these were setting where I accept that my favorite settings are probably the settings of a minority of users. I just don,t want to search in the URL bar, that is what the search bar is for. I want to choose my search engines, and not default to the current Firefox sponsor. And so on. To personalize FF it takes me some time, and an installation of several Plugins. BUT I CAN DO IT! That is the main issue for me, and why I like Firefox.

Sunny

[spode]

2) I don't want to switch to new tab when opened... I can do that now by just clicking on the link.... so that switch is already turned on... I want to stay on the page I'm reading, "Right Click" on "Open in New Tab" and go to that page later at my leisure, which is what happens now.... The PEEVE is that it doesn't open BESIDE it's parent page, but at the end of the Tab row... again.. this is the peeve.... Is this correctable easily, without adding on another plug-in, or is this BASIC feature missing from Firefox???

Well, I can't answer your question of what makes it so great, since I do not use FF much - I find it more annoying than those I do use, such as Camino and Safari.

But specific to your tab issue above, what you are asking for as a "BASIC" feature is exactly the opposite of what I want. I want to browse through my opened tabs in the order i opened them - either by closing tabs as I go and seeing the next one, or by clicking the next on the bar. Your way seems cumbersome to me.

So what FF needs is a switch in the preferences to allow both options for users. And for all I know, there already is that technical capability in the about:config, but I never bothered looking because I like the way it is now.

I use FF mostly for web development and site testing.

I use other things for my daily browing.

It sounds like FF does not do what you want, so try something else until you find something you are happy with. If that is IE, then stick with IE.

Many rave about Chrome, but I don't find it usable enough for my specific needs. Safari is very good, but I still keep coming back to Camino (which is Mac-only) for my primary machine, and use Safari on my Windows machine.

-Spode

[dttk0009]

I must admit, after many years of preferring Firefox heavily over other browsers, this last version is the first that's made me look for alternatives. Constant crashing, freezing, slow load times and issues. Might just stick with google chrome.