Well, me and ye olde Firefox Browser are having a bit of a reunion here (with chocolate chip ice cream!). I read some very good blog posts (from Sam) about making the switch to Opera. So, for a week, I used Opera after setting it up as close to Firefox as was possible. I have failed.
Opera has some very nice aspects built-in that Firefox requires an add-on for. Things such as panels, user javascript, Notes, and others.
What I liked about Opera was the nifty way you could take a theme and change its basic color. Firefox has an extension that does that, but I’ve yet to get it to work. Opera did seem to be a bit faster in loading web pages, but I didn’t really see that much of a difference. IE8, on the other hand, has too many times had “failed to connect to server” errors.
Two things sabotaged my continuance with Opera: no AdBlock and the learning curve.
AdBlock is a MUST have. I’m able to surf sites safely and securely because AdBlock is not only taking care of annoying ads, but it helps to stop some things that mask themselves as ads, but they aren’t and they wind up installing stuff. Sam seems to get around this junk by disabling javascript. I tried that and wound up not being able to go trusted sites that I visit on a daily basis because they use javascript.
Opera has a helluva learning/habit curve, too. If you’ve used one particular browser for years, it’s awfully difficult to switch. When I initially switched to Firefox from IE5, I did so because of the frustration I had on a daily basis with stuff just not working properly in IE5. When I get mad at something, that gives me “mad motivation” to learn something new.
I’ve been using Firefox for years now, and although switching permanently to Opera is tempting, it’s not enough to pull me away from Firefox. Yet.
Oh. One final word about Opera: widgets are dumb.
Tags: firefox browser, Opera
Here comes that learning curve again! There are several ways to block all sorts of things in Opera. One of the first things that I did was to set up a UserJS folder (just create a folder wherever you want it, then point Opera to it through Tools > Preferences > Advanced > JavaScript Options. The scripts that you want to use should be stored in this folder. I’m using one called blockexternal for blocking scripts from external sites, which I’m not going to link to because of my uncertainty about where I downloaded it.
Another method is to block content directly from Opera’s preferences. Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Content > Blocked Content. You can ad all sorts of domain/extensions directly from the pop-up. I use this a LOT and have blocked everything from sites that tick me off to all of DoubleClick to PDF files to generic ad addresses. It helps to have some sort of list of things to block.
Yet a third method is to block all of that crap system-wide through Windows’ HOSTS file.
Since I know that this comment is probably more confusing than it is helpful, here are a couple of useful links: The User JS forum at the Opera Community and Blocking Adverts in Opera.
Also, feel free to e-mail me if you need any help…
Sam – you appeal to the kid part of me that goes, “ooooh! shiny toys!” How do you do the javascipt adblock thingy?
LOL @ the widget review!
For the record, I still use Firefox, too. I pretty much have to, in order to do certain things at Netflix, Squarespace, and Zazzle, while still being able to surf securely. It’s just not my most-used browser, anymore.
Also, for the record, JavaScirpt in Opera can be enabled on a per-site basis (sort of like NoScript for Firefox, but with less fine control), and AdBlock can be replicated via User JavaScript.
The learning curve is a doozy.
You know what’s cool, though? That you gave Opera a fair try. I think that’s awesome in an era of browser fan boys (and girls)!