Comments on: Firefox http://www.theotherblog.com/Articles/2005/05/11/MyZYyfrhGt/ Usability, IA, UX and Design Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:41:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Adrian McEwen http://www.theotherblog.com/Articles/2005/05/11/MyZYyfrhGt/comment-page-1/#comment-5023 Adrian McEwen Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-5023 On my copy of Firefox (on Windows) the General section of the Options (Tools -> Options on the menu) has a "Default Browser" subsection. On my copy of Firefox (on Windows) the General section of the Options (Tools -> Options on the menu) has a “Default Browser” subsection.

]]> By: Tom http://www.theotherblog.com/Articles/2005/05/11/MyZYyfrhGt/comment-page-1/#comment-5024 Tom Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-5024 I'm on MacOS X and it doesn't seem to have that setting anywhere... thanks tho.. I’m on MacOS X and it doesn’t seem to have that setting anywhere… thanks tho..

]]> By: Paul Mison http://www.theotherblog.com/Articles/2005/05/11/MyZYyfrhGt/comment-page-1/#comment-5025 Paul Mison Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-5025 Apple went nuts a couple of years ago and decided that the only place to set the default browser should be in their browser. You can also use tools like RCDefaultApp to reset it, but if Firefox doesn't offer it as an option, then you'll have to use Safari to fix it. The long, wittery version of this is http://husk.org/blog/arch/internet_config_a_circular_history.html Apple went nuts a couple of years ago and decided that the only place to set the default browser should be in their browser. You can also use tools like RCDefaultApp to reset it, but if Firefox doesn’t offer it as an option, then you’ll have to use Safari to fix it.

The long, wittery version of this is http://husk.org/blog/arch/internet_config_a_circular_history.html

]]> By: Tom Smith http://www.theotherblog.com/Articles/2005/05/11/MyZYyfrhGt/comment-page-1/#comment-5026 Tom Smith Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-5026 Ha.. blimey.. I'd NEVER have got that one.. thanks... Ha.. blimey.. I’d NEVER have got that one.. thanks…

]]> By: montana mike http://www.theotherblog.com/Articles/2005/05/11/MyZYyfrhGt/comment-page-1/#comment-5027 montana mike Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-5027 One of the problems developers face is serving two masters. The very technical users of Firefox and the mere mortals in the rest of the world that do not understand all of technical jargon used with this complex application. It is difficult to explain a complex product, such as Firefox in simple terms that most people can understand. What may be trivial for a sophisticated user is difficult for the ordinary user that lacks the necessary sophistacion. I prefer FF over IE mostly because of the tabs. I complained when I lost my bookmarks while using an earlier version of the code. My complaint set off a tirade of nasty replies telling me that I should have known better and IE is worse. My point was that in the 21st century no product should lose my data. I just installed the latest and greatest version 1.0.6.0 and noticed there is now a process whereby a copy of the bookmarks are saved on the Mozilla server. However on the usability side there was no pointer to where the use of this feature is described. Extensions have always been a bit baffling to me. If an extension is really well used then doesn't it make sense to make it a standard feature. Reporting a problem is a bit difficult becasue there is no single point of contact. I agree it is much nicer for the volunteers that are supporting FF to not have to deal with users who don't always understand where and how to report a problem. If you report it to the wrong place you get nasty grams from some of tghe techies who are not very tolerant of mere mortals. For example, as part of version 1.0.6.0 I tried to install the recommended list if extensions. The java installation failed. I do not know where or how to report this problem. In order for FF to increase its number of users there must be a way to attract the common ordinary user with simple ways of installing and using this complex product. Until that happens I do not believe FF will continue to grow. That is the fundamental dilemma of all complex products. How do you allow the very talented and knowledgeable people to use the product while simultaneously making it easy for the non-technical person to use and maintain. One of the problems developers face is serving two masters. The very technical users of Firefox and the mere mortals in the rest of the world that do not understand all of technical jargon used with this complex application.

It is difficult to explain a complex product, such as Firefox in simple terms that most people can understand. What may be trivial for a sophisticated user is difficult for the ordinary user that lacks the necessary sophistacion.

I prefer FF over IE mostly because of the tabs. I complained when I lost my bookmarks while using an earlier version of the code. My complaint set off a tirade of nasty replies telling me that I should have known better and IE is worse. My point was that in the 21st century no product should lose my data. I just installed the latest and greatest version 1.0.6.0 and noticed there is now a process whereby a copy of the bookmarks are saved on the Mozilla server. However on the usability side there was no pointer to where the use of this feature is described.

Extensions have always been a bit baffling to me. If an extension is really well used then doesn’t it make sense to make it a standard feature.

Reporting a problem is a bit difficult becasue there is no single point of contact. I agree it is much nicer for the volunteers that are supporting FF to not have to deal with users who don’t always understand where and how to report a problem. If you report it to the wrong place you get nasty grams from some of tghe techies who are not very tolerant of mere mortals.

For example, as part of version 1.0.6.0 I tried to install the recommended list if extensions. The java installation failed. I do not know where or how to report this problem.

In order for FF to increase its number of users there must be a way to attract the common ordinary user with simple ways of installing and using this complex product. Until that happens I do not believe FF will continue to grow.

That is the fundamental dilemma of all complex products. How do you allow the very talented and knowledgeable people to use the product while simultaneously making it easy for the non-technical person to use and maintain.

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