Firefox can be extended with a variety of add-ons. Here’s a few of the add-ons I use (and couldn’t live without):

#1 – TwitterFox

Twitter is an amazing service. It’s sort of like a combination between microblogging and text messaging with conversational applications. You “follow” people and they “follow” you – it’s a way to keep track of friends and make new ones. If you look to the right on this blog, you’ll see my Twitter. Go to my twitter page to sign up for an account, or to follow me or see who I follow. TwitterFox puts a tiny, unobtrusive “T” icon in the statusbar of FF, with a number next to it. Click on it and you can see recent tweets from those you follow, and send tweets yourself.

#2 – NoScript

NoScript is what keeps me safe on the web. I ditched Norton Internet Insecurity a ways back (because it allowed Windows to get infected by a web-borne virus, then it deleted the infected files. Brilliant!). I’ve since replaced it with first AVG and Zone Alarm, and now just AVG Internet Security. NoScript adds an additional layer of protection to the mix, by preventing websites from executing scripts that you don’t know about. You can give site-by-site permissions.

#3 – ForecastFox

ForecastFox is simple and highly customizable. I get current and forecast weather for my town and also Lakeland, where Kayti is, displayed on the status bar. Alerts pop up if there’s a severe weather situation. FF rotates between the two every so often. You can have (in theory) as many locations as you like. Want to know the weather in Paris or Timbuktu? Just set it up in ForecastFox.

#4 – Alexa Toolbar

Alexa’s among my latest downloads. I’ve yet to see what the big deal is about it, but I’m told that using it will increase your pagerank (thus netting me more cash for the paid posts I do from time to time). So – there it is.

#5 – FireFTP

I don’t know how I lived before FireFTP. Seriously. Before, if I wanted to upload something to the site, I had to open a stand-alone application. No matter which one I tried, too, they seemed to be very crash-prone. With FireFTP, two clicks and I’m “in” – uploads, downloads, permissions, and the like are all available by drag, drop, or click. It’s the simplest and most wonderful little app in the world. ?

I’ve got more add-ons than this, but I need to get back to work. Might write about more later! Use the link below to find the above, or search for others. What’s your favorite FF extension?

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/recommended

I confess that I have not taken the upgrade plunge yet. But I’ll also confess that this is the first time I’ve seriously considered upgrading, rather than waiting a few years and buying a new computer with the current operating system pre-installed (and in theory, at least some of the bugs out).

Yes, the commercials are lacking. But the OS? Microsoft might be onto something there.

My daughter saved her money all summer and bought a new HP Pavillion. It’s a sweet computer. She let me play around on it – a little. Then she jealously grabbed it back and started yakking via Skype video to friends all over the world.

I was impressed by the HP’s features – but what I really wanted to check out was Vista. Previous Microsoft new releases have been consistently terrible until major bugs have been worked out of them. I heard a little about that in Vista’s very early days – but now, it seems like most folks are pretty happy with it.

The first thing I noticed was that Windows Vista just looks very smooth. Not sure how else to describe it.

There are three features that made me happy. Ecstatic, even. The first is Instant Search, an always-ready and fast file search utility. Then there’s Live Icons and the Preview Pane, which show you what’s inside the file or folder you’re looking at. One thing I’ve always hated about word processors is if you’re looking for a file and you named it something dumb that you’ll never remember, you might have to open half a dozen Word docs to find what you’re looking for. That takes time and effort – but with Vista the problem is solved.

Vista’s got a lot of other features – whether you’re a casual user or an uber-tech, check it out.

Gotta love it.

If you don’t have a Twitter account, go and get one. Seriously.

So, I’ve connected with people and prayed for a couple of complete strangers – like for 2 guys who are serving in relief efforts in LA, and someone else who was sick/having a bad day. Maybe random people pray for me, too. Hope so.

I have to wonder – is anyone using Twitter for outreach/evangelism? I’m not seeing it be as productive a medium as a forum, IM’s, or email could be… but perhaps to plant a seed here and there, or to round out conversation?

“What happens when you become so Socially Connected in the Web 2.0 age that it takes more time to update everyone on your life than it does to have that life?”

Now that, my friends, is the question of the century. Too bad, though, we may not have time to answer it.

Webhostingrating also offers a wide variety of informative articles, ranging from the basic like choosing a domain name, to the technical – explanations of things like Ruby on Rails and CPanel tutorials.

Their reviews are broken down by categories – unix or windows, reseller accounts, dedicated hosts, blog sites, CMS hosts, and so on. Basically, you start with what you need in a site, and Webhostingrating will direct you to potential web hosts.

The service even breaks needs down to what sort of CMS you use: WordPress, Joomla, MODx, phpBB, Typo3, etc.

If you (hint – Scott at HostingTruth) want to set up an account on Webhostingrating, use this page. Resellers and affiliates are not eligible. They’re looking for independent companies.

I won’t be switching web hosts – but I do plan on making use of their articles!!

I just ran across a new site for people who freelance (and for people who need freelancers!) – The Freelance Nation lists freelance work opportunities. Very cool!

The Freelance Nation offers an easy-to-use interface that allows users to search for freelance projects by type or location. I very quickly found a couple of writing gigs that I’ll be checking into. There are a number of cities from around the US, and it looks like they’ll be adding new cities in the future. With many people out of work or seeking to supplement their income, there’s no doubt that The Freelance Nation will benefit freelance and contract workers.

The Freelance Nation benefits small businesses by offering an inexpensive way to contract both large and small tasks to freelancers. There are 23 categories and hundreds of sub-categories of jobs – plus employers can search for potential freelancers directly. If you own a home business, this is a great way to contract out those “little” jobs without actually hiring a 9-5 employee! Any sort of business will benefit from the creative staffing opportunity here – you could contract out short-term jobs, or hire a temporary employee quickly if someone gets sick. The possibilities are endless!

You can check out this list of freelance jobs and profile example to see how the site works, and post questions in the Freelance Forum. You might also wish to view the FAQ.

Why does anyone use it?

They’re called STANDARDS for a REASON, Microsoft.

Although I’m in no hurry to change webhosts, Web Hosting Geeks is still a useful tool to find the best web hosting out there.

Web Hosting Geeks also offers a variety of articles on their site, such as Adding Word Rich Content and Ten Design Mistakes to Avoid. They even have some highly technical stuff on topics like asp servers (out of my league, but useful to a lot of people!).

If you’re looking for a new host, or help with your website design and marketing, be sure to check them out!