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fandomhigh_ooc2007-08-27 07:11 pm
cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh_ooc2007-08-27 07:11 pm
Entry tags:
Extensions and Toys to Make LJ RPing More Convenient
So I found this useful Firefox extension recently that I thought I'd share with everyone. And then I figured I'd compile a list of a few other things that have made my life easier while RPing on LJ, just to be a little more substantially helpful.
Let me preface this by saying that the majority of these extensions are designed for the Mozilla Firefox browser, but will work on most other browsers based on the Firefox engine. So let's start off with:
Firefox and its bastard siblings, and where to get them -- because if you're using IE, you're seriously missing out.
Mozilla Firefox. Probably the best and most configurable browser out there. Highly customizable with tons of extensions, and if you're not using it yet, well . . . why?
Flock, the Social Web Browser. Currently in beta at version 0.9.0.2. Behaves and works very much like Firefox, though it's got useful features geared toward blogging and social networking, like a Photobucket mass-upload feature, a self-contained blog editor (that will work with LJ), and other such widgets. It can, however, be a bit of a memory hog.
Netscape 9. Netscape's gone back to using the Firefox engine, so the newest version of it is much less bloated and clunky than the previous several editions.
Opera. Technically, this isn't based on the Firefox engine, but it is also a solid and reliable browser, though it takes a little more tech know-how to customize. At some later date I'll post a quick overview of how to get the Greasemonkey unfold script to work in Opera.
Flock and Netscape, both using the Firefox engine, are compatible with a large number of Firefox extensions, but more on that below.
Extensions and scripts no LJ-based RPer should be without
LJlogin -- Seriously, if you don't have this extension, your life is a lot harder when you have multiple characters. Because who wants to log in and out via the LJ main page when you can do it via a simple click of a widget in your status bar instead? (Note: if you log in and out of one account and attempt to reply in a thread after switching, you'll get an error unless you refresh the page first.)
Greasemonkey -- Probably the most useful Firefox extension ever, next to LJlogin, at least if you're an LJ RPer. Installing Greasemonkey allows you to load all kinds of scripts that can customize and enhance your browsing experience. The most useful for all of us, of course, is . . .
LJ Thread Unfolder. As the name would suggest, this handy little script will let you unfold comments from a collapsed thread without having to navigate away from the main post.
Textarea Backup w/ Restore Buttons -- This spiffy little Greasemonkey script automatically backs up what you enter into text boxes, so in the event of a browser crash or something, you don't lose that ping you've been working on.
Textarea Drag Resize -- For when the text box you're typing in just isn't big enough.
Better Gmail -- Okay, not strictly "can't live without," but I do like this extension for the fact that it provides me with several "skins" for the Gmail interface, and gives you the option of having the comment count come first so you get "(1 unread) Gmail - Inbox" instead of "Gmail - Inbox (1)." Useful when you've got a lot of tabs open, really.
Tab Mix Plus -- The ability to undo accidentally closed tabs, duplicate tabs when you need to, and lock/protect tabs so you can't close or move them? Very spiffy.
AdBlock Plus -- Does what it says, and takes those annoying banner ads out of your sight. Makes having a LJ Plus account a whole lot less annoying.
LiveJournal Addons -- This is my new toy, that I found and wanted to share. It adds a widget to your status bar next to LJlogin, and does nifty things like alert you when a new post pops up on your flist, when someone new friends you, or when there new messages in your LJ Message Center. (Although really, who checks that all that often?) It also contains its own thread unfolder: although it doesn't automatically refresh new comments like the Greasemonkey unfold script does, it does have the nice added feature of letting you unfold LJ cuts and read the posts without navigating away from your main Friends page, and then "fold" the cuts back up. There's also a self-contained thread tracker, for when LJ's eating comment notifications again.
I've tested and used all of the above extensions successfully in Firefox and Flock, and all of the above with the exception of Tab Mix Plus in Netscape 9 as well.
If anybody's got any more, by all means, leave comments on 'em and links here!
(ETA: How could I forget? For the taskbar-button-order OCD among us, there's the Windows Taskbar Shuffle app that lets you drag/drop and reorder the program buttons on your taskbar so your browser and AIM window buttons will always be Exactly Where You Want Them To Be.)
Let me preface this by saying that the majority of these extensions are designed for the Mozilla Firefox browser, but will work on most other browsers based on the Firefox engine. So let's start off with:
Firefox and its bastard siblings, and where to get them -- because if you're using IE, you're seriously missing out.
Mozilla Firefox. Probably the best and most configurable browser out there. Highly customizable with tons of extensions, and if you're not using it yet, well . . . why?
Flock, the Social Web Browser. Currently in beta at version 0.9.0.2. Behaves and works very much like Firefox, though it's got useful features geared toward blogging and social networking, like a Photobucket mass-upload feature, a self-contained blog editor (that will work with LJ), and other such widgets. It can, however, be a bit of a memory hog.
Netscape 9. Netscape's gone back to using the Firefox engine, so the newest version of it is much less bloated and clunky than the previous several editions.
Opera. Technically, this isn't based on the Firefox engine, but it is also a solid and reliable browser, though it takes a little more tech know-how to customize. At some later date I'll post a quick overview of how to get the Greasemonkey unfold script to work in Opera.
Flock and Netscape, both using the Firefox engine, are compatible with a large number of Firefox extensions, but more on that below.
Extensions and scripts no LJ-based RPer should be without
LJlogin -- Seriously, if you don't have this extension, your life is a lot harder when you have multiple characters. Because who wants to log in and out via the LJ main page when you can do it via a simple click of a widget in your status bar instead? (Note: if you log in and out of one account and attempt to reply in a thread after switching, you'll get an error unless you refresh the page first.)
Greasemonkey -- Probably the most useful Firefox extension ever, next to LJlogin, at least if you're an LJ RPer. Installing Greasemonkey allows you to load all kinds of scripts that can customize and enhance your browsing experience. The most useful for all of us, of course, is . . .
LJ Thread Unfolder. As the name would suggest, this handy little script will let you unfold comments from a collapsed thread without having to navigate away from the main post.
Textarea Backup w/ Restore Buttons -- This spiffy little Greasemonkey script automatically backs up what you enter into text boxes, so in the event of a browser crash or something, you don't lose that ping you've been working on.
Textarea Drag Resize -- For when the text box you're typing in just isn't big enough.
Better Gmail -- Okay, not strictly "can't live without," but I do like this extension for the fact that it provides me with several "skins" for the Gmail interface, and gives you the option of having the comment count come first so you get "(1 unread) Gmail - Inbox" instead of "Gmail - Inbox (1)." Useful when you've got a lot of tabs open, really.
Tab Mix Plus -- The ability to undo accidentally closed tabs, duplicate tabs when you need to, and lock/protect tabs so you can't close or move them? Very spiffy.
AdBlock Plus -- Does what it says, and takes those annoying banner ads out of your sight. Makes having a LJ Plus account a whole lot less annoying.
LiveJournal Addons -- This is my new toy, that I found and wanted to share. It adds a widget to your status bar next to LJlogin, and does nifty things like alert you when a new post pops up on your flist, when someone new friends you, or when there new messages in your LJ Message Center. (Although really, who checks that all that often?) It also contains its own thread unfolder: although it doesn't automatically refresh new comments like the Greasemonkey unfold script does, it does have the nice added feature of letting you unfold LJ cuts and read the posts without navigating away from your main Friends page, and then "fold" the cuts back up. There's also a self-contained thread tracker, for when LJ's eating comment notifications again.
I've tested and used all of the above extensions successfully in Firefox and Flock, and all of the above with the exception of Tab Mix Plus in Netscape 9 as well.
If anybody's got any more, by all means, leave comments on 'em and links here!
(ETA: How could I forget? For the taskbar-button-order OCD among us, there's the Windows Taskbar Shuffle app that lets you drag/drop and reorder the program buttons on your taskbar so your browser and AIM window buttons will always be Exactly Where You Want Them To Be.)
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... But, you left off one of the absolute essentials: LJ New Comments (http://userscripts.org/scripts/show/2494), a GreaseMonkey script that remembers which comments you've read and which you haven't.
(Although, be warned: the combination of New Comments and Thread Unfolder kills posts with more than a few hundred comments.)
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I NEED my taskbar to go Outlook, Netscape, Seamonkey, Firefox or or or or... bad things! Fire! Brimstone! Goats and frogs dancing together!
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(Yes, I have LJlogin installed on Flock, Firefox, and Netscape, and I still use all three for separate journals. I'm just a browser whore.)
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I can spell. Really.
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Plus? OPERA CAN READ YOUR LIVEJOURNAL OUT LOUD. It enhances the emo.
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WAIT, I AM A HEATHEN.
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*TACKLEHUGS YOU*
It's like all my OCD dreams have suddenly come true...
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*does pet her mac for having no need for taskbar shuffling, though*
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Target Alert (http://www.bolinfest.com/targetalert/) - shows with a little icon what a hyperlink leads to (html, pdf, etc)
Download statusbar (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/26) - pops up at the bottom of the firefox window.
Colorful tabs (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1368) - what it says.
Google Preview (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/189) - shows a preview image of sites when you search on google.
View my currency (http://viewmycurrency.wordpress.com/) - automatically converts dollars/pund/etc to your currency of choice.
FoxyTunes (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/219) - I use it mostly to hit pause, stop and start and shuffle to be honest, but it's handy for when I don't want to pull up iTunes just to do those things.
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[/very late reply wtf self]
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SO. MUCH. LOVE. FOR. YOU. ♥
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