Firefox Tips

FireFox Database Cleanup

Firefox keeps lots of SQL databases running. There are small databases for your bookmarks, cookies, downloads, form history, address bar (so it can be awesome), and more. Sadly, it doesn't maintain these databases as well as it should, so as items are added, removed or changed, the databases can become cluttered.  This can slow your Firefox performance. Fortunately, the Firefox community jumped in creating both programs and add-ons to handle this issue.

The one I recommend is SpeedyFox. This is a very simple executable file which issues the SQL "Vacuum" command to cleanup the various Firefox databases. I decided this was very simple and "client proof". Plus there is no reason to carry around an add-on all the time to merely issue a vacuum command once every month or two. I recommend you download the program and put it into your Maintenance folder and run it once every month or even just once a quarter. It is very fast and clean.

I received this email from my friend Peter Miller the programmer, who is also Peter Miller the photographer after I recommended this solution to him.

Thanks for the firefox⁄sqlite⁄vacuum heads-up. Startup is much fasterand the location bar seems to work about 5 times faster!

Bookmark all tabs

Sometimes I am researching something and have 3 or more tabs open and would like to come back to those tabs later. Essentially, I want one bookmark for lots of tabs. This is simple to accomplish.

Pull down Bookmarks menu and select "Bookmark all Tabs". This will save all the open tabs into one folder.  You can resume surfing the next day by right clicking on that bookmark folder and then selecting "Open All in Tabs"

Bonus Tip: Give the bookmark folder a name you remember then delete the folder when you are done with it.

Those of you who are using the ReadItLater add-on which I discussed in my August 2009 Newsletter, could right click on a tab and select "Save all tabs for Later". This will add all tabs individually to your ReadITLater folder.

Readability

Readability is one of those Firefox Add-ons that reminds me of the Energizer Bunny. But, instead of going and going and going, it amazes and amazes and amazes. Time after time I click the Readability button and my jaw drops in amazement. "How do they do that?" I wonder again and again. Here is what it does with a single click. I often read Thomas Sowell's syndicated column  which looks like this.

I click the readability button and I get this:

This improves the readability of an article, and also helps if you want to copy it or print it.

They have a nice demonstration on their blog-page.

What you do in Firefox is go to this page and design how you want your pages to look. It previews your settings for you. Then drag the readability button up to your bookmark bar.

It will also work with Internet Exposer, but of course it is harder to do. Here's a video on how to do it for those of you who insist on using the wrong browser.

Most pages can be transformed magically into something very readable, savable and printable. It is a great help for storing web pages in Evernotes. However, of course, some pages just can't be cleaned up even with Readability.