Transcript Chapter 3

The Web Wizard’s Guide
to Freeware/Shareware
Chapter Three
Customizing Your Online
Experience
Chapter Objectives

To explore browser customizations with plugins, add-ons, and helper applications
 To discover the convenience of download
managers
 To learn how a password manager helps you
handle your Web site sign-ins
 To see how to use cookie managers and ad
filters to protect your privacy
Browser Customizations
Your Web browser can be
customized by installing special
software designed to work in
conjunction with your browser.
These special software options
come in three flavors: plug-ins,
add-ons, and helper applications.
Plug-Ins
These applications extend your browser’s
display capabilities to new kinds of files.
 Some plug-ins add multimedia capabilities to
your browser (animation, video, sound, etc.)
 It is not obvious when a plug-in is working –
your browser simply displays something on a
Web page that it would not otherwise be able to
display.

Add-Ons

A browser add-on is an application that is
launched from your browser – either
automatically (e.g. a download manager) or
when you explicity ask for it (e.g. a meta search
engine).
 Some add-ons are designed for integration with
Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, but
not both.
 If an add-on does not work with your particular
browser, you can still install it and run it as an
independent application.
Helper Applications

When a browser encounters a file that requires a
special application, it can automatically launch an
stand-alone application (e.g. a .doc file could
launch Microsoft Word).
 Plug-ins never open new windows in order to
display a file, but helper applications always open
new windows.
 Helper applications are integrated with browsers
whenever you are asked what application should
be used to handle a specific file type.
Useful Add-Ons

Download managers
 Password managers
 Cookie managers
 Ad filters
Download Managers

Download managers have many useful
features for downloading files from the
Web that Web browsers don’t have.
 You can schedule downloads ahead of
time.
 You can shop around for the download
site with the fastest response time.
 You can resume a download that was
terminated or aborted.
Password Managers

Many Web sites require user sign-ins.
 It’s hard to remember dozens of userids
and passwords, but it’s not smart to use
the same userid and password at lots of
different Web sites.
 A password manager remembers which
Web sites require which userids and
passwords for you – all you have to
remember is one master password.
Cookie Managers

A cookie is a small text file that a Web
server places in your personal computer
when you Web browser has cookies
enabled.
 Some cookies perform useful services and
others may engage in objectionable
activities.
 A cookie manager lets you decide which
cookies should be enabled and which
should not.
Add Filters
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Ad filters speed up your Web page
downloads by omitting commercial ad
banners and other image files.
If you find ads annoying, you will enjoy
the Web more without them.
Ads on Web pages can also be used to
generate user profiles, so ad filters are
enthusiastically endorsed by privacy
advocates.