Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I see the latest Firefox (which appears to have installed itself without giving me the option it usually does) has moved a whole bunch of buttons to different places.

Why? :frown:

You get so used to a function and then it changes or moves for no apparent reason.

I'm so used to back clicking in the top left corner, either just the one page or getting the list so I can go right back to the right page on one go. Never had to think about it as it was just there. Now I keep doing it automatically and getting some other box up that I really don't see the point of.

The function is still available to me, it's just in a different place.

I still find that I accidentally close tabs because of the changes they made a couple of years ago!:eek:

Honestly, what's the point? New functions don't have to mean everything else changes.

A new keyboard comes out with a euro symbol or a new function button. Do they change the whole bloody layout of the letters so it's not qwerty anymore? Of course they bloody don't. :frown:

Is there a browser that doesn't just change such things for no good reason?

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I use Chrome, it's great. Any changes have been minor but in all the time I've been using it, I have not particularly noticed any major changes. The biggest one I can think of is they changed the style, but not the location, of the "new tab" feature. I also love how well Chrome integrates with my gmail account... I use Chrome on my work computer, on my phone, on my tablet, and on my laptop at home. It's great because I can see what pages I have open on any machine. I often will look up a recipe at work, and then will leave it open. When I get home, I'll grab the tablet, look at what pages I have open on my work computer, and load the recipe from there. Saves having to email myself the page, or to remember to write it down or otherwise google-fu to find the recipe again. And the history is shared, so even if I do close it, I can just dive into the history and find it there. Super convenient. :)

Plus Google Now now works with desktop which makes me super happy as I use it a lot for updates etc.

The extensions are also great, and the browser is also not hard on the processor and just, well, works. I switched from Firefox to Chrome about 6 years ago and have never looked back. :)

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Its a pet peeve of mine when things like websites and browsers change for no apparent reason, and usually not for the better.

I use chrome, not sure if they change much, but I never notice any changes anyhow, so I guess if they are changing things, its not noticeable.

I used to use firefox before chrome, and I do like chrome better, although I do every so often come across a website that wont work with it, but its pretty rare.

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

You sound like my mum. :rofl:

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Mosaic :D

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

i noticed the changes in firefox too...it looks a lot cleaner, but its annoyed me where they've put the menu button now (it's replaced where the bookmarks button was)

now my bookmarks button has shifted across one space and it's not possible to switch them around...although Firefox is opensource software i believe, so you could edit the code to move whatever you wished? :)

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Ditto!
I'm a big Chrome fan too, even to the point of having a Chromebook.
Not quite sure about Google Now though, does it provide anything new?

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

You can customise firefox and drop and drag any of the shortcuts anywhere on the toolbar.

Click the 3 bars on the far right of the toolbar and click 'customise' - you can also move standard stuff around on the toolbar.

See attached.

:)

(You can get a list of where you have visited by right clicking on the back button)

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I too like Chrome, and AFAIK its functionality has never changed

Chrome users do however need to be aware of the relative lack of security on its saved password list. Thats one thing I would change on it.

chrome://settings/passwords

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Apparently a Gmail redesign is about to be foisted on us too

http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...oogle-plus-now

The one reservation I have with Chrome/Google is there seems to be an intense desire to subvert the Gmail accounts into Google+ social network. Who said they would "do no evil"?

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I like it. I use it mainly to check traffic in the morning - it's learned that when I drive to work I leave home, drop my husband off at the train station, and then continue to work, which involves a bit of back-tracking, but through my phone it's learned that that's my route, so it's convenient to do a quick traffic check.

Second, I use it for sports. I just have all my teams in it, and all the scores are all in one spot. I never have to search for them, just open it, scores are there, updated in real time. Very happy.

Also convenient for quick checks of things like weather. When I'm travelling it also gives me the current exchange rate, weather where I am, tourist spots nearby, etc.

It's good for me! :)

If you don't have a password on Windows then yeah, this isn't great, but then again, you have Windows with no password at all anyway. If you have a password, then it prompts you for it before it shows any passwords.

(And if you're trying to access your password on a network computer at work, your password doesn't work at all! Not sure which password it's asking me for, but my Windows one doesn't work at work! Works fine at home.)

Oh Christ... ick ick ick. I don't mind G+, but I'd prefer Gmail not to change much... :S

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

it was actually the 3 bars button i was meaning! I want it over on the far right, but it only lets you customise the rest of the row...the three bars menu stays where it is! :(

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

wow that Hi tech?
I'd go for Lynx !!!

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I think the pictures help a bit... otherwise its telnet and ssh all the way

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Yeah, I had a play with that. But the back/forward buttons are part of the address bit.

I don't mind buttons being in different places since I so rarely use most things I have to look for them anyway.

My adblocker icon is at the top now instead of at the bottom. But the only time I touch it is when I want to watch ITV and I have to disable (on ITV only) to do so. No problem at all.

But the back button being in the corner meant I didn't have to pay attention, just scoot over there and click. Tabs, bookmarks and back click is probably about 99.99999999% of what I do and I'm still finding I go to the corner. :rofl:

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Yeah... I was annoyed it never asked me too.

Still, got used to it already and completely forgot until you mentioned it.

Cheers

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I never get why people think Chrome is so great, it's the most problematical browser I've ever dealt with, with the exception of Opera. At least on Windows.

And it's even a problem if you don't have it and don't want it, because so many bits of software try to bundle it in.

It doesn't really do anything that Firefox doesn't do with a couple of minor exceptions.

Anyway I think the UI on Firefox 29 is better than the old one, fwiw.

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

My back button is still in the left corner and the '3 bars' on the far right; you can move the bookmark and favourite icon to where you want them.

I'm confused, because I have the latest version (29.0.1) yet yours sounds as if it looks different to mine.

:confused:

Edited to say, I have just realised what you meant, that the forward/back buttons were separate from the address bar and now it's a part of it.

oops, sorry!

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I used to like it when there was a nice big blue refresh button that was easy to see rather than that faint grey tiddly thing.

I wonder if donations dip when they change things and whether, if they allowed people to keep what they were used to for a fee, their funds might be boosted. :sneaky:

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

:cool:Well it's very quick on processing and very efficient in layout. If you use Google apps like Gmail, Drive. Google Maps, it's a seamless experience. What kind of problems did you experience?

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

This is exactly what I'm wondering. I'm pretty solidly ingrained in the Googleverse... if I ever lose access to my gmail, I am so screwed. :P

I got my gmail account way back in the day - summer 2004 - back when it was by invitation only. I use Calendar, Drive, Now, Android, for awhile was using Analytics but not anymore, Maps, Chrome Sync, and G+ (sparingly). I dabble in some of th eother apps occasionally, but those are the ones I use regularly, particularly Gmail and Calendar. (My husband and I each have a calendar that the other can see, as well as a joint one, and it's what we use to manage our schedule, everything from doctors appointments to social engagements to birthdays, etc.) I also use Contacts in gmail as my proper address book - took a few hours two summers ago to sit down and properly manage my contacts - merging duplicates, entering addresses and phone numbers, and syncing it all to my phone - which has been great since I have changed phones twice and haven't had the nightmare of porting contacts.

Chrome ties all of it together quite nicely - everything operates as it's supposed to, whereas sometimes there are compatibility issues on other browsers.

/meaninglessbabble

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Yes it's a bit scary how much data Google has on me, when the machines take over, I'll be one of the first humans to go :(:(

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Google thinks I'm a 65+ male.
It's wrong

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

All Google has to do is lock me out of their service and I'm totally screwed... I'll probably be the first to go simply because I'll be lost in a gutter somewhere!

Well then. That's just wrong on all accounts!

https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb/

Google has my age range and gender right (it's in my google profile). It also has 73 different categories listed as my "interests", based on my browsing activity... which basically is "Everything", according to them. A selection:

• Advertising & Marketing (not really true)
• Air Travel (shocking, when you have family all over the world!)
• Bicycles & Accessories, Bike Parts & Repair, Cycling (3 different entries)
• East Asian Music (LOL wat??)
• Email & Messaging (genius)
• Gymnastics (to watch, yes, but don't think I've particularly showed an interest in it!)
• Music Videos (I literally do not remember the last music video I watched.)

Some in there are correct, but some are just really broad. Ah well. We must all surrender to the machines.

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Do you use that double sign-in service, where you are sent a text message or have a number of passes that can give you access to your account. It's supposed to be a security measure but is also a failsafe for access. I used it for a while, but it became a bit of pain when changing devices that reverted to normal sign in.

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Yep, I have that set up. So much of my life is in my gmail that I really felt like I needed the extra step.

I used to use it with the app that generated a code, but if I ever lost my phone then that was a problem.

I instead switched to it just sending me a text message, that way when I got a new device the phone number was still active and I didn't have to worry about it. I also have three phone numbers as backup ones - my husband's Canadian number, and both our UK numbers. And as a last resort, I have a saved version of the printable recovery codes.

I also have it set not to ask me for the second code on trusted computers, so the majority of my devices anyway only ask once and that's it.

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Yay!

Problem solved.

You can't drag the address bar, but you can drag the other icons to the right of the address bar so it effectively does the same. My back arrow is now back in the top left corner where it belongs. :D

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

But if you don't want to, that's a problem. Say you've got acres of users who you want to lock out from Gmail because they're using it to dodge corporate policies, say you don't want company info uploaded onto Google's cloud services.

Well without boring you with what I get up to day-to-day it has a tendency to leave Windows in a bit of an unstable state when it's uninstalled. Various bespoke web-based apps don't work properly with it, which I find odd because it's very similar to Firefox and Firefox seems to be more successful.

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

I try not to use Google, for a wide variety of reasons but this most recent "I want to be forgotten" thing is the latest stupidity - just because you're removed from a search engine doesn't mean the website has gone.

I generally use www.ddg.gg (which is built on Yandex) although the search result quality is definitely not as good - but it does show you stuff Google has decided they don't want you to see.

Pretty much as with anything else you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

Re: Change for the sake of it - part 93
 

Love the homepage on DDG! :thumbup: