Amazingly (or perhaps not), Firefox (macOS 106.0.1 (64-bit)) slammed me back to using Google as its  toolbar search engine. I had been using DuckDuckGo for years.

Luckily Firefox had a pop-up telling me as much, actually bragging about it, so I knew to set it back. But I did test it once before swapping, and this was not a drill. The update to Firefox wasn't showing me the wrong dialog; it had slammed me back to Google.

/sigh

Profiteering weirds the internet.

Labels: firefox, Google, hats o' money

This page about Firefox claims:

Location-Aware Browsing is always opt-in in Firefox. No location information is ever sent without your permission. [emphasis mine, of course]

That's so not Scottish, it's crap.

In case you think I'm overstating, or screwed something up, here's my full Firefox history (full disclosure: I've erased about 12 pages between "Internet for people, not profit" and the Yahoo search for AAA that'd tell you what bank I use):

I can tell you, I haven't opted in to giving out my location everywhere in those pages.

And when we check about:config, it's turned on anyhow.

Explain that, Mr. Mozilla Privacy is Job 1.

(In other news, AAA still uses WebObjects.)

EDIT: Run the EFF's Panopticlick page now. I always kinda wondered about this (if you get all my browser metadata, you'll kinda know who I am, won't you?), but it's scary to see it in practice.

Even worse is learning about this canvas fingerprinting, which is a much more specifically identifying source of metadata that I had no clue existed. /sigh

They know exactly who you are.

Labels: fail, firefox, geolocation, privacy

Sometimes, code smell comes from your documentation:

In some case, the browser will keep suggesting autocompletion values even if the autocomplete attribute is set to off. This unexpected behavior can be quite puzzling for developers. The trick to really force the no-completion is to assign a random string to the attribute like so:

autocomplete="nope"

Since this random value is not a valid one, the browser will give up.

Giving invalid data until "the browser will give up" is a best practice, is it? Whew, that smells. I love the, "The trick is to really force" line. "Really force"?

"Hey, Firefox, remember when I told you to turn off autocomplete? It's just an informal request. If I want you to really honor it, I'll really force you to."

/sigh

Protip for Mozilla: Firefox form autocomplete is broken. I don't really care if it follows standards; most users and nearly every web developer will tell you its behavior is broken.

I hate to see [sic] it, but it looks like Firefox usage may be down over 12% over 2015. It was my favorite browser to use for dev and home. I think the trend is pretty clear: There are now only three browsers. Edge/IE on Windows, Safari on iOS (and OS X, if you count it), and Chrome.

Labels: firefox, html

As I've mentioned before, there's no way Yahoo's gains in Firefox search sticks. It took me one search to get disgusted and swap back. I imagine others will have the same reaction with a little less immediacy. No offense, Yahoo, but Google has search down cold, as long as Superfish hasn't infected your box[1]. Better results, huh? By what metric is that measured? I don't even dislike Yahoo. I just don't think it's cool to slam users who are happy with whatever search provider they selected already.

I will back down just a touch (as I may have mentioned before) if this only happens if you never swapped search providers. My iMac at home and my work box are pretty new, and I don't recall if my MacBook or Lenovo acted slammed or not (I've flirted with Bing on both a few times over the years). But if Firefox swapped *everyone* to Yahoo, not just those who'd been using Google because it was the default, well, that's unavoidably a slam.

Anyhow, now with image. Yay.

[1] RLY Lenovo? I'm still getting over that idiotic move.

Labels: ethics, firefox

From StatCounter as recounted by Gruber:

Interesting results from Yahoo’s deal to serve as the default web search for Firefox:

StatCounter has also run a special report on US search engine usage by Firefox users only. Yahoo-on-Firefox usage in the US increased from 9.9% in November 2014 to 28.3% in January. Over the same period Google-on-Firefox usage in the US fell from 81.9% to 63.9%.

There's no way that lasts. I wonder what percentage is permanent.

Firefox hijacked my search bar at some point in the recent past, and after trying a single search, I was setting Google as the default search engine, peeved at the audacity of the sinking Mozilla ship to change my setting without asking. Maybe on that box I'd never swapped from Google as my default, but I certainly have played around with Bing on other Firefox installs and quickly gone back to Google.

Other folks will probably go more than a single search before getting upset enough to learn how to swap their engine, but eventually they'll notice Yahoo ain't as good as what they had before, and ask their tech-savvy friends to swap them back.

I hope. Man, can you believe it if 19% of Firefox users, already probably a slightly above-the-mean group of techies, just don't care, and figure the default search engine is always good enough?

More telling is probably, if Firefox hijacked everyone like they did me, that over 70% of Firefox users immediately swapped back to Google.

Labels: firefox, Google, yahoo

My manager then said, “More than half the company would have to lose their job in order for us to stop these tactics … so are you volunteering to be one of them?”

That was the day I learned I’d rather lose respectfully than win without honor. Once people become wary of your products or your business ethics, it’s game over. You can’t sustain for long, because you won’t keep your customers much longer.

Mozilla is heavily reliant on income from search royalties from Google, and has been for some time, so this would seem to be an exploration of other financial options – with possibly more alternative revenue streams to come?

Labels: firefox, Google, hats of money

Dion Almaer, who had worked on developer tools at Mozilla earlier in his career, noted the significance of [the lead Firebug programmer in 2011, John J.] Barton's new job in a blog post today.

"Firebug used to be the way you debugged your sites, but that is changed," Almaer said. "It is too early to claim that Firebug is zombied, but all eyes will be on that...especially as we see other browser tools continue to blossom."

Labels: chrome, firebug, firefox

Labels: firebug, firefox

We at Webmonkey hope it’s obvious that building WebKit-only sites is a waste of time. If you’re only interested in iOS users then take a tip from Instagram and build a native app.

Labels: browsers, firefox, standards, webkit

HowTo: Turn this feature off completely

In the Location bar, type about:config and press Enter:

about:config

The about:config "This might void your warranty!" warning page may appear. Click I'll be careful, I promise!, to continue to the about:config page. Type browser.newtab.url in the search box:

browser.newtab.url

Labels: firefox, noteToSelf

Labels: blizzard, firefox, hats of money

Labels: extension, firefox, problem solved, XUL

   1 <?xml version="1.0"?>
   2 <?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://global/skin/" type"text/css" ?>
   3 <!DOCTYPE page SYSTEM "chrome://zoteroplay/locale/overlay.dtd">
   4 <page id="zoteroplaySidebar" title="&zoteroplaySidebar.label;"
   5          xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
   6 
   7 
   8 
   9 <script src="ff-sidebar.js"/>
  10 <script>
  11 <![CDATA[
  12         function hello()        {
  13                 alert('Hello from ff-sidebar.xul!!');
  14         }
  15         function OnTreeDoubleClick(event)       {
  16                 alert('doubleclick');
  17                 var objTree = document.getElementById('myTree');
  18                 var iIndex = 
  19                   objTree.treeBoxObject.getRowAt(event.clientX,event.clientY);
  20                 alert(iIndex);
  21         }
  22 
  23         function addSource(bIsNewSource)        {
  24                 // note that this is hard-coded to grab from the tree we make,
  25                 // using XUL, not javascript, below.  The only reason I'm doing
  26                 // this (instead of having it passed in as a function
  27                 // parameter) is so that we don't have to navigate some DOM
  28                 // from another file to call this function.  Just call from
  29                 // overlay.js or whatever and forget about sidebar refs.
  30                 var rootChild = null;
  31                 if (bIsNewSource)       {
  32                         rootChild = document.getElementById("newRoot");
  33                 }       else    {
  34                         rootChild = document.getElementById("dupeRoot");
  35                 }
  36                 
  37 
  38 
  39                 //========================================
  40                 // Create the parent row.
  41                 //========================================
  42                 // Now we're going to create a new TreeItem, which will also
  43                 // be a container for nested items.
  44                 // itemSourceHeader will have two items, one the field we're
  45                 // using to distinguish it (like Title, if it's got one) and
  46                 // the second is the value ("Moby-Dick; or, The Whale")
  47                 
  48                 var itemSourceParent = document.createElement("treeitem");
  49                 itemSourceParent.setAttribute("container","true");
  50                         // create a new row with two cells for the new
  51                         // item, which will be attached to the rootChild.
  52                         var rowSourceHeader = document.createElement("treerow");
  53 
  54                         var cellField = document.createElement("treecell");
  55                         cellField.setAttribute("label","Title:");
  56 
  57                         var cellFieldValue = document.createElement("treecell");
  58                         cellFieldValue
  59                           .setAttribute("label","Moby-Dick; or, The Whale");
  60 
  61                         rowSourceHeader.appendChild(cellField);
  62                         rowSourceHeader.appendChild(cellFieldValue);
  63                 // attach the header values for this item (now in a treerow) to
  64                 // the item that'll hold it.   That is, the source (like a
  65                 // book) parent has some title information to display.
  66                 itemSourceParent.appendChild(rowSourceHeader);
  67 
  68 
  69 
  70                 //========================================
  71                 // Now we create the nested row.
  72                 //========================================
  73                 var parentNested = document.createElement("treechildren");
  74 
  75                 // soon we'll put in actual value from an array
  76                 // rather than this dummy loop; this is just to
  77                 // show how to have more than one "child".
  78                 for (var j=1;j<=10;j++) {
  79                         var itemNested = document.createElement("treeitem");
  80                         var rowNested = document.createElement("treerow");
  81                         var cellNest1 = document.createElement("treecell");
  82                         cellNest1.setAttribute("label","Author:");
  83 
  84                         var cellNest2 = document.createElement("treecell");
  85                         cellNest2.setAttribute("label","Herman Melville");
  86 
  87                         rowNested.appendChild(cellNest1);
  88                         rowNested.appendChild(cellNest2);
  89 
  90 
  91                         itemNested.appendChild(rowNested);
  92                         parentNested.appendChild(itemNested);
  93                 }
  94                 // attach the detailed source information to
  95                 // the parent item.
  96                 itemSourceParent.appendChild(parentNested);
  97 
  98 
  99                 //========================================
 100                 // Now we add the parent item of all the
 101                 // source's detailed information to the 
 102                 // root child of the tree.
 103                 //========================================
 104                 rootChild.appendChild(itemSourceParent);
 105         }
 106 
 107         
 108 ]]>     
 109 </script>
 110 
 111 
 112 
 113   <vbox flex="1">
 114     <label value="&zoteroplaySidebar.label;" />
 115     <!-- put your GUI here -->
 116 
 117 
 118         <tree ondblclick="OnTreeDoubleClick(event);" id="myTree" flex="1">
 119                 <treecols>
 120                         <treecol id="firstname" label="Field" flex="5"
 121                                  primary="true"/>
 122                         <treecol id="lastname" label="Field Value" flex="5"/>
 123                 </treecols>
 124 
 125                 <treechildren>
 126                         <treeitem container="true" open="true">
 127                                 <treerow>
 128                                         <treecell label="Possible New Sources"/>
 129                                 </treerow>
 130                                 <treechildren id="newRoot">
 131                                 </treechildren>
 132 
 133                         </treeitem>
 134                         <treeitem container="true" open="true">
 135                                 <treerow>
 136                                         <treecell 
 137                                           label="Likely Duplicate Sources"/>
 138                                 </treerow>
 139                                 <treechildren id="dupeRoot">
 140                                         <treeitem>
 141                                                 <treerow>
 142                                                    <treecell 
 143                                                         label="Title:"/>
 144                                                    <treecell 
 145                                                         label="Already Got It"/>
 146                                                 </treerow>
 147                                         </treeitem>
 148                                 
 149                                 </treechildren>
 150 
 151                         </treeitem>
 152                 </treechildren>
 153         </tree>
 154   </vbox>
 155 </page>
 156 

   1 var mainWindow = null;
   2 
   3 function startup() {
   4         mainWindow = window.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIInterfaceRequestor)
   5                 .getInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIWebNavigation)
   6                 .QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIDocShellTreeItem)
   7                 .rootTreeItem
   8                 .QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIInterfaceRequestor)
   9                 .getInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIDOMWindow);
  10 
  11         // this spacebar needs a lot of space to display the info
  12         // we're going to put there. Give it at least 400 pixels out of the box.
  13         // TODO: I'm setting a check to see if it's already 400, but it seems there's
  14         // an absolute max width for sidebars in Firefox by default which is less than
  15         // (or about) 400.
  16         if (mainWindow.document.getElementById("sidebar-box").width < 400)      {
  17                 mainWindow.document.getElementById("sidebar-box").width = 400;  
  18         }
  19   // Sidebar is loaded and mainwindow is ready                   
  20 }
  21 
  22 function shutdown() {
  23   // Sidebar is unloading
  24 }
  25 
  26 window.addEventListener("load", startup, false);
  27 window.addEventListener("unload", shutdown, false);
  28 

Labels: extension, firefox, problem solved, XUL

   1 <?xml version="1.0"?>
   2 <?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://global/skin/" type"text/css" ?>
   3 <!DOCTYPE page SYSTEM "chrome://zoteroplay/locale/overlay.dtd">
   4 <page id="zoteroplaySidebar" title="&zoteroplaySidebar.label;"
   5          xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
   6   <script src="ff-sidebar.js"/>
   7 <script>
   8         function hello()        {
   9                 alert('Hello from ff-sidebar.xul!!');
  10         }
  11         function OnTreeDoubleClick(event)       {
  12                 alert('doubleclick');
  13                 var objTree = document.getElementById('myTree');
  14                 var iIndex = objTree.treeBoxObject.getRowAt(event.clientX,event.clientY);
  15                 alert(iIndex);
  16         }
  17 
  18         function addRowMaybe()  {
  19                 var oRootTreeChild = document.getElementById("children_root");
  20                 var oItem = document.createElement("treeitem");
  21                 var oRow = document.createElement("treerow");
  22 
  23                 var oCell = document.createElement("treecell");
  24                 oCell.setAttribute("label","Dynamic item");
  25                 oRow.appendChild(oCell);
  26                 oItem.appendChild(oRow);
  27                 oRootTreeChild.appendChild(oItem);
  28         }
  29         
  30 </script>
  31 
  32   <vbox flex="1">
  33     <label value="&zoteroplaySidebar.label;" />
  34     <!-- put your GUI here -->
  35 
  36 
  37         <tree ondblclick="OnTreeDoubleClick(event);" id="myTree" flex="1">
  38                 <treecols>
  39                         <treecol id="firstname" label="First Name" primary="true" flex="3"/>
  40                         <treecol id="lastname" label="Last Name" flex="7"/>
  41                 </treecols>
  42 
  43                 <treechildren id="children_root">
  44                         <treeitem container="true" open="true">
  45                         <treerow>
  46                         <treecell label="Guys"/>
  47                         </treerow>
  48 
  49                         <treechildren>
  50                         <treeitem>
  51                         <treerow>
  52                         <treecell label="Bob"/>
  53                         <treecell label="Carpenter"/>
  54                         </treerow>
  55                         </treeitem>
  56                         <treeitem>
  57                         <treerow>
  58                         <treecell label="Jerry"/>
  59                         <treecell label="Hodge"/>
  60                         </treerow>
  61                         </treeitem>
  62                         </treechildren>
  63                         </treeitem>
  64                 </treechildren>
  65         </tree>
  66 
  67     
  68   </vbox>
  69 </page>
  70 

   1 // Get the sidebar that's currently displayed in the browser.
   2 var sidebarWindow = document.getElementById("sidebar").contentWindow;
   3 
   4 // Verify that your sidebar is open at this moment:
   5 alert(sidebarWindow.location.href);     // probably important to realize  
   6         // that if there's no sidebar being displayed, you'll get the 
   7         // URL of the open window instead of a sidebar chrome value.
   8         
   9 if ("chrome://zoteroplay/content/ff-sidebar.xul" == sidebarWindow.location.href) {
  10         // call "yourNotificationFunction" in the sidebar's context:
  11         sidebarWindow.hello();          // this row calls a plain jane funct
  12         sidebarWindow.addRowMaybe();    // this calls the funct that adds a row
  13 }

Labels: extension, firefox, problem solved, XUL, zotero