FireFox 1.0 Released
 

I thought I'd take the time to suggest that everyone here immediately swap over to FireFox. I've been using if for a few months now, and I even use their email client (ThunderBird). FireFox is a significant improvement over Internet Explorer. I really can't being to explain why, rather I'd recommend you visit the following two sites:

http://www.mozilla.org
http://www.getfirefox.com

FireFox is as close to standards compliance than any other browser at the moment. A very big issue among web designers, and general visitors. Using FireFox helps us to create better websites, basically anything related to (X)HTML. How? It means we don't have to use silly hacks to counter-act web browsers that don't correctly display (X)HTML. It is both time consuming and frustrating (trust me! :p).

Personally, I think the best thing about FireFox is the tabbed browsing. One window can support an infinite number of tabs (as long as your computer can handle it). I'd suggest you at least test drive it, don't be afraid to try something new :D

Alcar...

Tabbed browsing kicks ass! It's a very handy feature and saves from clutter of having lots of browser windows open.

I actually swap browsers between IE and Firefox depending on what icon I depend to click on at the time.

The only thing that annoys me about Firefox is *shakes fist* that things are really quirky at times. Like any Firefox users would remember how the Industrial header didn't line up right. Well on this server it works fine [unless Alcar fixed it] and at home on my test forums it works okay as well. I know there's probably a slight HTML issue somewhere, but at least be goddamn consistent! I've also had times where whole websites lock the browser up completely, but on IE it doesn't.

On a related subject, I hate multi-browser compliance. Why don't they all just get with the standards. *looks at you IE/Microsoft*

Abe Babe...

Yeah, I got it a couple of days ago, it's very good

I have FireFox pre-1.0 on my better computer (which I never use because it has no sound, and I need my noise) and just plain Mozilla on this one. I tried tabbed browsing with high expectations, only to discover that it gulps down my precious RAM.

FireFox is better than Mozilla because sometimes in Mozilla you can click links and it doesn't respond. Also, MSN Messenger opens links in existing windows, meaning you lose the site you were already at. This is why I demand that links from OddBlog open in new windows, because it's just plain annoying.

However, I have found that both FireFox and Mozilla display OddBlog's text as left-aligned, which is how I designed it. Trouble is, everyone who uses Internet Explorer tells me that the text is centre-aligned, which looks simply atrocious. I would consider this a fault in my coding, but fortunately I'm not stupid and therefore consider it the fault of other people using Internet Explorer.

</calmdown>

Or it could be that you've not included the proper CSS ;)

Try changing:

To:

Which is yet another Internet Explorer workaround (sort of). Which, is a perfect example of why people should switch to FireFox. Max's frustration should be seen as a sign to all switch </delusion>

Alcar...

I missed a “text-align:left”‽ Yikes, well, that's what pressures of school work will do to your concentration. I know OddBlog's code is far from perfect, it's just finding the darned time to fix everything up, and I shouldn't even need to specify a left alignment - it's the default. Convert, masses, convert!

EDIT: Hmmm, OWF doesn't like my interrobang? Just because it's a punctuation mark that died out in the 1600s, doesn't mean you can discriminate against it.

Can anyone explain any advantages this thing has in plain English? Or is it only really advantageous to website designers?

Although one would think that you don't have to set the alignment for the default [left] ... which is probably why you missed it. However there is probaby a parent element that is using the center alignment, thus why it is passing it onto that area of the site [I didn't check OddBlog's source code, so I'm only guessig].

Firefox will however never replace IE. I'm not a supporter of IE [as I said, I use both ... today I happen to be using Firefox] ... but because many people just stick with what comes with their computer [which for most users will be IE] then that's what they'll continue using. You just have to look at web stats if you are running a site to see the large difference.

Abe Babe...

Well, Abe Babe, I thank you for not checking OddBlog's source code. It's not something I'm proud of. :p There are (eeek!) <center> tags in there, which would be where the bizarre alignment comes from.

Serves them right for using Windows.

Fac, there are two very important advantages to FireFox that spring to mind. The first is that it's very secure: unlike IE, there is no adware, spyware or viruses that get through it, and not just because of its secure coding - most viruses are designed to attack users of Internet Explorer, so don't affect Mozilla or FireFox users.

The other great thing is that it's open source, which means that anybody can have access to the code, to alter it and submit it for inclusion in the next release. This means every coder, programmer, hacker and developer in the world can improve the product. No Microsoft spyware, no downloading invasive patches, just get the next release of the software, and most problems will probably have been sorted out.

Aside from that, there are controls that mean things only download when you tell them to download, unlike the insecure IE, integrated pop-up blockers that are designed to function seamlessly with the software, and literally thousands of user-created add-ons and skins to customise your browser - you can't download the Google taskbar from Google, but you can get a superior version from the FireFox extension library.