If you have updated Firefox recently, you may have noticed that Take a Screenshot is missing from the page actions menu. Don’t fret. The feature is still in Firefox; it has just been moved.
Here’s how to find it…
You now have a button to take screenshots.
Of course, you can always right-click within a webpage and Take Screenshot will be part of the menu.
I was a long time user of Clippings in Thunderbird. I used it for canned responses in the support newsgroups and more. Now that the Clippings is not being updated for Thunderbird 78, it’s time to look for a replacement.
I found a great replacement, called Quicktext.
With Quicktext, I create a TXT file for each response and put them in a designated directory. Quicktext has the option to paste from a TXT file or an HTML file. When composing a message, there are two buttons to the far-right above the text area.
To paste text from a local file, click Other, then choose either Insert file as Text or Insert file as HTML.
Additionally, you can click Variable, and paste items click the sender or recipient’s name, attachment name and size, dates, and more.
I’ve found Quicktext to be more versatile than Clippings, and have been very happy with it. You can download it from addons.thunderbird.net.
Firefox has a refresh feature, which resets some non-essential data to help fix and prevent issues you have using Firefox. I noticed the feature while checking this article yesterday! Your Firefox Sync data does not get reset, but there may be cases when resetting that data will help fix issues. It will erase data on the server, but don’t worry; your local data will stay intact.
After you’ve reset your password and reconnected Firefox to your account, your local data will be uploaded to the server.
Using Bookmarks in Firefox for iOS is relatively simple. When visiting a page, you can add it to your bookmarks list. When you pull up your list, the page title will appear as one of the list items. In some cases, the page title or URL may not be exactly what you want to bookmark. For example, if I go to Dark Sky and bookmark it, the bookmark URL will include my current GPS coordinates, and the bookmark title will include my current address.
But I don’t want the bookmark to be specific to my location! In Firefox for iOS, there doesn’t appear to be a way to edit the bookmark title and URL…or is there?
To edit Firefox for iOS bookmarks, you’ll need to edit them on the Windows/Mac/Linux version (aka Desktop).
, then go to Bookmarks and click Show All Bookmarks.Your bookmarks in Firefox for iOS should be automatically updated.
While working on my previous blog post, I came across another great feature you may not know about. Let’s say you use the Share menu, but opening the Page Actions menu requires too much navigation. You need quicker access!
To add an item to the address Bar, right-click on it and select Add to Address Bar.
To remove it, right-click on the item and select Remove from Address Bar.
Firefox 61 has a great new feature on macOS, and I don’t think it’s getting enough attention. Maybe it’s not a big deal for most other users, but it is for me!
Firefox now supports the macOS share menu. This means you can send the current page you are viewing to another application. For instance, you can add a link to your Things 3 or Omnifocus inbox, add a page to Apple Notes, send a link to Evernote, send a link to someone using messages, or share a link to a social network.
To share a page in Firefox, open the Page Actions menu (aka. the three dots), and go to the Share menu.
Why do you participate in user support?
Have you ever wondered why any of the people who answer support questions, and write documentation take the time to do it?
This is a followup to a post I wrote about dealing with disgruntled users.
Firefox is a tool of Mozilla to influence an industry toward open standards, and against software silos. By having enough market share in the browser world, web-developers are forced to support open standards.
Users will not use Firefox if they do not know how to use it, or if it is not working as expected. Support exists to retain users. If their experience of using Firefox is bad, we’re here to make it good, so they continue to use Firefox.
That experience includes user support. The goal is not only to help users with their problems, but remove any negative feeling they may have had. That should be the priority of every person participating in support.
Dealing with disgruntled users is an inherent part of user support. In those cases, it is important to remind ourselves what the user wants to achieve, and what it takes to make their experience a pleasant one.
In the end, users will be more willing to forgive individual issues out of fondness of the company. That passion for helping users will attract others, and the community will grow.
I listen to Ctrl-Walt-Delete every week, so it’s surreal to hear them do an entire episode on Firefox.
I’m happy to announce that I’ve started working for Postbox, doing user content and support.
This means that I won’t have time for some of my commitments within Mozilla. Over the next while, I may be cancelling or transferring some of my projects and responsibilities.
I recently listened to an episode of the Ctrl-Walt-Delete podcast, in which Walt Mossberg and Nilay Patel talked about web browsers vs native mobile apps. There was something Walt said that I have to comment on, because I disagree with it, and a tweet just isn’t enough. 🙂
When explaining why most people use native mobile apps, he argued that the main reason is because an app (when done right) offers a more focused experience, He cited Google Maps as an example.
I don’t think it’s that complex. I think it has more to do with how fast you can get there. If I want to use Google Maps, it’s quicker and more convenient to tap on the Google Maps icon than it is to tap on the browser, then pull up a list of bookmarks, and tap on the Google Maps bookmark. That has nothing to do with the experience of using the app.
I’m not saying that’s the only reason people use native mobile apps. I think most other differences have a minor effect on the user’s decision, and how fast and convenient it is to get to the app is probably the biggest factor.