Eight Weeks to Web 2.0 - Week 1   

Upgrade Your Web Browser

If you are using your computer right out of the box, chance are you're using Internet Explorer or Safari as your web browser.  These are fine tools and you'll find all kinds of opinions about them.  They range from security breeches to design flaws.

Your first step in your journey will be to try out a new web browser on your computer.  If you've been around the internet for a while, you've undoubtedly heard about the Netscape browser.  Netscape was wonderful and offered an alternative to the accepted defaults.  The history of Netscape makes for interesting reading.  If you follow the cookie crumbs, you'll see that the Mozilla browser, now 10 years old, was started as an Open Source project by Netscape.  In an effort to slim down the product from a suite to just a web browser, Firefox was born.  Firefox is undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories in the Open Source movement.  You'll find a couple of other browsers in the Firefox family tree:  Camino (Mac Only) and Flock.

Read about all of these browsers. and during Week 1, you'll download one of them and check them out.  Download links appear below.

Firefox
Flock
Camino  Macintosh Only

Additional browser(s)

Opera

Now, get on the Internet and take your new browser for a test drive.

Just like a new car, it may take a little getting used to but soon you're going to love it.

What to look for?

First - if you're migrating from an older browser, you'll like the ability to have multiple tabs open.  Instead of "go here", "go there", "go back there", check the history, etc., open your new links in a new tab.  That way, if you need to go back to a reference point, just click on the appropriate tab.  Heck, you can even open your History in your sidebar.  Explore some of the new buttons and features.

What to do next?

Well, one of the things about Web 2.0 is getting connected.  Hopefully, you've got a sense of being connected just by using the browser and exploring some of the features.  But, it gets better.  These browsers have the ability to add additional functionality to them through "Add-ons".  Recently, I blogged about what add-ons that I've added to my installations of Flock.  Here's my list of favourite things that I've added to my Flock installation.

• geoFlock - I’m fascinated by Google Maps Mashups and this is awesome. Drag and drop an address from a webpage and plot it right away.
• Adblock Plus - keeps those distracting advertisements under control
• BetterSearch - enhances the searching experience and helps me find what I need to find
• BlockSite - don’t upset me or you’re history
• CoolIris - changed my entire perspective on how to find and display images
• CustomizeGoogle - gives me fuller control over how Google works for me
• del.icio.us - can’t imagine bookmarking any other way http://del.icio.us/dougpete/
• external IP - just for information
• Firedoodle - great collaboration tool
• Firebug - helps with web design and development
• Flagfox - just because there was room on the status bar - lets you know what country the current website is from
• ForecastFox - when you’re too busy to look through a window to see if it’s raining
• Google Notebook - great way to take notes whilst browsing
• Google Toolbar for Firefox - another Google productivity enhancer and popup blocker. A standard
• PDF Download - I like to have full control over PDF documents that I meet on the web
• Screenshot - take a picture of the current page quickly
• StumbleUpon - think outside the current page
• Tab Effect - brings out the oohs and aahs during presentations
• Twitbin - access Twitter from right inside the browser

Where do you get them?  Head over here.  From here, if you are like me, you'll go on an add-on spree.  Add-ons can be added and tested.  Then, if you like them, keep them.  If not, delete them and try something else.

Experiment with your new browser.  You'll find that the internet is all of a sudden more interesting and information so much easier to access.

Eight Weeks To Web 2

Check in

What worked?  What didn't?  What do you like about your new browser?  What add-ons do you like?  Which add-ons did you not like?

Note :  If you are using Firefox (or IE) and don't like the tabs function, you always have the ability to open up new webpage in a "new window".   You can do this by right clicking on the URL/link you want and selecting "Open in New Window".  You can also turn off the tab function by going into the TOOLS >  OPTIONS  >  TABS and clicking the button that says "New Pages Should be in: a new window".