“Why you should download a Seamonkey – The Guardian headline
We looked last week at changing Themes via Firefox’s Tools-Add-Ons menu. Themes are all very well, but it is extensions that offer the real powerhouse possibilities
Last week I showed how easy it was to change your browser to Firefox, a customisable, personalisable (mmm, such attractive words) web browser that offers much more control over your web life than the standard, bundled applications Internet Explorer (IE) and Safari, for Windows and Mac platforms respectively.
A little history might interest you: Firefox is the work of the Mozilla Foundation, which was founded years ago (in digital time) as part of an attempt to “kill” the first universally successful web browser, Mosaic (Mozilla is a portmanteau word derived from “Mosaic Killer”). The Mozilla design led to Netscape, the most popular browser of the late 90s, which was in turn killed by IE, the browser Microsoft cobbled together from bits of – you’ve guessed it – Mosaic source code. This internecine cannibalism led to all kinds of lawsuits and the ultimate demise of Netscape. Mozilla itself stayed alive, however, and three years ago came up with Firefox, the Third Way. There are others: Opera is carving out a niche on hand-held and gaming platforms, while various Gecko-based browsers follow the Firefox protocols. I don’t dismiss them, but we are concentrating here on the big alternative.
We looked last week at changing Themes via Firefox’s Tools-Add-Ons menu. (If you missed it, take a look at http://stephenfry.com/?p=29 Themes are all very well, but it is extensions that offer the real powerhouse possibilities. Some allow extraordinary control over tabbing, searching and selection, others remodel the toolbars with special features and form-fillers (“Groowe” and iMacros are personal favourites). Still others incorporate the features of popular bookmark sites (I use deli.cio.us and Stumbleupon, both of which have many official and unofficial Firefox extensions), while yet others allow you to modify the way you use your chosen social network or picture site. Dive in and search. Go to Tools-Add-ons, click the jigsaw puzzle icon, and the Get Extensions link at the bottom right of the small window.
One question I’m often asked by friends is, “How do I download videos off YouTube, so I can access them directly on my PC, media player or phone?” The answer is to use one of several Firefox extensions devised exactly for that purpose. YouTube tries every now and again to disable these by altering its technical specifications, which is silly – serious copyright thieves will always be able to hijack video from an online site; it’s only the harmless average user who is hampered. YT should take note of the excellent Videojug site (videojug.com), which allows complete, simple and intuitive video downloading in three formats. If you do decide to use a Firefox extension for YouTube movie acquisition (and naturally you would want to do so only with legal, public domain material), you will find the movie is downloaded as a flash file, or .flv – there are plenty of utilities that then allow you to convert to a format with which your computer or hand-held device is happy.
Extensions are immensely powerful: they are free, typically take up no more than 200 or so kilobytes of memory and are constantly being updated and improved. What’s more, they are multiplatform – it doesn’t matter whether you’re running Windows, Mac or Linux, the same extensions will function; they also work in other gecko browsers such as Flock, Camino, K-Meleon, IceWeasel, etc. Or at least they should do, if properly scripted by their authors.
If you like this new kind of browsing experience, you might want to download the whole Mozilla suite, which goes under the endearing name of Seamonkey. Or you can do it in bits, adding the stand-alone apps Thunderbird and Sunbird for mail and calendars.
By using Firefox and other Mozilla elements, you are opening up your browsing experience, supporting Open Source as a principle and putting yourself on the path to understanding further those byways of the web of which the big corporations seem often to prefer you to remain in ignorance. It’s off-road browsing in a vehicle pimped to the max. What could be more fun?
© Stephen Fry 2007
What could be more fun (I mean confusing) that browsing in 3D – http://ubrowser.com
You’re wrong about Camino there. You’re right that it uses Gecko. However, the main framework for the application is built using the Mac-native Cocoa API, rather than the cross platform XUL API, and it XUL, not Gecko, that makes the extensions possible. No matter how well scripted, no firefox extension will work in Camino.
As the whole reason for Camino’s existence was to put Gecko into a Cocoa application, this is unavoidable.
Ah, so that’s how you do it.
You have answered a lot of the questions I have had over the past year, but never got around to finding the solution for myself.
Thank you. I’m off to get a Seamonkey and some jugs.
[...] I enjoy Stephen Fry’s blog. Maybe you will too, if you’re a fan of dry, witty British humor and eloquence. Published [...]
Goodness gracious me, look at our lovely Mr. Fry all informative… sweet
Although I thought I stumbled onto somebody else’s blog with all this talk about jugs and pimping… tsss Mr. Fry
I’m horrible I know but I didnt have my coffee just yet 
I do have a new project, I found this the other day (http://buzzsugar.com/872001) and I simply cannot allow that Mr. Laurie is immortalized (sort to speak) as Ginger House, now I have to make Ginger Fry
But since Christmas is coming and I have to bake anyway… I’ll put a pic up so you can laugh at my handywork and lets hope cats will refrain from nibbling on Ginger Fry… 
God knows how that one will turn out as I never made ginger house or cookie of any sort, so anyone who has any experience feel free to contact me
Extensions won’t install on K-Meleon either, as, like Camino, it uses the native Windows APIs instead of Mozilla’s XUL. And IceWeasel essentially is Firefox, but without the non-free graphics and icons.
Sharing a bath with Penelope Cruz and Goldie Hawn, and watching something very funny on the television. Given time, I might be able to give a better answer to your question “What could be more fun?”, but my answer is correct. Had you asked “what would be the most fun?” I would have had to take more time and care with my answer, but you didn’t.
I have been looking forward to this column all week. I love these little lessons. It’s good to know there are alternative ways of downloading youtube videos. The most recent method I’ve been using is the Amaze downloader -http://www.amazebrowser.com/flvdownload/
I’ve used Firefox before but never knew about the multiple home pages feature. I admit I squealed the first time I clicked home and saw all my home pages pop up together. It makes everything that bit faster. ^_^
The best way to watch videos from the web is on Miro (http://www.getmiro.com/). It downloads the videos from the web for offline viewing and you can get HD quality too. Moreover, you can subscribe to channels (like in youtube) and get videos from those channels downloaded for your viewing.
Thank you Stephen. As you recommended, I visited Videojugs.com and my wife has now locked herself in the bathroom and is accusing me of all sorts.
I came here wanting to pimp my browser and I’ll now end up divorced, homeless, and with a reputation as a breast man. Many thanks.
I can’t wait till I get my own Mac, instead of trying persuade my dad that IE is not the best option =/
Aha, at last! I’ve wondered about downloading videos from YouTube for a long time, although never realised it’d be quite so simple. Looking forward to watching all those QI episodes on my iPod…! Joke.
As always, a brilliant and informative read which caused me to spend far longer online than I’d intended to. My browser is now thoroughly pimped out and watching your interviews on videojug.com (which I’d never come across before) brightened my otherwise dismal day – the one on ‘learning’ has inspired me to stop making excuses.
Thank you so much. I eagerly await the next installment!
Stephen, a great way to download videos from youtube is by using the site http://www.vixy.net
You simply provide the URL of the video you wish to download and the format you want to receive it in – yes, Vixy will re-encode the video to something much more relevant to must people such as .mov (for us mac-heads), .wmv for windows users and even .mp4 if you want to transfer it to your iPod.
The site has saved me a number of times when I needed to use a video in a presentation, and I think you’ll find it very worthwhile.
Stephen, interesting blog. I’ve been using Firefox and Thunderbird for years but didn’t know about Seamonkey.
A PC user since I can remember, I prefer Firefox to IE but I’m having a Mac delivered on Monday and Firefox WAS going to be my first download. However, would you recommend Seamonkey over the pre-loaded Mac software? To do it all in one go, as it were!
Also, as you use del.icio.us for convenience, have you heard about/tried/are you currently using Netvibes? (www.netvibes.com). It works with IE, Safari, Opera & Firefox and allows you to keep your RSS feeds – amongst other things – together in one neat and tidy place. Also, with the applications you can update sites such as Twitter (www.twitter.com) without having to visit the site itself. Stephen Fry @ Twitter would surely receive many followers, and would make for interesting updates.
Perhaps something to ponder over a glass of mulled wine by the fire…
I, too, was going to pimp Miro for serious video off-roading, but since that’s already been done, I’ll just add that it’s better than Joost and that the Mozilla Store are selling Miro T-shirts.
Also, SeaMonkey isn’t the same as Firefox + Thunderbird + Sunbird or Lightning. They share a lot of back-end code (the internal bits you don’t see as a user)—in particular, the layout engine Gecko (the bit that draws web pages) is the same—but SeaMonkey’s front-end—the bit you interact with—is distinctly different from Firefox’s, and somewhat different from Thunderbird+Lightning’s. That’s the whole point of SeaMonkey existing as a separate project.
Oh wow thank you so much for the videojug.com referral! I had never heard of it before and it’s a lovely site – I especially like how, as you said, we can download clips for our ipod/computer. I have always wondered how to get videos off of youtube, but I am just going to forget about that and use videojug. I have signed up and now I’m happily stuffing my ipod! merci mille fois, Monsieur Fry
I keep encouraging friends and co-workers to customize their browsers, their devices… their technological experiences in general…as much as possible. Considering how much time people spend online these days, it really has become another place that we live.
When you move into a new house or even a new cubicle at work, you fill the space with your stuff. The stuff you use, of course, but also the stuff that you just enjoy having around. You line the nest, really, to make it more comfortable and to make it *yours*. You’d be miserable, spending a large chunk of time in a place that contained nothing of yourself, and it’d be difficult to do good work there.
It’s the same with a browser or an e-mail client or a computer or a mobile phone. You spend a big chunk of time with these things; make them yours, make them enjoyable to use. With Open Source, there’s no reason not to be comfortable with the tools you spend so much time using.
Absolutely the right thing to do! The greatest thing about Firefox is the security enhancement. Perhaps the second greatest thing is that it’s not MS.
By the way it is sometimes the case – sadly – that a web site will only function in IE; another reason for keeping it around.
I find that the “No Script” and “Adblock plus” Firefox add-ons are must-haves.
Another useful one is Google Toolbar. This allows one to keep ones bookmarks updated on a remote (Google) server. You’ll need a Google account etc but that’s also rather useful. Of course those who are totally parano might first want to check out the privacy issues chez Google!
Of course once addicted to Google (and Google Mail) one has access to all Internaut info – Calendar, Contacts, Mail – no matter what operating system, computer, country (bar some) one currently works with.
Another very useful switch (think security and functionality) is to move from Outlook (O-Express) to Thunderbird. Install the “Lightning” and “Provider for Google calendar” add-on and import your Google calendars.
Adding Provider for Google calendar will (with the awaited release of version 0.4) give, not only calendar rw access from Thunderbird, but also offline access to the most recent calendar state. You can access this via a mobile telephone but that’s another story…
Killer Firefox extensions:
- Google Browser Sync, so that your bookmarks etc are the same on all the different computers you use.
- Dictionary Tooltip: double-click any word you don’t understand and get a dictionary definition. Very useful when reading material by Stephen Fry.
The latest installment of Stephen Fry Appreciation Monday is up, do pop by…
And no I still have not got around to baking Ginger Fry… but I’m working on it 
http://www.couchslobs.com/2007/12/17/stephen-fry-appreciation-monday-bones/
hello stephen,
Sorry this has got nothing to do with seamonkeys.
My husband has been diagnosed with bipolar and I need some help with getting in touch with a solicitor who specialises in the illess.
he has been off work for approx 6 months and was taken for a ride by a con man, who he lent a large sum of money to.
my whole world has been turned upside down by this illness, it would make very interesting reading, i’ll save that for another day.
I would be very grateful if you could reply, i have contacted the bipolar society but am still waiting for the infomation to be posted to me.
Possibly the wrong place. Nevertheless, Merry Christmas Stephen, and to all of us who lurk and post herein. Hope you’re doing something fun!
Hi Stephen, great post, I’ve been following your articles in The Guardian with much interest … and the surprise of my family — The Grauniad isn’t the paper they’d expect a teenager (16) to read, apparently
I’ve only got into it lately, after reading some excellent articles … but before yours, I’m afraid, so there goes that bit of wannabe-flattery.
I’ve just bought Frye & Laurie season … ach … series 2 for a friend for Xmas (I was gonna ask you if you knew that X meant Christ in Greek-or-something, but I probably learnt that from QI in the first place!), so I’ll have to borrow that off of him straight away … perhaps even before I give him the present! There goes another present! …
Anyway, goodbye! I’ll be back. *Scary face*
~Chris(topher) Hyland, UK.
The Book Swede
By the way, just to be annoying, I’ll hi-jack a future post of yours to mention something … called Quote of the Week on my blog. In fact, to be even more annoying I’ll mention it a sentence ago.
Did my previous comment go through… if it didn’t then that’s OK. But if it did, then I look like an idiot … hmm…
When I mentioned Fry & Laurie, I called Fry “Frye” — I’d like to correct that now, and save myself shame
I think the best response to those who ask “How do I download videos off YouTube” is to teach them to put the phrase “How do I download videos off YouTube” into their favourite search engine. In the case of Google, there are about 292000 suggestions….
Personally, VLC (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/) is my choice for playing.. well, anything, really. Apart from the fact that it’s free, it’s quick and little.
I started using it due to the incredible slow speed at which my G3 runs, and neither iTunes nor QuickTime would run the video at the same speed as the audio. VLC does, and it plays everything, including the .flv files mentioned. So with anyone that suffers from sloth-like G3 syndrome (which, by the way, means that I can’t view videos running off the Internet), VLC is brilliant. I’d imagine it would work sufficiently well on computers that aren’t slow either.
[...] cool looking 3 part polaroid portraits- The ever brilliant Stephen Fry’s technology column (copied on his blog here) convinced me to brighten up my firefox experience with themes and Extensions and I can officially [...]
Mr. Fry,
The problem with SeaMonkey to one who has been a devoted user of Firefox and Thunderbird, with an already loaded Add-on and Theme collection in active use, is it is a bare canvas. I have tweaked my Thunderbird beyond recognition so that it does things for me of which I am no longer aware, but would certainly miss if it stopped.
Because my Google Calendar rules my life, I have set up Calgoo Calendar as my default desktop PIM. Whatever I put in there loads automatically into my Google Calendar, which returns the favor as well.
My latest addictive behaviour revolves around Google Reader. Your blog has been added to the dozens already loaded. Combined with the Read It Later Firefox extension, it helps maintain the information high at an enhanced but, with practice and discipline, regulated level.
I can’t end my first comment to your blog without saying, I enjoy all you produce for the consumption of mankind. I haven’t read but one of your books, Regrets. I am saving that as the first to be ordered with the Kindle that will one day soon cross my threshold.
Hogmanay!
Great to see you supporting open source/free software alternatives…this looks like a good site for learning more about how to improve my blogging (which was not what I expected to find.
Open source is an alternative that extends beyond the blogosphere…it provides an economic alternative that is creativity, cooperative and ecological…there is a good free account of this by Nick Hildyard and the other good people at the corner house an amazing think tank who took on the government over BAE alleged corruption in Saudi
whose common future? extends firefox to running the whole planet….http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/item.shtml?x=52004
any way keep up the good work…will visit again for some practical blogging tips!
Excellent to know you support open source software. Mozilla firefox is an excellent browser with exceptional features. Safe from many exploits thanks to it’s wide range of superior addons such as no-script, which blocks XSS and ad block plus that blocks ads. It blocks plenty of the common attacks and well known ones. Hey I wrote a guide on firefox addons. it’s called “How To Keep Your Computer Clean and Safe For Free” (http://silverbroom.co.uk/blog/2008/01/03/computer-security-firewall-antivirus-free/) and it features a great open source anti-virus. It’s worth checking it out, aswell as links to the free mozilla addons mentioned above. Internet Explorer users you should really consider using Mozilla Firefox, for security..privacy..the features..and the fact you wont be disappointed.
Visit How To Keep Your Computer Clean and Safe For Free
Some clarification regarding the Mozilla Foundation. This organisation
was actually established rather more recently, in July 2003, when AOL
spun off Mozilla.org from their Netscape subsidiary, and sacked all
the remaining members Netscape browser development team.
When the word “Mozilla” was used as a way of saying “Mosaic Killer”,
was when “Mozilla!” was the development codename for the early
versions of the Netscape Navigator web browser.
The name “Seamonkey” was originally the development codename for
the Mozilla App-Suite. But since the Mozilla Foundation decided to
concentrat on the standalone Firefox and Thunderbird apps, the
suite was discontinued as an official Mozilla product.
Soon after Mozilla ditched production of the App-Suite, it was taken
over as a community led project, as was eventually given the name
of “SeaMonkey”. Notice the use of the capital M in this instance.
SeaMonkey is now developed by The SeaMonkey Council.
http://seamonkey-project.org/
Although, now that AOL have (again) decided to kill off production
of Netscape branded web browsers, they might as well let Mozilla
have the Netscape name for nowt, so they could then pass it on
to The SeaMonkey Council. That way, the Netscape name could
once again be associated with an internet application suite!
The term ’seamonkeys’ took me back to my childhood and Archie and Little Dot comic books and the advertisements that were always on the back for seamonkeys. It was a sort of powder you mixed with water (in a fishtank?) and voila! these wee creatures were borne. I always felt there must be some deep, dark schemata behind seamonkeys. I certainly never attempted to tug the maternal heartstrings so I could get some.
“Mozilla is a portmanteau word derived from ‘Mosaic Killer’”
Shouldn’t that be “Mosaic Killa”?
Jessie…
I love the info and have bookmarked your blog. Haver you thought of doing a vlog describing this stuff?…
Stephen R. Are you supplying the do-rag?
Intriguing point though and I believe you are correct.
[...] find twitterers near to them.Ă‚Â The Guardian also posted a list of those who are worth following – Stephen Fry being amongst them.Ă‚Â I admit to following this up as he is extremely interesting. Perhaps I might [...]