New search powers lead Firefox 3

**joder** · 02-26-2008, 02:30 PM

The latest version of web browser Firefox will make changes to the way people search for information online, says its developer.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7264622.stm

**vangogh** · 02-26-2008, 06:50 PM

Interesting. I don't think I'll find it all that useful, but I can see how others might and I think search engines in general are moving in this direction with personalized search.

Generally when I search I'm looking for something new so searching pages I recently visited isn't helpful. If what I wanted was there I probably wouldn't be searching anymore.

**Learning Newbie** · 02-26-2008, 09:22 PM

Choice quote

Quote:

Firefox is currently the second most popular browser, although its 12% share is dwarfed by that of Microsoft's Internet Explorer.

**ADAM Web Design** · 02-27-2008, 02:28 AM

I personally like this line better:

Quote:

"It's clear that when people are looking for information on the web, search is the number one activity," she said.

So...when people are looking, or searching, for information on the web, searching for it is the number one activity. The Department of Redundancy Department has just hired its newest employee.

Personally, I tend to agree with Steven. The idea of going through old pages looking for new information is the type of ***-backwards thinking that suggests 6-figure corporate types are going to do to FF something that most of you are going to hate...inject corporate logic and bizarre features into it in this and future versions. Firefox will perform a Netscape and fall on its sword if it keeps this up.

**vangogh** · 02-27-2008, 07:59 PM

Adam I have a feeling this 'feature' is a result of Google's personalized search. I just don't see how it's all the helpful searching through my history. Just because I looked at something or clicked on it yesterday it doesn't mean I want to see it again today or tomorrow.

I'm not sure FF is in danger of going away anytime soon, but this 'feature' would work much better as an extension for those people who do want it.

**joder** · 02-27-2008, 08:06 PM

There are some people who use Google to go to about every web site. My wife is one of them. Even uses the Google search in the toolbar to go to Google. It's easier to find sites such as a newspaper by searching in the Google toolbar than by remembering every www.whatever.whatever. So, I think it will help some people.

I agree with Steven that it should be an extension but I don't think that will happen because the people who would like that feature will probably not be familiar or want to mess with extensions. I do hope they have an option to turn it off though.

**vangogh** · 02-27-2008, 08:12 PM

Unless I read the article wrong it's only when you search via the address bar. I never do that so this won't affect me. I don't think you get the recent pages when search through the search bar.

**blackanger** · 04-10-2008, 05:02 PM

Ya i dont not if the upgrade will be that helpful to my daily web browsing, but interesting nonetheless

**BamaStangGuy** · 04-10-2008, 05:05 PM

I'm looking forward to this next release. Firefox 2 is great but it still left a lot to be desired as far as reliability and speed. Firefox 3 seems to have this taken care of.

**Moelman** · 04-10-2008, 05:07 PM

Hmm, I wonder how a browser can change how people search, I would think that was more in the hands of the search engines. But it does sound sweet, I'm always online but I can see the offline search they mentioned very helpful to some.

**vangogh** · 04-10-2008, 09:06 PM

Bama I'm hoping the memory leak issue goes away as promised. I open and close a lot of tabs through the day and sometimes it really slows FF down.

Jeff the search idea seems to be that if you search through the address bar on FF it will grab a page you recently visited if there's a match. It's not going to make a difference for me since I never search through the address bar, but I guess for those that do and prefer to visit sites they've already visited it'll be useful.

The offline search sounds like it could be useful. I'm always online so again maybe not as helpful for me, but for those few times when I am offline it'll be nice to search through some recent pages.

**JamesMillennium** · 04-20-2008, 02:07 PM

This sounds good in a way, then again it doesn't really appeal to me. All I can really say is it will be worth a try most definitely.

**AffCon** · 04-21-2008, 01:13 AM

I haven't really used Firefox that much except for lately. I'm really starting to like it an I'm looking forward to version 3. Hey, anything to beat the snot out of Microsoft I'm for.

Alan

**vangogh** · 04-21-2008, 05:45 PM

Alan one of the best things about Firefox is that you can customize it to your liking. Have you explored some of the extensions you can add?

**tripy** · 04-21-2008, 05:57 PM

I use FF3 since beta3, and I must say that this behavior looked odd to me at the beginning.

But now, I'm literally using it all the time.
It's not that it only look in your history. It goes through your bookmarks as well.

Now, the bookmarks are no longer stored as an html files with proprietary markup, but in an sqlite database file, as the history and nearly everything.
In the mean time, the mozilla crew has added a tagging system to the bookmarks.
Result: I don't order my bookmarks anymore. I put tags on them when I store them, and I let my bookmark sidebar closed now.
I search my bookmarks with some keywords, nothing more.
The best part being that the bookmarks you use the most are magically appearing at the beginning of the choices, the system learn from your preferences.

It really brought me a comfort I was not attending, and I simply have de-installed every FF2 I had, on any computer (except my wife laptop).

**vangogh** · 04-21-2008, 06:09 PM

So in essence it's a way to search specifically through your history and bookmarks. Does it automatically search through them or can you control when you do and when you'd prefer to just search the web in general?