OT: Has Firefox "updated you" yet? Do you like it?

[J Tiers]

They updated me today, and blew away my commonly used bookmarks entirely. So much for being easier to use and faster.

I would be OK with the faster, but it would have been more polite to leave the user choice items in the same condition as before. or allow the user to say "no thanks, I'll update later"

Alibre has had several recent updates, and when they did the updates, all my selections remained the same.... with old updates under the prior companies, I was often tossed back into using the "ribbon", but the "new Alibre" did not do that.

The Firefox people should take a lesson from that. And also it would be nice to have a choice to put off the update, in case a person has something they need to deal with NOW, and do not want an entirely new interface to learn, instead of doing what they needed to do.

They said it was to suit "how you use the web today". Well today I use it just like I did yesterday.... or try to, as I learn the new locations for everything that they decided to spring on me today.

[wombat2go]

In edit > preferences > down toward the bottom of page you can
select your update preferences.
I am 56.0.2 and 57 is available (linux).

Here is how to find your bookmarks and preferences:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb...ores-user-data

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Turn off automatic updates. It was a checkbox when you initially installed mozilla/firefox. Since you now changed your mind and want it off, go into settings and take care of it.

[J Tiers]

Turn off automatic updates. It was a checkbox when you initially installed mozilla/firefox. Since you now changed your mind and want it off, go into settings and take care of it.

Who says I "changed my mind?"

I actually DID at one time have it not update automatically, but it obviously was automatically changed to a default of "yes please do it" at some point during an update that was allowed.

And, it has been fine doing auto updates, they have not disturbed anything big, up to this point.

The issue here is not the auto update, but the surprise package of "we changed everything, you're gonna love it" that was suddenly applied, with no warning. I'd prefer that such a large change be announced so that people could defer it if they needed to.

Seems like common courtesy.... but programmers are not known for mastery of the social graces.....

[3 Phase Lightbulb]

Who says I "changed my mind?"

I actually DID at one time have it not update automatically, but it obviously was automatically changed to a default of "yes please do it" at some point during an update that was allowed.

And, it has been fine doing auto updates, they have not disturbed anything big, up to this point.

The issue here is not the auto update, but the surprise package of "we changed everything, you're gonna love it" that was suddenly applied, with no warning. I'd prefer that such a large change be announced so that people could defer it if they needed to.

Seems like common courtesy.... but programmers are not known for mastery of the social graces.....

It's open source software. You're encouraged to go ahead and change it if you like.

[J Tiers]

It's open source software. You're encouraged to go ahead and change it if you like.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

That's a really good one. I like it.

Let the shoemaker stick to his last......

[dave_r]

I've been updating FF as they release it (manually, not automatically, on MacOSX) and the only problem I've had with it every once in awhile is when FF is launched, it appears to sometimes have some problem with loading all the tabs I have open (and are set to re-open when the app is launched). It just sits there with a bunch of open, blank tabs, all in the process of loading, but not actually doing it. I have to force-quit the app, and then relaunch it, and it will work fine...

[Puckdropper]

Have you looked at Pale Moon? It's like Firefox (derived from the same code) but was built to avoid some of the changes Firefox was making.

[danlb]

I usually don't complain about free software. If I want it to do something in a certain way, I usually contact the project and campaign for the changes. Giving back to the project is one of the cornerstones of open software.

I do, however, feel free to complain about software that I have purchased. Especially vexing is when they release software with known flaws. Worse is when they make me pay for an "upgrade" that should fix the flaws, but does not. Even worse is when they stop supporting the version I use while it still has the version 1.0 flaws.

Dan

[J Tiers]

The "project" folks presumably think they have done the best and greatest thing. It is unlikely that they would be influenced by a small group of folks who do not agree.

Better to just fade away and use something else that you like better, if you can find it.

Besides.... usually, as may turn out in this case, the changes are such that they can be dealt with, at least, and at best may really HAVE some better features. It is not the old deal of "why do they have to keep changing it".... Most of the changes have been fairly minor, and may have been better.

No. the issue is that at least when these more major changes have been made, it would be a good idea to allow folks to defer the update so that they can do whatever thing they wanted to do right then, and get the update later. Nagware that requires being deferred again would be fine.

Some of the AV software DOES do that, and it is quite nice that they do. lets you choose when you want to have your setup all messed up. It can't be that hard to do such a pop-up window, and it would be preferable to having a new layout unexpectedly appear and need to be figured out before the thing can be used.

I had one way of accessing most all of my BBS, and now that is gone, possibly moved, but not to where I can find it easily. I will have to find many of them again, although the list of sites that I access most often is still there, many sites are not on it, although they were all arranged in a section of the bookmarks that was moved.

[chipmaker4130]

I didn't like it and they gave me a choice to go with an 'extended support version' (52.4.1 ESR - 32bit) for another year, keeping all my add-ons and other preferences. That's what I did.

[J Tiers]

I didn't like it and they gave me a choice to go with an 'extended support version' (52.4.1 ESR - 32bit) for another year, keeping all my add-ons and other preferences. That's what I did.

Lucky you.... Was that before or after the "upgrade"?

[wombat2go]

Hi JT,
In case it is of any use, the Firefox bookmarks are in a file called
"places.sqlite"
That is in linux and I guess the same name is used on other platforms too,
although the directory path will be different
So you could search for that with your file manager.
To open the db you will need a db browser "sqlite manager" or similar.
Or maybe Excel will open it too.

At best you might be able to re-instate the file .
Or else you can extract the URLs to help create your new bookmarks.

Edit: also look here:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/964049

[J Tiers]

Hi JT,
In case it is of any use, the Firefox bookmarks are in a file called
"places.sqlite"
That is in linux and I guess the same name is used on other platforms too,
although the directory path will be different
...

The name is different in MSW, IIRC it is "bookmarks.htm".

I expect they are still in existence..... they just got moved, maybe the symbol for them was changed to something that "would be more universally understood", etc.

When I get the urge, I will use the tried and true "squirrel method" which should do the job OK.

[danlb]

The "project" folks presumably think they have done the best and greatest thing. It is unlikely that they would be influenced by a small group of folks who do not agree.

I disagree. When I was maintaining open source software, we incorporated any reasonable ideas. That's how the software gets better. If you want to see what's coming, try the release notes from the firefox site.

Better to just fade away and use something else that you like better, if you can find it.

Besides.... usually, as may turn out in this case, the changes are such that they can be dealt with, at least, and at best may really HAVE some better features.

Ahhh. Good advice. I guess this thread is sort of useless then. You know what happened. You knew that auto updates were enabled (because there have been a ton of them this year). You don't want to give feedback to the project. Better to just fade away and use something else.