Comments on: Here is a Bright Idea, Possibly Worth Billions http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Mon, 13 Feb 2012 10:56:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Mark Ockerbloom http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194228 John Mark Ockerbloom Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:28:08 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194228 Closing a browser now and again is useful for: -- Clearing out any excess in-memory cache or memory leaks (yes, browsers still leak memory a bit, more so often if you have extensions) -- Making sure security patches take (my browser, Firefox, auto-loads security patches, but they don't take efect until it restarts) -- Clearing out cookies (my browser has a "clear cookies on restart" option, which is simpler than going through the menus and dialogs every time I want to clear them. It's useful to clear them if you want to make it harder for sites to compile a long-term history of what you do online. Cookies that last while a browser session does are sufficient for most e-commerce-type activities.) -- Forcing me to stop surfing the Web and get some work done. That's good enough for me. Closing a browser now and again is useful for:
—Clearing out any excess in-memory cache or memory leaks (yes, browsers still leak memory a bit, more so often if you have extensions)
—Making sure security patches take (my browser, Firefox, auto-loads security patches, but they don’t take efect until it restarts)
—Clearing out cookies (my browser has a “clear cookies on restart” option, which is simpler than going through the menus and dialogs every time I want to clear them. It’s useful to clear them if you want to make it harder for sites to compile a long-term history of what you do online. Cookies that last while a browser session does are sufficient for most e-commerce-type activities.)
—Forcing me to stop surfing the Web and get some work done.

That’s good enough for me.

]]> By: Pete http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194157 Pete Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:15:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194157 I keep my browser open for weeks at a time, and open pages in tabs by preference. What would I want a homepage for? The nearest thing I use is "bookmark this group of tabs". I keep my browser open for weeks at a time, and open pages in tabs by preference. What would I want a homepage for? The nearest thing I use is “bookmark this group of tabs”.

]]> By: Kenny Easwaran http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194085 Kenny Easwaran Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:11:16 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194085 <i>I have never understood why people wouldn’t have a home page, seeing as you don’t have to wait for a page to finish loading to select another one</i> But it does slow things down for a moment. And, despite using a mac (contra #11), Firefox sometimes seems to get into a funny mood where it takes ten seconds between every action (probably because I've got about 15 tabs open at the time but who knows). So not having to load a page is nice. Actually, the real reason I don't use a homepage is because I have the session saver Firefox extension, which restarts Firefox with the collection of tabs open that it had last time I was using it. I have never understood why people wouldn’t have a home page, seeing as you don’t have to wait for a page to finish loading to select another one

But it does slow things down for a moment. And, despite using a mac (contra #11), Firefox sometimes seems to get into a funny mood where it takes ten seconds between every action (probably because I’ve got about 15 tabs open at the time but who knows). So not having to load a page is nice.

Actually, the real reason I don’t use a homepage is because I have the session saver Firefox extension, which restarts Firefox with the collection of tabs open that it had last time I was using it.

]]> By: sanbikinoraion http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194055 sanbikinoraion Sun, 22 Apr 2007 12:33:51 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194055 Between Firefox and my kickass Logitech keyboard (and no, this isn't viral advertising), when I first open a browser I get my homepage, which is useful. When I press ctrl+T I get a new empty tab. If I want to just go straight to a particular website, I can push the "go" button on my keyboard, which will take me straight there. So it's possible to have one's virtual cake and eat it. Between Firefox and my kickass Logitech keyboard (and no, this isn’t viral advertising), when I first open a browser I get my homepage, which is useful. When I press ctrl+T I get a new empty tab. If I want to just go straight to a particular website, I can push the “go” button on my keyboard, which will take me straight there. So it’s possible to have one’s virtual cake and eat it.

]]> By: almostinfamous http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194034 almostinfamous Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:55:08 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194034 on a mac, you <i>never</i> have to quit an app. just hide it and come back later. why would you quit an app? on a mac, you never have to quit an app. just hide it and come back later. why would you quit an app?

]]> By: Bloix http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194020 Bloix Sun, 22 Apr 2007 00:46:16 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194020 I stopped reading A&L Daily after the third or fourth "Nature and Science are in a conspiracy to suppress the truth that global warming is a hoax" article. I stopped reading A&L Daily after the third or fourth “Nature and Science are in a conspiracy to suppress the truth that global warming is a hoax” article.

]]> By: vivian http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194019 vivian Sun, 22 Apr 2007 00:31:52 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194019 I close my browser when I want to get work done for a while. Sites I go to daily (or weekly) are in the history, and autocomplete after very few keystrokes. When I want to surf wider, I go to a likely site, like this one (or Making Light, or others) and use the blogroll/sidelights/particles. Favorites, even. How can people who write/blog so much be afraid of typing so little? I close my browser when I want to get work done for a while. Sites I go to daily (or weekly) are in the history, and autocomplete after very few keystrokes. When I want to surf wider, I go to a likely site, like this one (or Making Light, or others) and use the blogroll/sidelights/particles. Favorites, even.

How can people who write/blog so much be afraid of typing so little?

]]> By: Stuart http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194011 Stuart Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:42:11 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194011 I have never understood why people wouldn't have a home page, seeing as you don't have to wait for a page to finish loading to select another one, so not having one just makes you have to click a few more times each time you want to go to the page you use/read most often. I have never understood why people wouldn’t have a home page, seeing as you don’t have to wait for a page to finish loading to select another one, so not having one just makes you have to click a few more times each time you want to go to the page you use/read most often.

]]> By: Dave Menendez http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194008 Dave Menendez Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:31:45 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194008 I've never really understood the home page idea. When I open a new window, it's because I want to see a specific page. If I didn't have my browser set to display a blank page in new windows, it would just waste its time loading an irrelevant page. I’ve never really understood the home page idea. When I open a new window, it’s because I want to see a specific page. If I didn’t have my browser set to display a blank page in new windows, it would just waste its time loading an irrelevant page.

]]> By: Hermenauta http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194007 Hermenauta Sat, 21 Apr 2007 21:12:30 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194007 Isn't <a href="http://www.netvibes.com" rel="nofollow">Netvibes</a> enough to you, guys? Isn’t Netvibes enough to you, guys?

]]> By: moriarty http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-194003 moriarty Sat, 21 Apr 2007 20:50:24 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-194003 <i>Who cares about the home page? Are people constantly rebooting? How often do you start your browser. </i> I re-start my browser for every online session. What do other people do? Who cares about the home page? Are people constantly rebooting? How often do you start your browser.

I re-start my browser for every online session. What do other people do?

]]> By: Kelly http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-193997 Kelly Sat, 21 Apr 2007 19:25:49 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-193997 Huh, that homepage randomizer is really neat, Kieran. Huh, that homepage randomizer is really neat, Kieran.

]]> By: KCinDC http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-193994 KCinDC Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:51:09 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-193994 Who cares about the home page? Are people constantly rebooting? How often do you start your browser? Who cares about the home page? Are people constantly rebooting? How often do you start your browser?

]]> By: Scott McLemee http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-193992 Scott McLemee Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:49:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-193992 Well, sure. But the percentage of RSS users among people online is pretty small -- and besides, not everything that one might want as a homepage has a feed. Thanks for the tip though. Well, sure. But the percentage of RSS users among people online is pretty small—and besides, not everything that one might want as a homepage has a feed.

Thanks for the tip though.

]]> By: Kieran Healy http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/comment-page-1/#comment-193991 Kieran Healy Sat, 21 Apr 2007 18:35:38 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/04/21/here-is-a-bright-idea-possibly-worth-billions/#comment-193991 <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/4580" rel="nofollow">Here you go</a>. Where's my check? This is also kind of what RSS Readers are for. Here you go. Where’s my check?

This is also kind of what RSS Readers are for.

]]>