If you’re a user of Firefox, chances are you’ve used the search box in the top-right hand corner of the browser. Tonight, I am expanding on the possibilities of searching right from your browser by introducing four search plugins.
Search Plugins can be downloaded directly from this page and used upon browser restart. Tonight’s releases are listed below with a description of the supporting site.
- Sedo Domain Search Plugin
Sedo is the largest domain name commerce portal in the world wiht over 4,000,000 domains listed for sale. Sedo offers basic and professional domain parking services. Search plugin provides basic search functionality.
Install the Sedo Domain Search Plugin - Afternic Domain Search Plugin
Afternic is the world’s second largest domain name commerce portal. They take a different approach to domain name parking. They offer the services of three different PPC providers, and give you the choice of which one you want to use and what keywords to use. The search plugin covers the basic search functionality and gets the job done.
Install the Afternic Search Plugin - Alexa Traffic Rank Search Plugin
Alexa, a search engine owned and operated by Amazon.com and an offshoot of the Archive.org internet Archive, ranks websites by traffic generated by the Alexa toolbar and pre-installed system data that reports site visits.
Install the Alexa Traffic Rank Search Plugin - NamePros Domain Name Forum Search Plugin
NamePros is the largest domain name forum community on the internet. Covering many topics related to domain names and related products and services with over 1.2 million posts. Plugins provides basic (yet sufficient) search functionality.
Install the NamePros Rank Search Plugin
All of these plugins are free and free distributable, within the terms of applicable Firefox license(s).
6 comments
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May 1st, 2006 at 11:49 pm
NamePros regular
Great work, Steve!
Added a couple to the bookmark to update firefox once I get the backup box running again!
May 1st, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Steve Castle
Thanks.
I figured that this would be a great way to simplify domain name research, since many “domainers” are web-savvy and understand the concept behind Firefox.
May 4th, 2006 at 7:16 am
Jerome
I must say, this is a domaineer must have package.
so ya, do promote this in namepros too. haha
May 4th, 2006 at 10:36 am
Steve Castle
Definitely.
Some more are on the way soon. Just about any site with a search mechanism is able to use this feature.
October 3rd, 2006 at 11:55 am
Lisa Rioni
Two questions:
1) Does the Alexa toolbar plugin for Firefox behave like the regular toolbar for IE, in that it reports visited sites to Alexa to be included in the ranking information?
2) I noticed that A9 is no longer developing or supporting the toolbar for Firefox, as of very recently. Do you have any information about that?
Thank you.
October 9th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
Steve Castle
Lisa,
Just to clarify, this isn’t a toolbar for Firefox, its an addition to the search bar to the right of the address bar (referred to as the mycroft project - http://mycroft.mozdev.org). But to attempt to answer some of your questions:
1. This plugin only retrieves information from Alexa, it doesn’t send anything out other than a request for the information.
I do not have any experience with the toolbar nor did I have a want/need for it, because I knew that creating a new plugin on top of my previous programming was far easier than worrying about information being sent without my blessing.
Check out http://www.alexa.com/site/help?index=127 . It is my guess that Alexa wants to keep their rankings (as biased as they aready are) unbiased. If you think about the population that currently uses Internet Explorer, you’re already looking at ~90%. The remaining ~10% (+/- a nominal amount from both for other browsers such as Safari) and most of the information that is collected and sent to Alexa for processing is more to do with clueless people installing a tool for personal use rather than that of Alexa’s use. Firefox users are generally more tech-savvy, thus having a better grasp of spyware.
Another reason is that Firefox extensions are essentailly zip files that are “renamed” into the xpi namespace.
2. I cannot comment on the A9 situation, other than speculating that the A9 contained some sort of spyware, and someone threatened.