Firefox add-ons site goes on a diet, gets face-lift [video]

This post has been updated from the original. Added: Video interview with Mike Shaver, Technology Strategist at Mozilla Corp.

On Monday, Mozilla launched an updated version of its add-ons page for its popular browser Firefox. The new page has redefined genres, language localization, and snazzy Ajax-enabled previews for screenshots. Mozilla also is adding a user community element that allows users to add their own reviews, complete with a rating system. Previously, you were only able to add comments. Mozilla also has cut hundreds of extensions to make room for the more popular ones, making the updated site more of a "best of" than a full compendium. New or noteworthy extensions can be voted up to popularity with user reviews. If users want the full list of extensions, they can go to Mozilla's developer community page.

The move caters to new Firefox users who might not be so familiar with extensions, and aims to weed out some of the older extensions that don't work with more recent builds of the browser.

[neofreko]

Ajax with no XHR?

I wonder if I have hit cache, or Firefox is changing its diet already. The extension page (list and detail) indeed got some face-lift, noticing the list and the sidebar part which sports dieting (compact view and separate screenshots and reviews) and a quick show hide (javascript+css) extensions details (in extension list). But I haven't found the ajax part. Not even in the "Ajax snazzy preview" link. I do have Firebug turned on, so any XmlHttpRequest should be noticed right away.

Uh oh, just recheck it. The preview did some face-lift too. It's now utilizing Lightbox effect. Can we considered it Ajax though it doesn't use XHR?

Did I miss anything?

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Well, the ajax part is just the gallery...

From the looks of it, the Ajax part I mentioned was in the screenshot preview which opens up without a new window--the lightbox.

I'm not so sure we can really consider it full on Ajax without XHR, but it's much better than the old add-ons site.

[WulfTheSaxon]

Scheduled for 7:00PM, PST

According to Mozilla's Weekly Status Meeting, the release is scheduled for 7:00PM, PDT (I think they mean PST, as Daylight Savings Time doesn't start until the second Sunday in March).

References:
WeeklyUpdates/2007-02-12 - MozillaWiki: http://wiki.mozilla.org/WeeklyUpdates/2007-02-12#Webdev.2C_Add-ons.2C_AMO

[airforcenice123]

Very helpful, thanks!!

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[stivelone]

The site looks nice - but have you tried registering? After 20 attempts I never succeeded. This is the email I wrote to the webmaster - but since | imagine no such person exists - I thought I'd reproduce it here.

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Hi

Can I just complain to you about how offensively stupid the mozilla addins registration page is. Who is the ******* who wrote that?

Firstly the graphics are almost impossible to read. Secondly the audio is impossible to make out. I attempted approx 20 times to get through but did not succeed once. Thirdly there is the extremely juvenile error message "incorrect captcha!"

Oh, and to pre-empt any stupid justification about the perils of non-authenticated registration - can i ask - what are they? why should one need to register to get one of these f**king add-ons? Also why can't you use the challenges that yahoo or hotmail use to stop false non human registration?

This really is offensively stupid and timewasting.

Steve