Mozilla Firefox (Firefox for short) has been the most frequently used web browser in Germany since 2008, today with a market share of 43.54% (September 2013). It is free and open-source code software, which is characterized by a large number of possible customizations and adjustments.
Story
Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross are responsible for the development of the Mozilla Firefox browser, which originally ran under the project name “Phoenix”. Phoenix 0.1 was released on September 23, 2002. While the software was initially developed as part of the “Mozilla Application Suite” software package, in 2003 the suite was broken down into its individual components. Among other things, the web browser Firefox and the e-mail program Thunderbird were outsourced. The developers of Mozilla Firefox pursued the goals of a quick program start and a low memory requirement. Today the browser is available worldwide in 86 languages and is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Functions
Mozilla Firefox is considered a browser that supports the user with an intelligent address bar and simplified user guidance. Tabbed browsing allows the user to open multiple websites simultaneously in multiple tabs that can be easily switched back and forth. The developers attach great importance to user security, which is why Mozilla Firefox is equipped with malware and phishing protection, automatic detection of outdated plugins and an automatic update function.
The developers of Mozilla Firefox have remained true to the goal of short loading times and high speed. Firefox is always among the best in benchmarks. The browser is equipped with a very fast graphics acceleration for videos and graphics. In addition, Firefox convinces you with a high level of crash safety.
The browser also has a variety of useful functions:
- Sync passwords, bookmarks, open tabs and history between multiple devices
- Password manager
- automatic form filling
- simplified search functions
- Session recovery and automatic resume of interrupted downloads
- integrated spell checker
- Create bookmarks with just one click
- dynamic bookmarks that are automatically updated via RSS when the browser is started
Extensions
A big plus of Mozilla Firefox is the customization of the software. With the so-called ” personas ” the user can set up and change the appearance of the user interface according to his personal preferences. In addition, buttons and input fields can be moved as desired. The procedure for customizing the Firefox design is explained in detail in various videos on YouTube.
Mozilla Firefox has comparatively few standard features to keep the program lean and optimize speed. With hundreds of thousands of add-ons that can be downloaded from the Firefox add-ons manager, the browser can be equipped with a variety of additional functions. For example, tools for web development, communication via social networks, managing bookmarks or enjoying photos, music and videos are possible.
Importance for search engine optimization
The add-on manager for Mozilla Firefox offers a wide range of useful add-ons for search engine optimization. They enable the analysis of important SEO parameters for accessed websites, display important ranking factors (e.g. PageRank, Alexa Rank or Popularity Index) or provide information about the performance of a website. In addition, certain individual tools can simplify certain tasks, such as examining a website for cloaking, analyzing incoming and outgoing backlinks, and displaying the relevant meta tags or the source code of a website.