Firefox Support Broadens: Merriam-Webster Tools Released
After just a short time in general availability, support for Mozilla Firefox got a wonderful shot in the arm recently with the release of Merriam-Webster's collection of Firefox Tools.
This new set of tools consists of a Search Box Plug-in, a Right-Click Search tool, a new Sidebar, a Lookup Button and a new Toolbar. Of these, my favorites are the Search Box Plug-in and the Right-Click Search tool.
Before the release of these nifty little add-ons for Firefox, I was able to search the Merriam-Webster dictionary through the Search Box by using a third party tool, but the official tools go one step further by allowing not only a standard Dictionary search, but a Thesaurus search as well! Now whenever I want to look up a word, I simply type it into the box, select the appropriate M-W Search Box item and hit enter. Very slick.
In addition, I'm quite fond of the Right-Click search tool. Instead of needing to copy and paste a word from the web page I'm viewing to the Search Box, I can now right-click the word and choose "Merriam-Webster Dictionary Search for...." As with the other tools, a right-click Thesaurus search is also available. Be sure to read the installation instructions on this one though. Merriam-Webster is using a third party Firefox extension called DictionarySearch and its default dictionary is Dictionary.com. This is just fine of course, but if your goal is to use the M-W tools, be sure to read the instructions all the way through or all your searching will be done on the other site.
I also tried the Sidebar and like it, but I always look at these things from the end-user perspective and I find the execution of the sidebar to be a bit clunky. I'll look forward to future releases that might improve on this or make it a full on extension instead of just a bookmark that opens in the sidebar.
I have not installed the Toolbar or Lookup Button as neither of these appeal to me since I have all the other tools installed. If you are inclined to toolbars, by all means give them a whirl and let me know how they worked for you!
As writers, I'm sure you'll soon find the combination of these tools and the Mozilla Firefox web browser as indispensable as I do.
Still need to get Firefox? Click here to get your copy today!
This new set of tools consists of a Search Box Plug-in, a Right-Click Search tool, a new Sidebar, a Lookup Button and a new Toolbar. Of these, my favorites are the Search Box Plug-in and the Right-Click Search tool.
Before the release of these nifty little add-ons for Firefox, I was able to search the Merriam-Webster dictionary through the Search Box by using a third party tool, but the official tools go one step further by allowing not only a standard Dictionary search, but a Thesaurus search as well! Now whenever I want to look up a word, I simply type it into the box, select the appropriate M-W Search Box item and hit enter. Very slick.
In addition, I'm quite fond of the Right-Click search tool. Instead of needing to copy and paste a word from the web page I'm viewing to the Search Box, I can now right-click the word and choose "Merriam-Webster Dictionary Search for...." As with the other tools, a right-click Thesaurus search is also available. Be sure to read the installation instructions on this one though. Merriam-Webster is using a third party Firefox extension called DictionarySearch and its default dictionary is Dictionary.com. This is just fine of course, but if your goal is to use the M-W tools, be sure to read the instructions all the way through or all your searching will be done on the other site.
I also tried the Sidebar and like it, but I always look at these things from the end-user perspective and I find the execution of the sidebar to be a bit clunky. I'll look forward to future releases that might improve on this or make it a full on extension instead of just a bookmark that opens in the sidebar.
I have not installed the Toolbar or Lookup Button as neither of these appeal to me since I have all the other tools installed. If you are inclined to toolbars, by all means give them a whirl and let me know how they worked for you!
As writers, I'm sure you'll soon find the combination of these tools and the Mozilla Firefox web browser as indispensable as I do.
Still need to get Firefox? Click here to get your copy today!
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