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Comments on: Firefox 3.1 to gain modicum of privacy

On the heels of IE 8's InPrivate and Google Chrome's Incognito, Mozilla now promises that a long-discussed privacy feature will be rolled into the pending Firefox update.

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by Lerianis September 12, 2008 4:45 PM PDT: Hopefully, Firefox 3.1 will be out sometime soon. From what I saw with the Minefield tester, it is pretty close to 'prime-time' ready.; Like this Reply to this comment


by nrlz September 12, 2008 5:03 PM PDT: Is Firefox getting bloated?; Like this Reply to this comment


by ethana2 September 12, 2008 7:36 PM PDT: Yay!!! Ubuntu's default browser just got that much more awesome! ..I didn't know how much better you could get after Firefox 3, but Firefox 3.1 is looking just as revolutionary, if not more so. This is amazing.

..I'm very happy right now.; Like this Reply to this comment


by Penguinisto September 12, 2008 7:55 PM PDT: ...err, why? it's been an add-on for years now. Why bother chucking in yet another feature of semi-limited value to the public at large?; Like this Reply to this comment


by kswartz26 September 12, 2008 8:41 PM PDT: I think it's wrong to say that Stealther is the only way to get this functionality in Firefox today. There are many other add-ons available at addons.mozilla.org that offer privacy and secure surfing modes. My favorite (after testing several) is Distrust. While it doesn't work in "real time" (i.e.: once you turn it on, it doesn't erase your tracks until you go to turn off or the browser crashes and restarts), I found that it offered more functionality and greater flexibility than the built-in options for IE, Chrome, or Safari.

I would encourage Firefox users who feel this is a high-priority feature to examine this or other addons before deciding to change browsers over it.; Like this Reply to this comment


by Commanderlewis September 12, 2008 8:42 PM PDT: Hmm this should be interesting! I'm looking forward to using it. But I'll play it safe and wait a week after it comes out! Thou need another software glitch!; Like this Reply to this comment


by GhostMale66 September 13, 2008 8:23 AM PDT: Perhaps I'm naieve, but I don't really understand the necessity or need to have your internet tracks erased or not recorded. I mean, the only things I can think of that would make this a feature are employees at work who use it to cover up web surfing that is probably against the rules in the first place. The other thing I see are people who surf for porn and don't want anyone else to know about it. If there are other, legitimate reasons for wanting to hide your web surfing tracks, I'd really be interested in knowing.; Like this Reply to this comment


by HlLLARY CLITON September 13, 2008 9:01 AM PDT: I hope its not bloated, I hate bloat; Like this Reply to this comment


by nasserd September 13, 2008 9:14 AM PDT: To "GhostMale66", the best example is libraries and public terminals. Right now, their options are not entirely reliable -- you often have to log-off/log-back-on to the Desktop session (which can be a slow process). The InPrivate/Incognito features (which will probably be initializable via command-line switches) would mean that you only need to open a new window from a terminal; no need to logoff/logon.

Of course, there are private citizens reasons, too... surprise purchase for a housemate (family member, romantic partner, what-have-you), or what some call "porn mode".; Like this Reply to this comment

by Jonathon_A September 13, 2008 9:32 AM PDT

Personally, I don't need anything like this. The only people I can think of who would need an option like this are people who are doing stuff on the net that they shouldn't be in the first place.

Like this Reply to this comment


by The_Decider September 13, 2008 12:03 PM PDT: Yeah, because only people doing bad things want privacy.; Like this


by Lerianis September 13, 2008 12:14 PM PDT: Jonathon_A, you are an idiot. Not everyone wants everyone else to know what they are surfing for, especially if it is something like porn. A lot of people want this and I am REALLY getting tired of idiots like you who say "if you aren't doing anything you shouldn't be doing, you don't need privacy!"
You are a bunch of idiots, to put it MILDLY.; Like this


by dallas7 September 13, 2008 12:39 PM PDT: He's not an idiot. He's pure.; Like this


by lordmorgul September 13, 2008 2:46 PM PDT: Apparently you've never purchased a gift online. Thats ok, but don't be so condescending about everyone else's privacy and security needs. There are many reasons you might not want browsing histories, cookies, or typed data to be stored locally.; Like this


by Penguinisto September 14, 2008 7:52 AM PDT: There are times and places:

* public computers (where you probably don't want your website usernames/passwords stored in a cookie somewhere)

* countries where one finds political oppression (e.g. China), where the user really wants to get word out, but doesn't want to be arrested for speaking his/her mind.

,,,and etc.; Like this


by dallas7 September 13, 2008 12:35 PM PDT: All that's being done is providing the user simple access to settings available via preferences and about:config ever since the browser was called Phoenix and their granularity has improved as the product evolved. With some brilliantly written exceptions, all the "security" and "privacy" extensions have done the same thing.; Like this Reply to this comment


by dallas7 September 13, 2008 12:54 PM PDT: "pages visited will be stored in the memory, not on the hard disk--although there's no word on if or how this will affect performance"
I have been disabling drive cache and been using 16 MB of RAM cache for several years in various releases of Firefox. Sorry to get technical, but since RAM is gazillions times faster than a hard drive, performance is spectacular. Well, providing you're running something with more than a PII or 68020 on the mobo...; Like this Reply to this comment


by lordmorgul September 13, 2008 2:43 PM PDT: It really is sad to see a feature available in Safari for nearly 4 full years that has not shown up in any of the competing browsers, especially since it has been planned, and there were several major browser version generations in that time. However... the ability to automatically clear private data, or to add the stealthier extension to firefox has made it possible in the browser for anyone who wanted the feature (and those who did not know to go looking for how must not have cared about it). This is something that should have been much higher priority for Microsoft's IE dev team than it was because they had no extension framework for a long time to make it possible.

To put it bluntly... mozilla and microsoft were not even close to being on the same footing with this; microsoft was doing nothing and mozilla just did not integrate what was possible with extensions.; Like this Reply to this comment


by Penguinisto September 14, 2008 7:53 AM PDT: @"lordmogul:"

Dunno about IE, but Firefox has had this as an addon feature for longer than Safari. ;); Like this Reply to this comment


by adkiller2k7 September 14, 2008 10:22 AM PDT: The good thing about it being an extension and not intergrated means less bloat, if you needed that functionality, you could easily just install a firefox add-on to do it, if you don't need it, then why should it be installed unless you needed it?; Like this Reply to this comment


by kenboy127 September 14, 2008 11:28 AM PDT: firefox is getting slower and slower for me. chrome is simple, seamless, and FAST. come on firefox! you've got some real competition now.; Like this Reply to this comment


by crevelingm September 15, 2008 11:02 AM PDT: From a social perspective this is very interesting. I've noticed that since the late '90s the "delete private data" feature has moved from a hidden feature in the browser's advanced preferences to a link right on a main menu of most browsers. And now most browsers are going to come with a "private" mode feature! What is to be said about a society that is so secretive that we can't even allow our internet activity to be seen by our own families, spouses, children, or significant others? How many of us lead private lives on the internet that we completely compartmentalize and keep separate from our real life and family and careers?

I'm not blaming the technology for this problem, since its just a tool. And as somebody pointed out this feature could be used for good purposes like shopping for a surprise gift for somebody. But seriously, if you're that ashamed of what you are doing on the internet maybe you should rethink doing it.; Like this Reply to this comment


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by scottyat2 December 14, 2008 7:10 AM PST: Privacy is good if required for legit business or some kind of personal conversation or special purchase.
I have children in my household and use Safe Web Browsing programs to MONITOR what my children do. This "Privacy" add-on or plug-in will effect these Monitoring programs.
A change or update on Browsers can be good IF IT SUITS YOUR PURPOSE.
In this case it doesn't mine.

Responsible adults we need to be!

Note: I rarely have to check on my children because they are aware that I can find out their activities when on the internet and knowing I can, places enough fear. With them thinking about how they conduct themselves and being responsible for their actions leads to Trust.
Trust is powerful. So I worry less.
"Do you have something to hide?"
I use IE6 and IE7 and have used FireFox in the past.

Only thing I need is Security Encryption for Online Banking and paying bills or other regarded stuff like Filing Taxes.; Like this Reply to this comment