Opera Blink Does Not Allow Dragging Address Bar Icon To Desktop Or Any Folder

fluxrev

fluxrev

Thanks, blackbird. I always appreciate your perspective on things. I may indeed have to change my position on this, but I'm gonna hold out as long as I can.

blackbird71

blackbird71

@fluxrev, you're welcome. I see both the pros and cons of browser extensions, but as I mentioned, either way the current reality is simply that most browsers now employ them for a lot of things that used to be built-in. The one difference seems to be that the Chrome line of browsers (and all its offspring) use separate processes for each extension, and the Firefox line of browsers (and all its offspring) doesn't... for whatever that may matter to a user.

fluxrev

fluxrev

The main issue for me is security. Compatibility problems (i.e., browser updates breaking extensions) don't really concern me, assuming that I would only be using a very small number of extensions and they were ones that provided functions that I truly needed. Regarding security as it relates to Chrome, I can't assess the extent to which restricting extensions to the Chrome Web Store prevents the distribution of malicious extensions. (I don't know, by the way, what Opera's policy is on third-party extensions or, more importantly, what sort of security Opera provides with respect to the extensions hosted on their extension site.)

lem729

lem729

I did provide a link to the Opera guidelines for extensions. In it are the acceptance criterion.

http://dev.opera.com/extensions/tut_publishing_guidelines.html#acceptance-criteria

My understanding is that Opera gives gives a more rigorous review/vetting to it's extensions than Google has to Chrome extensions, at least as of a year ago. http://browserfame.com/1928/chrome-vs-opera. I believe I read somewhere that Chrome was going to toughen up its review. I don't know what the current situation is.

The approach I try to take, particularly for Chrome extensions, is to review comments by users of the extension, and also to search for reviews on the internet. Often if I find one, and it's relevant to a post, I pass along the review to this forum. Now some of the extensions like the Opera extension, "Add Bookmark," seem very basic, and I don't over-think that one. Now it's easy enough to disable an extension or uninstall it. So it's nice to test and decide if one finds it useful.

One aspect that's nice with extensions is that it's easy enough to go to the developer at the website for the extension, and explain a concern, ask about a feature you would like, etc. The developers I have talked with are very open to making the product better, and are very forthcoming when issues/concerns are raised. I often get very quick feedback from developers of the extensions (some by exchange of personal emails). It's lot harder to get a reaction from Opera at a personal level to concerns I may have. There's no one to write to (via email), other than maybe the Suggestion forum, and it's rare to get a personal reaction (meaning something specifically written for me, in response to a post) from anyone in Opera.

Deleted User

Deleted User

If security relating to extensions is a concern, don't use extensions.

As for myself, I severely limit the number of extensions and with the exception of one, all are from Opera. As for the matter of the plethora of built-in features in the former Presto version, my guess is that will likely never see the light of day again... on any browser.

fluxrev

fluxrev

As for the matter of the plethora of built-in features in the former Presto version, my guess is that will likely never see the light of day again... on any browser.

Agreed. Fortunately, I'm not in need of that plethora. I don't think, however, that it's too much to expect that Opera Blink would provide the ability to drag the address bar icon to the Desktop or a folder natively. Aside from the fact that the other browsers I mentioned do this, I would ask, is this particular capability really the sort of thing that should require an extension? What next, the need to install an extension to save webpages?

lem729

lem729

If security relating to extensions is a concern, don't use extensions.
As for myself, I severely limit the number of extensions and with the exception of one, all are from Opera.

I severely limit my extensions also. I have 17 Opera extensions right now, and four Chrome ones active

fluxrev

fluxrev

I severely limit my extensions also. I have 17 Opera extensions right now, and four Chrome ones active

17 extensions is "severely" limited? You're kidding, right?

lem729

lem729

;))) The browser is still very fast. A lot of the plugins are basic things, or simply to add functionality. If I have a slowdown of speed, I can deactivate everything, and test to find the problem.

A lot of the extensions are very basic or essential. The Opera Extensions: Add Bookmark (filling the gap of what Opera does not yet provide in the native browser), Adblock Plus (nice ad-blocker), Classic Tabs (makes the tab behavior like Presto), Clearly {helps reading, by giving better contrast, night mode, etc.), Disconnect (important security), Disconnect Search (also very important security), Extension Source Viewer (I'm playing with this now. The alternative is the Opera created extension, called Download Chrome Extension, which is also quite good) (either of these help make it possible to install a Chrome Extension in Opera), Feedly (superb rss reader), Gmail Checker (mail is essential), Gmailius (improves gmail, really good), Google Translator (one needs at least one translator), HTMS Everywhere (security), PDF Viewer (I want to read pdfs in Opera tabs), Speed Dial for YouTube, Stumble Upon (wonderful for the Speed Dial, because it changes the display every five seconds), Turn Off the Lights (nice for YouTube videos, by cutting out background light, and making it like a movie theater), User Agent Switch (to thwart those browser sniffing sites).

The Chrome Extensions: Chrookmarks for Chrome (a bookmarks Manager) (really good, with the only competition for me, Neater Bookmarks, which I have on my browser, but deactivated right now, or maybe Tidy Bookmarks for Chrome), One Click Extension Manager (you can deactivate all of your extensions with one click, or do it on a case by case basis), Sexy Undo Close Tab, (one I could cut or deactivate I guess, but I like it, so we'll see), Click & Clean (also I could deactivate it, and I'm ambivalent here, but it does a lot, malware scans, cookie treatment -- saving some, not others -- cleaning history in many different ways, etc. Maybe I'll deactivate Sexy Undo Close Tab and Click & Clean if I find some more extensions I want to add. And maybe I won't.

The extensions above seem very basic to me, or meet needs, and I think they are worth taking the risk on to make the browser fun and exciting. And the overall browser performance is still quite good for me.

I have a number of other extensions deactivated. I could uninstall them, but I still might use them again, and I don't want to forget them. They're in a place analogous to limbo. Maybe I'll bring them back, maybe I'll delete them.

I don't want this to get out of control. Still, without extensions, the browser is not very usable or fun to me. It was designed to be used with extensions.

I just don't think people should be so spartan with extensions -- and perhaps, paranoid:) -- that they destroy their pleasure in using the browser. I'd say take a chance, and if you're unhappy, then deactivate or uninstall.

fluxrev

fluxrev

The extensions above seem very basic to me, or meet needs, and I think they are worth taking the risk on to make the browser fun and exciting.

To each his own, but "basic" is one thing, and "fun and exciting" is something else. The fact that you would talk about these very different qualities as if they were entirely harmonious indicates confused, non-serious thinking about the issues, as does your "take a chance, and if you're unhappy, then deactivate or uninstall" policy.

lem729

lem729

To each his own, but "basic" is one thing, and "fun and exciting" is something else. The fact that you would talk about these very different qualities as if they were entirely harmonious indicates confused, non-serious thinking about the issues, as does your "take a chance, and if you're unhappy, then deactivate or uninstall" policy.

Haha. Nonesense. I'm very. serious about my goals, and what I want in a browser. I'm not just looking for functionality. I want basic functionality for me AND enjoyable (which includes the aesthetic). You may be serious about you want, but you seem to me confused in judging another person (and whether their thinking is serious) because you appear to make that determination based on what you think is important in the browser. Am I no longer a serious person, because I also want the browser to give me pleasure? Now I must confess, I do use youTube, Daily Motion.com, Slacker, Pandora, watch TV out of the speed dial, use the stumbleUpon extension in the speed Dial. I mean, does the browser have to be all balance sheets and geek stuff? And the appearance of the platform by which the browser provides the basic functionality AND pleasurable things is important to me. The wonderful minimalist look of Opera Blink is sufficiently important to me that I can even accept not having a few features. Does a comparison of browsers have to be simply an accounting balance sheet of which provides the most features? That loses the aesthetic, it loses the soul . . .

As for taking a chance, we make the best judgment we can, and then we all take a chances every day in our lives to some extent. And those who hardly take a chance at all are often the most miserable. I've listed extensions that work for me, and that I'm happy with. With all of those extension that I'm using, my Opera Blink browser performance is wonderful. My list of extensions changes from day to day. Now I know better what I want, than you know what I want. And if you somehow presume to think you know what I should want in a browser, then I would find you to be not a serious thinker.

In the end, you have to look at yourself, ask what you want in a browser, research what's out there, and then to some extent (because nothing is 100 percent) you have to be willing to take a chance. Why, I'd say (if you're using this Blink browser, made to be fulfilled via extension), go ahead, download the damn extension at some point after researching it, and seeing that it looks promising to you, would fill a need if it works right, would make you happier. And if you are never prepared to do that, to at least test it, then accept being miserable.

fluxrev

fluxrev

I stand by the statements of mine that you quoted. Indeed, your attempt to refute my point only underscores it.

Your conclusion that a user should "go ahead, download the damn extension at some point after researching it, or if not ever, . . . accept being miserable" is ludicrous, though in a way that is characteristic of the era we live in (as the over-the-top levels of outrage and teeth-gnashing regarding Opera Blink on the previous incarnation of this forum showed). "Miserable"? Because of the lack of extensions in a web browser? I find some choices that developers make annoying, but I wouldn't let the complete absence of a browser---and therefore the Internet, too---make me "miserable". Anyway, have fun with your extensions---I'm done here.

lem729

lem729

Your conclusion that a user should "go ahead, download the damn extension at some point after researching it, or if not ever, . . . accept being miserable" is ludicrous, though in a way that is characteristic of the era we live in

What I said was slightly more nuanced: "In the end, you have to look at yourself, ask what you want in a browser, research what's out there, and then to some extent (because nothing is 100 percent) you have to be willing to take a chance. Why, I'd say (if you're using this Blink browser, made to be fulfilled via extension), go ahead, download the damn extension at some point after researching it, and seeing that it looks promising to you, would fill a need if it works right, would make you happier. And if you are never prepared to do that, to at least test it, then accept being miserable.