WHY CAN"T YOU GUYS MAKE A HOME BUTTON?

[artistoag]

artistoag last edited by

Over 30 versions of opera & STILL NO EASY TO FIND / INSTALL HOME BUTTON!
MOST users want one. Does anyone @ opera even read all these comments?
Wikipedia info:
According to Mozilla, as of December 2014 there were half a billion Firefox users around the world.
With Internet Explorer declining, Firefox reached second place in February 2016, as a desktop browser.

PS. These guys have home buttons.

[canadagoose4ever]

canadagoose4ever last edited by

You can gain this by using extensions. First install the "Download Chrome Extension" button from Opera. Then go to the Google Store and type in Home button. There are several extensions there that will work quite nicely.

[leocg]

leocg Moderator Volunteer last edited by

users want one.

You want one. I see no meaning in having a home button or even a home page nowadays.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

For one, I can't see much sense in having a home page when speed dials have come to be, hence the home button might seem obsolete as well.
However, it might be useful to hit some sort of Home to open in the same tab - in a new tab you'll have your current speed dial or whatever anyway.
In Firefox, I use an extension providing me a good speed dial and that has a "Home" button of its own - to open in the same tab.

Well, SOME people might still be keen on having a home page proper... :rolleyes:

[stng]

stng last edited by

@artistoag

Home button? This is a archaism from a past decades. Just like bookmark manager, customizable user interface (also keyboard shortcuts, gestures etc.), skins, sidebars, built in email client and other rarely used features for a marginal part of users.

For an example, Google Chrome doesn't have all of these features. And, so? Worlds most popular web-browser.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

Stng, Google Chrome DOES HAVE a home button

[donq]

donq last edited by

MOST users want one.

I would not be so sure. Since ancient times, when some browsers (remember Opera?) allowed to just continue from last session, I have seen no need in home button... Well, example of single entity (me) doesn't qualify as MOST either.

This doesn't mean that I am against home button - I can see uses for it. It just should be optional - to allow hide it and conserve some space.

[blackbird71]

blackbird71 last edited by

...
Home button? This is a archaism from a past decades. Just like bookmark manager, customizable user interface (also keyboard shortcuts, gestures etc.), skins, sidebars, built in email client and other rarely used features for a marginal part of users.
For an example, Google Chrome doesn't have all of these features. And, so? Worlds most popular web-browser.

@stng, the problem is that all users are different, and their ability to effectively adapt to differing browser conventions differs. A great deal depends on what exactly they use a browser for, and their needs (as well as preferences) in doing so. To some users, a homepage and button are superfluous to how they browse. To others, they are near-essential features for how they browse.

In my case, I use a 'homepage' function constantly in all my browsers as a way to come back to 'familiar ground' for setting up tasks I may need to do next. By addressing that same homepage in every browser on my system, I can use any browser with expectation that my starting point will always be the same, regardless of browser used. I favor certain browser brands for certain kinds of tasks, so the local bookmarks in each will and do vary over time and from browser to browser.

The homepage linked to each browser is a local htm file on my system I've created and maintain, listing roughly 250 key websites in 8 nested sub-pages, each titled by task topic. And yes, my browser usage is largely task-driven, though I realize that's not the case for many other users. Without the easy ability to access that common homepage, my workload becomes measurably harder. As a result, I find a homepage feature and button essential to my own useful browsing, and if they aren't provided as a built-in feature, I either find/create a workaround (such as an extension, using a special speed-dial, etc) that provides me ready access or else I relegate that browser brand to my array of little-used browser oddities.

Because I usually operate other complex and resource-intensive software while browsing, I seek to keep my browser load upon the system as low as possible, and running multiple tabs or speed-dials complicate the CPU and RAM situation greatly. Hence, for me and the way I use a browser, a homepage and a ready way to access it are essential elements. My point is that there is no 'archaism' to it... it's just a different set of usage priorities. Perhaps I'm indeed a marginal user, but if homepage possibilities don't exist in a browser - along with a simple way to access/implement them - I simply cannot efficiently use the browser. Obviously other users' mileage may (and will) vary, but that makes mine no less legitimate.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

Blackbird, the home button, on the other hand, is just "homy" or whatever the spelling.
I mean essentially, the home page is just nothing more than another bookmark, though treated differently - if ever.
One might hit a bookmark from their speed dial or bookmarks bar (the latter - one click).
Alternatively, Opera guys might implement such feature(s) as bookmarks' tags and/or bookmarks shortcuts (like you hit like Ctrl'Shift'1 or something for a certain bookmark to immediately load it in the same tab).
Agreed that having a home button wouldn't be too much of a deal either for the developers or the CPU. They might make it like - if you choose to have a homepage in cetain settings, you get the button, if you don't, there's none.

[bbildman]

bbildman last edited by admin

There's a really easy way to set a home page::

Just copy your folder that has all your previous "Home Page" folders (from O12 if you want, after importing them) onto the Speed Dial page, then when you click on each folder that used to be on your "Home Page" before and you will have all of your folders...you can view them in list format.

For instance I have a few folders that I copied to my Bookmarks Bar, which I can click on them and ALL of the folders/entries are there.

See my previous post on how to do this with images::

https://forums.opera.com/topic/12402/how-i-solved-the-bookmark-issue-in-opera-33/29

(Although I overly fretted the move to New Opera, once I got a handle on how it works, accepted some of the differences between O12.17, and learned how to implement extensions that added all the functionality I had in O12...it became a pleasure to use a browser that didn't crash, hesitate and fail to load Web pages that once worked in O12. O35 is a true gem, once you learn how to use it (just like we had to learn to use O12 and below).

[blackbird71]

blackbird71 last edited by

Blackbird, the home button, on the other hand, is just "homy" or whatever the spelling.
I mean essentially, the home page is just nothing more than another bookmark, though treated differently - if ever.
...

Actually, a properly-designed 'home' functionality includes multiple things: the ability to user-define a "homepage" address (URL or file), the ability for that homepage page to be accessed instantly from a dedicated and easily-recognized bar button (no further effort required), and the ability to start up a browser automatically at that same homepage (with no more than a one-time setting required). It is, or at least used to be, a universal, integrated browser concept that users could employ if they needed a standardized start or return point in their browsing, regardless of browser brand or viewing scenario.

Certainly, there are ways to set up kinds of 'artificial' homepage surrogate functionality, but the result is a collection of workarounds rather than a well-integrated, focused homepage functionality. My only point, actually, was to simply defend the concept of homepage functionality as a reasonable browser feature for those who rely upon it, as opposed to it being an archaic concept from a bygone era. To stress again, not everyone uses a browser the same way, and for those who use it as a tool involved in complex taskings, a browser homepage functionality is an effective, essential, and near-universal assist in their efforts.

[BLKBRDSR71]

BLKBRDSR71 last edited by

I just click the start page (aka Speed Dial) as an alternate home button. Then I just click the links from there. Personally, I see no need for a home button.

[canadagoose4ever]

canadagoose4ever last edited by

In truth, there really isn't a "need" as such for a Home button but for those who insist upon it, one is available via Chrome extensions as I mentioned earlier.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

I just click the start page (aka Speed Dial) as an alternate home button. Then I just click the links from there. Personally, I see no need for a home button.

Essentially.

And Blackbird, it is still basically a ^^special^^ bookmark.

• You want on startup? Any URL can do.
• You want to ''instantly click'' it? A shortcut or a tagname in the unibar, or an item in the bookmarks or custom bar would do it; the only difference there is is if you have a SPECIALLY dedicated button or not.

I'm not opposing you like to the death:) I'm just saying it MIGHT be considered obsolete or not so much crucial - I mean the button.
However, such a button wouldn't harm anyone. Especially if the devs make it optional or something.

[christine600]

christine600 last edited by

I'm a geek and I want my home button on the tool bar. But someone at Opera has decided that I cannot (easily) have one. This is the exact same reason why I "apt-get remove gnome" from my laptop. They decided I could not have a vertical toolbar anymore.

When will these narcisistic designers learn that it's not all about them?

I did not uninstall Opera though - I just downloaded a couple of other Browsers. And now happily switch between Firefox and Vivaldi. Occasionally I check out Opera. We've been friends for so many years. But the spark has gone. Together with the Home button.

There's a really easy way to set a home page::

LOL!

[lando242]

lando242 last edited by

But someone at Opera has decided that I cannot (easily) have one.

I consider installing a single extension easy. Since that is all you need do I will have to disagree without on calling it a hard task.

[A Former User]

A Former User last edited by

I'm a geek and I want my home button on the tool bar. But someone at Opera has decided that I cannot (easily) have one. This is the exact same reason why I "apt-get remove gnome" from my laptop. They decided I could not have a vertical toolbar anymore.
When will these narcisistic designers learn that it's not all about them?
I did not uninstall Opera though - I just downloaded a couple of other Browsers. And now happily switch between Firefox and Vivaldi. Occasionally I check out Opera. We've been friends for so many years. But the spark has gone. Together with the Home button.

There's a really easy way to set a home page::

LOL!

You might consider trying out Pale Moon which is by far the most highly configurable browser you'll find hands-down!! (you'll have a large number native options that will allow you to basically design your browser interface the way you want it including many aspects that have been abandoned by other browsers over the years. You can have tabs above/below address bar, your choice of buttons and where they are positioned even w/in address bar if you want, optionally include the status bar other browsers dropped long ago where you can place many optional browser functions, various optional progress bars at various locations etc etc, all native to the browser w/out the need for any add-ons to accomplish any of this). Just to go over some of what I do, I keep the re-load and favorites (bookmarks) functions w/in the address bar but tab-back-forward function buttons to left of address bar and home-page button to right of address bar w/ some add-ons above and others that I need to view pop-ups windows at the same time in the status bar at the bottom of the browser along with screen-zooming and page progress bar. And I've designed the browser to only have two rows (tabs at top and address bar rows) to provide maximum page exposure (which offers me plenty of screen space for my status bar at the bottom).

[altenergyinc]

altenergyinc last edited by

I run a large company, and like most people, use our company website as a portal to many different password protected sites, ftp file servers, news feeds, portfolio and engineering documentation. I use a couple of different PC's running W10, mostly fast laptops, in different locations.

I frequently restart from scratch, use a very wide variety of wifi, including my phone.

I need a home button, a bookmark list, and the speed dial page gone. All of your workarounds are solving an already solved problem. I guess that is great if you get paid by the hour or line, or whatever. When I boot, I select the browser I want to use (usually FF or Opera, occasionally chrome if I need to cast, since it works well for that. If I wanted a list of all the sites I just visited, I will use history. If I wanted a list of them graphically displayed, I would love it, I bet kids do. (speed dial) I want to press a browser to select it, and I want it to give me the freshest capture of the site I have selected as my home page. If I close it, because I am at one of the hundreds of sites I use each week, I usually just hit the home button, because guess what, I have the freshest view of the most important website. I picked it.

As the touch screen has basically died and gone to FOX news, because a mouse or pad is so much more efficient for work, so too will this petty display of technical wizardry. It is simply not useful. Seems like it would drive development, but the kids love their toys.

[wolfeuk]

wolfeuk last edited by

So if someone, say, tries hijacking your homepage, you can screw them over by having a pre-selected setting.... VIA YOUR OWN HOMEPAGE BUTTON. That answer every doubtful bastard's comments. It's Bloody convenient too. Speed Dial is seriously vulnerable to attack. I know, I had to re-install Opera 5 (count them) times.

[lando242]

lando242 last edited by

Any default setting in any browser can be hijacked. It doesn't matter if its a button or a home page or a speed dial or whatever. I work computer technical support, believe me. Anything can be changed and I have run across it more than once.

That said, their are extensions that can replace your speed dial button with a home page button. As the whole point of having extensions is to allow people to customize the browser I don't think there is a need to reinvent the wheel. Just install an extension and go with it.