SillyDog701

[J-M]

The situation of Netscape death is changing now:

Netscape Browser support extended to March 1st

It was reported earlier (via Netscape Blog too) that Flock's newest version includes this migration tool, but it appears that AOL wants to offer this menu option to Netscape users too.

The situation on NS8.x users is not so good.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; U; PPC Mac OS X Mach-O; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[James]

This has become a bloody soap opera. What a joke. So Flock is going to import the NN settings and all will be well with the world? Wow! And support will be offered for another whole 30 days? I mean, can it possibly get any better than that? Hey, maybe February 27th we'll hear that support will be extended until March 12th! What did Alice say in "Through the Looking Glass?" Oh yes... curiouser and curiouser!

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[Fulvio]

James,
it is not such a soap opera. As you well know, there are people who still use Netscape 7.2, as if it is the only thing around, after nearly four years. And, Firefox (and Flock) allow importing of its settings. Why not have the same thing with Navigator 9.
I know that there are people, with Navigator, still, looking for their Mail. Any assistance will help the diehard/clueless.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[James]

I understand that, Fulvio. And I respect the fact that these few people who still persist in using NS 7.2 (and older) and NN will be able to import their settings to something else. I suppose what irritates me is the ongoing nature of it all.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[Fulvio]

As far as I am concerned this thread should not be a discussion, but rather of technical use.
I had to update Flock to the latest 1.0.8, although 1.0.6 and 1.0.7 will support the import option. Most important, and this is where people miss the point. Navigator 9 ( and I suppose also NS7.x) must be installed for the import option to exist. The profile will be useful, for manual import, but not for automatic import.
And, then, the program will miss some important points. In my case when I reinstalled Navigator 9, and imported the NS7.2 profile, it refused to open any of the three Tabs, listed a Home Group. Error 404 for all of them, even selecting to Reload. After reentering the same site, and using it as Home Page/Group, it worked. I noticed that Navigator 9 imported home group had neglected to place a | to divide the sites, making a total mess.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[MJR]

Hating or loving any software is idiotic, Fulvio. It's software, not a way of life.

Software is a way of life. Software determines how you experience the richness of technology. For many, it's the browser which defines the "web experience" and it's the Mozilla-based browsers that are consistently improving that user experience. It is clear. Those who have chosen Mozilla-based browsers did so because they deemed the software as trustworthy and has provided them everyday with a more enjoyable experience than Internet Explorer. No doubt, Mozilla gave them a choice and they have chosen that way of life.

But Netscape and what became of Netscape is a bit of a mess. Some want stand-alones. Some refuse to leave the suite. Netscape appears to have subdivided so many times that who can blame anyone for thinking that Navigator contained an e-mail client?

Isn't that a good thing? It only shows that Netscape, with all its permutations, has proven to be essential to a lot of people in fulfilling their needs and who are we to dictate what their needs should be?

Even to this day we have folks saying they hate Firefox but love Navigator. Firefox won't work for them but Navigator will. Huh? Some whine because they don't like how tabs work with Firefox as opposed to Navigator or to SeaMonkey. Geeze! Is it really all that earth-shattering?

If Firefox doesn't work for them, why should they use it? If they whine, then any issue will be brought to light, which is a good thing. These are normal events. It's really nothing to fret about.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11pre) Gecko/20071206 Firefox/2.0.0.11 Navigator/9.0.0.5

[James]

Software, my dear man, is NOT a way of life. My life is far greater than the software on my computer (as important as it is). I had a life before computers and I'll have one should I decide to ditch them. Many good folks who come into my store do not have computers, do not want computers and yet have perfectly good lives. If someone wants to use Netscape Navigator knowing it will no longer be updated, then fine... go for it. Yes, it will work. Do I want it? No, I don't. I want something that is being constantly updated as quickly as possible when security breeches are discovered. That's just me. I'm entitled to that opinion. I find it rather odd that one of the criticisms leveled at Microsoft was that it did NOT update the security problems on a timely fashion. Now that Navigator will not be doing this... it's suddenly no biggie. Uh... that to me is speaking out of both sides of one's mouth.

Y'all have a good one. And uh.. why not let old threads lie in peace?

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11

[Edward]

BBC News has posted an article on their web site today, titled Final Goodbye for Early Web Icon.

Some on the Netscape Blog (according to the article) believe the browser will be back.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i586; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13pre) Gecko/20080229 SeaMonkey/1.1.9pre

[Fulvio]

My final contribution to this undeservedly long thread follows.
AOl stopped supporting Netscape7.x, getting rid of its staff. Was there any announcement? I think not. That was four years ago, or so. Many people have continued using NS7.2, and had no clue of what has been going going. Then, AOL, decided to pursue a standalone browser, but, not in-house. Out of it came out the Netscape Browser|Netscape8. And, more cluelessness. Then, for a year or more, AOL decided to have a small Netscape group, and, out of it Navigator9 ensued. AOL got tired again, and goodbye Netscape.
But, this time there was not as much urgency, and there were announcements, and, all in sudden the NS7.2 realize that they may have a non-working program. More cluelessness.
And, the Netscape group introduced an add-on in Navigator9.0.6 for a smooth transition to Firefox or Flock. Would one think that it would work? Not for many people.
I suppose that the Netscape name has some magic, but if it is a big deal, one can rename the shortcut, and, and even use the internal icons. So, what's the big deal?
I am still using Navigator9.0.0.6, I guess, because I like to get irritated, no more no less.
I could tell you why, but I have better things to do.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.12) Gecko/20080219 Firefox/2.0.0.12 Navigator/9.0.0.6

[James]

Frankly, I find comments like the following, clueless: "I'm sad. Flock still needs improvement and I am not happy with Firefox's interface. I'm [an] orphan!" read one post on the Netscape blog.

Others who posted comments on the blog predicted the browser will make a return."

Netscape is NOT going to return. And even if it had a snowball's chance in Hell of returning, so what? Such a miniscule portion of users even bother with Netscape anymore that it is relatively irrelevant.

And someone saying that he/she does not like the interface of Firefox demonstrates how ignorant such person is, given the fact that you can skin the danged thing so that it resembles Netscape and more or less behaves like it as well. Granted it may not have some of the AOL crap and the social crap and some of the tweaks that Jay and company trumpet as being sooo wonderful (funny thing is... very, very few others find them thusly) BUT Firefox is the new Netscape to all intents and purposes. Flock? Who needs it? If you must try something different then by all means, go the Opera route. It provides all the bells and whistles (and then some) in a very different package.

The history of Netscape following Communicator is a sad soap opera. The sooner it is pushing up daisies... and remembered fondly for its glory years... the better.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.12) Gecko/20080201 Firefox/2.0.0.12

[k27102]

Hi. I've read a lot of the posts on this subject, a lot of them talking down on Netscape. Here are my thoughts:

Many years ago I started using Netscape 6.x with W-95. I progressed to the Windows NT series using Netscape 7.2 Standalone. I am still using it as my default browser and love the way it works and feels. Yes, there are a few bugs in it that make me have to view some sites on IE but that is not very often.

When you consider that for more than 8 years I have been online for hours every day and that I use the Netscape browsers 95% of the time, that shows Netscape works.

Although Firefox may function better, I do not like it because of the way it appears and works onscreen. Who in the .... ever decided that it was better to use pictures instead of words as buttons in the toolbars was crazy. All that does is slow down the speed that a person recognizes what the button is for. An example is the Home button. When you read the word Home you know immediately what it is but when you see a picture, you have to convert the picture into the word (in your mind) and sometimes even decide if it is a home or building or drawing, ect..

Well, those are my thoughts. Antony I hope that you and the SillyDog site will stay around for a long time. It has been a tremendous help many times.

Till later, Steve

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.7.2) Gecko/20040804 Netscape/7.2 (ax)

[iJohnE]

Hi. I've read a lot of the posts on this subject, a lot of them talking down on Netscape. Here are my thoughts:

Many years ago I started using Netscape 6.x with W-95. I progressed to the Windows NT series using Netscape 7.2 Standalone. I am still using it as my default browser and love the way it works and feels. Yes, there are a few bugs in it that make me have to view some sites on IE but that is not very often.

When you consider that for more than 8 years I have been online for hours every day and that I use the Netscape browsers 95% of the time, that shows Netscape works.

Although Firefox may function better, I do not like it because of the way it appears and works onscreen. Who in the .... ever decided that it was better to use pictures instead of words as buttons in the toolbars was crazy. All that does is slow down the speed that a person recognizes what the button is for. An example is the Home button. When you read the word Home you know immediately what it is but when you see a picture, you have to convert the picture into the word (in your mind) and sometimes even decide if it is a home or building or drawing, ect..

Well, those are my thoughts. Antony I hope that you and the SillyDog site will stay around for a long time. It has been a tremendous help many times.

Till later, Steve

I too, from time to time Still use NS7.2. But, for my default I have been using SeaMonkey. If it ever comes to a point where you need to ditch NS, SeaMonkey has the home button like you said a so forth, but unlike Netscape, it is still being updated.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13) Gecko/20080313 SeaMonkey/1.1.9

[James]

Although Firefox may function better, I do not like it because of the way it appears and works onscreen. Who in the .... ever decided that it was better to use pictures instead of words as buttons in the toolbars was crazy. All that does is slow down the speed that a person recognizes what the button is for. An example is the Home button. When you read the word Home you know immediately what it is but when you see a picture, you have to convert the picture into the word (in your mind) and sometimes even decide if it is a home or building or drawing, ect..

Like so many of the other complaints leveled at FF, this one also makes little sense. All you need to do is right click on the tool bar, click customize and then click on the down arrow and select TEXT ONLY. Voila... your beloved text minus the pictures that appear to confuse you.

Firefox does everything better. Sure you can continue using NS. And as time passes (as it surely will) you will discover fewer and fewer sites that your browser will render properly. Then what? Common sense indicates that you either jump over to SeaMonkey as John has suggested or bite the bullet and go the FF route. Hanging on to NS, particularly a version that is so terribly outdated, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.9) Gecko/2008051206 Firefox/3.0

[iJohnE]

Although Firefox may function better, I do not like it because of the way it appears and works onscreen. Who in the .... ever decided that it was better to use pictures instead of words as buttons in the toolbars was crazy. All that does is slow down the speed that a person recognizes what the button is for. An example is the Home button. When you read the word Home you know immediately what it is but when you see a picture, you have to convert the picture into the word (in your mind) and sometimes even decide if it is a home or building or drawing, ect..

Like so many of the other complaints leveled at FF, this one also makes little sense. All you need to do is right click on the tool bar, click customize and then click on the down arrow and select TEXT ONLY. Voila... your beloved text minus the pictures that appear to confuse you.

Firefox does everything better. Sure you can continue using NS. And as time passes (as it surely will) you will discover fewer and fewer sites that your browser will render properly. Then what? Common sense indicates that you either jump over to SeaMonkey as John has suggested or bite the bullet and go the FF route. Hanging on to NS, particularly a version that is so terribly outdated, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

James has a point. As I tried to say, NS will eventually become so outdated, all you'll be able to do is open HTML files in it, if even that.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.13) Gecko/20080313 SeaMonkey/1.1.9

[Fulvio]

All you need to do is right click on the tool bar, click customize and then click on the down arrow and select TEXT ONLY.

Also, one can gt options selecting View|Toolbars|Customize. Probably the same results as mentioned by James. But, see the mess caused in Flock, a Firefox relative. Flock has part of the Personal Toolbar folder with 10 icons. Selecting Text only, the entire section of the toolbar disappears. However mouseover of the blank area displays the contents as Text, but only 6 of 13 additional folders.
Mouseover is not so difficult. Why mess up something which works so simply? But it is different, so unacceptable, by some.

UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.1.14) Gecko/20080514 Firefox/2.0.0.14 Flock/1.1.4