UW-RF IT Services Tips

Internet browsing, fourth in a four part series on browsers that will prepare you for rich user experiences on the Internet.

Earlier this month we discovered that there are many browsers and discussed the most commonly used browsers on campus. We also learned about tabbed browsing and working with your favorite bookmarks. Now let's learn about customizing the look and feel of the browser you use.

Everyone has their preferences and rightly so. Some folks are more graphical, others are more textual, and work with interfaces differently. With any browser you can customize the look and feel. There are standard icons, commands and menus that may appear, but you can do much more.

If you are using a windows browser such as IE 7 or Firefox, you can "right click" anywhere in the gray area of your top navigation area and select from different tools and menus available. Some options will let you select and even choose the placement of the icon on your navigation bar. If you are using Firefox or Safari on a Mac, you may customize your browser by choosing the "view" menu and then selecting from the available toolbars listed.

Firefox even lets you color your tabs! So go ahead, try to customize your browser so it's set for you to work comfortably. Be cautious about adding on third party tools and toolbars though, as we previously discussed, this may have an adverse effect on performance and also may prohibit access to sites.

For more information see our website on IE 7: http://its.uwrf.edu/support/ie/quick.php

Or even try a google search on customizing your browser. You may even find some cool tips!

Dan Semi
IT Services