Some of the SoL pages have this weird little icon like an open book on the far right of the URL window, right beside the Refresh Icon. It's annoying because it's so easy to accidentally click on by mistake, and then the screen is totally different. Is there a way to remove or disable this. It doesn't show on all pages, but is on every Forum page and a few others, and I don't see it on any other site's web pages.
I suspect it is your reader.
On IE I have three icons in that position - a magnifying glass which shows the history of the screen I am on, a little "downwards" arrowhead which seems to cover all pages recently accessed and lastly the refresh arrow. In a separate field I have three icons - home page, favourites and history, and a menu of tools.
None look like a miniature book.
On Firefox I have the same downwards arrow head with the same result. Well to the right there are six icons with explanatory text. The second one (a bit like a book) shows a list of bookmarks
Sorry I can't help. Have you tried clicking the icon and seeing what it can do?
I use firefox, version 51.0.1 (32-bit)
When my mouse hovers over the icon right beside the "Refresh Icon" the tool tip says "Enter Reader View". Clicking on the icon will put the view in "Reader View" or back to "regular" webpage appearance.
While in "Reader View" the page appears to be similar to a generic document page. On the extreme LEFT side there are 4 icons that will control various actions.
edited to add "right beside the Refresh Icon"
I also use Firefox 51.0.1 (32-bit). I get that open book (Enter/leave reader view) icon for every web page.
I also use Firefox 51.0.1 (32-bit). I get that open book (Enter/leave reader view) icon for every web page.
I have Firefox 52.0 32 bit - no reader view
I have Firefox 52.0 32 bit - no reader view
Mine just updated to 52.0 this morning. I am still seeing the reader view icon.
sejintenej
I have Firefox 52.0 32 bit - no reader view
Mine just updated to 52.0 this morning. I am still seeing the reader view icon.
Presumably because I never turned it on. This was originally a French language version but has changed to English.
I do have a new icon in the place you refer to; the (resettable) zoom level currently at 90%
I do have a new icon in the place you refer to; the (resettable) zoom level currently at 90%
Not sure what the full default layout is with the bar, but I customized mine a long time ago. The situation is there are a number of icons you can have on the Toolbar, and they can sit on either side of the URL address window. The Search window is usually to the right of the URL window, but I never use it so it goes. For years I've had the zoom level icon on the far left of the bar with most of the common use icons between that and the URL window, then the Preferences icon with a co0uple more between the URL window and the three bar Open Menu icon on the far right. Now there's a nice gap between the Refresh icon on the right hand end of the URL window and the Preferences Icon, so if I miss the Refresh icon by a little bit there's nothing there to activate. Also, the right hand end of the URL window is empty and nothing there to activate, and if the URL is long enough to fill it, it still won't activate if I click on the end of the URL Thus there was a nice 'safe' zone around the refresh icon - which is good due to how small it is on the 4K screen set at 3840 x 2160, so any slight jittering of the mouse didn't cause any trouble.
However, the icon for the new feature of the Firefox Reader View is in the right hand edge of the URL window (until I killed it) snugged right up against the Refresh icon, so if you slid off one you went straight into the other.
Why they didn't have it as another icon you can add or remove via the customization process is beyond me, because that's the most logical way to do it. But they didn't. I checked the FF customization and preferences and add-ons before I started this thread. Since there was no visible way to turn it off in FF, and of the eight websites I had open with windows the two SoL windows were the only ones showing it, I thought it had to be a Sol related thing similar to the one that allows you to adjust the screen setting for the story pages because they both appeared on the same pages most of the time.
Well, I've found where to turn it off, but it wasn't easy. And then it was only after someone could confirm it was a FF issue and not a SoL one.
Correction - about:config find reader.passononloadenabled toggle to false to disable.
Presumably because I never turned it on. This was originally a French language version but has changed to English.
Eventually, foreign language browsers seem to learn (and adapt to) whichever language you use the most. (That's included under the 'too clever by half' feature.)
Mine just updated to 52.0 this morning. I am still seeing the reader view icon.
I've monkeyed around with mine so much (a newer version of Waterfox, a 64-bit version of Firefox), that I don't know how the original looks anymore. My only book symbol is an ePub reader add-on, though I remember it from my past.
It appears it's likely the Reader Viewer thing, but there is no add-on or extension for it, and I can't find any control for it anywhere within Firefox, or anywhere else.
https://support.mozilla.org/t5/Basic-Browsing/Firefox-Reader-View-for-clutter-free-web-pages/ta-p/38466
It's a base feature of Firefox, not an add on. Here is the help page for it.
Damn, when did they start hiring Microsoft employees to shove in system downgrades while they pretend it's a feature, but don't give you a way to turn it off?
Damn, when did they start hiring Microsoft employees to shove in system downgrades while they pretend it's a feature, but don't give you a way to turn it off?
It can be a valuable feature for people with poor eyesight.
I find it incomprehensible that you are so annoyed by a simple icon that you consider the feature a downgrade.
Just ignore it. It's not like it takes up that much space.
I find it incomprehensible that you are so annoyed by a simple icon that you consider the feature a downgrade.
The icon is right beside the refresh icon, both are very small on the 28 inch 4K screen. Any slight movement of the mouse while clicking to refresh and instead of refresh I get the damned viewer opening up, then have to screw around closing it before I can go on with what I want to do.
I have Firefox v52 64 bit and the reader view doesn't show on every web pages, just some. The only place I've noticed was on SoL pages, maybe there's nothing to trigger it on the other web sites I visit.
Anything that is not easy to disable is a downgrade and not a feature. A software features is an enhancement that the user can easily turn on or off as they wish - - well, that's what I was taught when I did a software design course about 20 years ago.
edit to add: I recently updated Firefox so it may have only just been added for me. I visit a lot of web sites where I frequently refresh the page, so having the refresh icon easy to use is more important to me.
I visit a lot of web sites where I frequently refresh the page, so having the refresh icon easy to use is more important to me.
Personally I find it easier to just hit the F5 key to refresh the page.
Personally I find it easier to just hit the F5 key to refresh the page.
mouse is already under my hand and close to there, easier than reaching forward to hit the keyboard. especially if the keyboard is in its stored position.
mouse is already under my hand and close to there, easier than reaching forward to hit the keyboard. especially if the keyboard is in its stored position.
I can understand that. I started using a computer back in the pre-DOS and pre-GUI days and tend to use a lot of keyboard shortcuts - well, a few anyway - rather than use the mouse. (ctrl+# to jump to specific tab, Alt+ L or R arrow to page back or forward, page up and down rather than scrollbar or wheel, Alt+Tab to switch windows, and of course F5 to refresh the window) It's always fun when someone sees me maneuvering around without using the mouse.
I can understand that. I started using a computer back in the pre-DOS and pre-GUI days
I was using a DOS based computer for many years before Windows arrived on the scene. Heck I still have my cheat sheet for keyboard commands for MS Word from when I sued in on a DOS system. However, much of the time now I lean back in my chair with my arm on the extended rest with the mouse on it, and use that to browse the net. The keyboard is usually another two feet or so away tucked under the nearest monitor so I have room on the desk for doing things. Reading and similar activities need the mouse and not the keyboard, thus the mouse is always in use but the keyboard is only used about 20% of the time now.
mouse is already under my hand and close to there, easier than reaching forward to hit the keyboard. especially if the keyboard is in its stored position.
Try:
Right click on tab
click 'Reload tab' on the pop-up menu
-this gives a much larger target area so should be easier to hit accurately, and is just mouse manipulation so easier than going for the keyboard
Or, with that big a monitor, you could have an on-screen keyboard tucked away in a corner and hit the keys on that.
Or, with that big a monitor, you could have an on-screen keyboard tucked away in a corner and hit the keys on that.
Having found how to disable the crap I don't want, it's easier to just left click on the Refresh icon now the Reader View things is disabled.
A software features is an enhancement that the user can easily turn on or off as they wish
So a user ought to be able to turn of the undo feature in a word processor? Or copy/paste?
A feature is a function in a piece of software that does something useful. Nothing more, nothing less.
I did some searches on the reader view feature. No one else out there is complaining about it, in fact it seems to be very popular.
https://qsurvey.mozilla.com/s3/FirefoxInput/
Tell Mozilla you want an easier way to turn it off.
A feature is a function in a piece of software that does something useful. Nothing more, nothing less.
Software has two major function groups. One is known as Functions and does what the software is intended to do as its baseline activity. While a Feature is an extra function to provide enhanced capabilities that are not needed to perform the basic functions of the software.
Opening a web page is a basic function, having extra software to strip part of the web page code out to simplify it's display is a feature and not required to perform the basic function. Even the FF coders know this and call it a feature and not a function. Features should such the user can decide to use them or not.
The people who want the feature will be vocal, while most who don't care will ignore it. But regardless of how popular it is or isn't, the user should be able to easily disable it, not have to dig down into the configuration depths to do so.
One is known as Functions and does what the software is intended to do as its baseline activity. While a Feature is an extra function to provide enhanced capabilities that are not needed to perform the basic functions of the software.
So, undo and copy/past are not essential functions of a word processor, but try and find one where you can remove them from the GUI.
Even the FF coders know this and call it a feature and not a function. Features should such the user can decide to use them or not.
The fact that shows up on the GUI does nothing to force you to use it or prevent you from deciding not to use it.
I fundamentally disagree that being able to easily remove it from the GUI is an essential aspect of a software feature or upgrade.
But regardless of how popular it is or isn't, the user should be able to easily disable it, not have to dig down into the configuration depths to do so.
Take that up with Mozilla.
So, undo and copy/past are not essential functions of a word processor,
Most people would see those as basic functions of a word processor, and what makes it different from a typewriter.
When a feature is located where it can't be accidentally activated it's mostly ignored, but when it's butted up right beside another small icon where there didn't used to be anything at all, it can cause trouble - and does in this case. What was open territory now has a tenement in it.
Well, the trainers of software designers in the 1990s and 2000s were all saying an essential aspect of a feature in software was the ability for the user to disable it. So I'll agree with people who made their living out of designing software. Sadly, way too many people take coding shortcuts today when they make software changes.
I did mention the issue to Mozilla, hopefully they'll take it on-board.
I find it incomprehensible that you are so annoyed by a simple icon that you consider the feature a downgrade.
It's a "downgrade" because it offers less functionality, not because it's annoying (though it IS).
It's a "downgrade" because it offers less functionality, not because it's annoying
My mother used to say "a beautiful flower that grows where you don't want it is a weed."
My mother used to say "a beautiful flower that grows where you don't want it is a weed."
And like weeds, sophisticated features which aren't useful get yanked or deleted (Win 10 included)!
Took a lot of searching and trial and error, but I found where you can adjust the dang thing, and even turn it off.
in the about:config file - - don't play there unless you have an idea of how to reverse what you do.
setting browser.reader.detectedFirstArticle right click and use the toggle option to change the setting to true appears to disable it.
further down the file is a whole bunch of setting that start with reader. which affect the settings of the reader view. There are three colour schemes, you can adjust the width of the text being displayed, the line height, font type, and font size, as well as a few other options.