Firefox Upgrade changes appearance

I just updated Firefox on a computer because the popup was nagging me. That all goes swiftly enough, but updating a Windows computer is practically a full time job. Nag popup after nag popup. That kettle of fish is one of the reasons (there are many) that I don’t use Windows unless I absolutely must. In this case, I wanted to put on a webinar in the background while I worked on something else. For the most part, webinars run on Citrix & IE, which demands Windows and precludes Ubuntu.

So, I responded to the nag screen. Firefox went through the upgrade and restarted. When it did, the menu bar looked like the Windows Vista & 8 Aero theme.

That simply would not do for me. I appreciate eye candy, but I find the visual distraction of Aero is an impediment to productivity. It is harder to get things done when you have to hunt all over for relocated controls, and what you need is hiding amid a semi-transparent mess.

So, the aeration of Firefox simply would not do for me. Right clicking on the menu area and choosing customize brought no joy. Options under the tools menu didn’t relieve my eye strain either. I did find the setting for the new feature that had already derailed my intended task.

To set the look of the menu bar back to normal after Firefox upgrades to 12.0, click on tools in the menu bar and choose add-ons. A new browser tab will open, and on the left you’ll see a section labelled Appearance. Firefox has installed several new themes for your enjoyment. Clicking on the ‘enable’ button will let you instantly preview what each looks like. Choose default if you are like me and have no desire for the nonsense.

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    1. Yes. I spent 20 years working as an optician. I remember in one county they passed a law requiring employers to supply computer glasses to employees working more than a minimum number of hours on a computer. I think it was 20 hours per week. These were the days of monochrome amber and green screens. It was called the VDT (for video display terminal) law. Opticians would then sell patients plastic lenses with UV absorbing filters and a slight tint that was a complimentary color to the screen text. Rose lenses for green screens, for example. There was usually a slight plus prescription to the lens as well. Not as much plus dioptric power as a reading glass for a presbiope.
      I don’t know if they ever repealled that law, or it it was just forgotten.
      I know that opticians currently recommend (push) anti-reflective coatings. I don’t use AR coatings on most of my eyeglasses. I find the coatings attract dirt and smudges that annoy me. Opticians will tell you that they don’t attract it any more than regular lenses, but they don’t have any proof that it doesn’t.
      I do have several pairs of glasses specifically for computer use. Most times I’m just wearing my progressive lenses, but I do have pairs that are intermediate distance focus, and I have one pair of progressives that are intermediate on top and reading distance on bottom. I wear that pair when I’m paying bills. I can see the screen with the top, and read the invoices with the reading area.
      For many, drug store readers that are weaker than the full Rx will work well for computer glasses. Strength will depend upon distance to the screen. Try a 1.00 drop from full reading Rx (ex. +1.25 instead of +2.25).

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