Web Browser

Have you ever noticed that sometimes websites don’t behave in an ideal way, don’t look the way you want them to, or maybe there are a few features you would like to see added?

What if I told you that there is a way to manipulate those websites to look and work the way you want them to? If you use the Firefox web browser, you can use the Greasemonkey Firefox extension to customize the way a website displays using bits of javascript. Internet Explorer fans can use the IE7 Pro Compatibility Add-on to use some Greasemonkey scripts, and Safari users have Greasekit (formerly known as Creammonkey).

In the past, I have already done a post highlighting some of the best Greasemonkey scripts available, however I have decided to take it to another level and much larger compilation post. Once again, I’ve chosen to display the scripts broken down into categories for easy reference.

Amazon Greasemonkey Scripts

• A9.com Googlizer - Make a9.com more readable, somewhat like Google.
• Amazon Ad Blocker - Blocks Amazon sponsored links.
• Amazon Dynamic Local Currency - Show prices in you local currency.
• Amazon Music Helper - Creates a direct link to the download from free music downloads.
• Amazon Super Saver Snooper - Enhance Amazon search by showing which items are eligible for Super Saver Shipping / Amazon Prime.
• Book Burro - Compare book prices from various book stores.
• RIAA Radar - Attach RIAA_Radar directly to Amazon’s pages.
• The Movie Dude - Cross-links movie sites so you don’t have to.

Blogger Greasemonkey Scripts

• Add Comment Edit Link in Blogger - Adds an edit link beside the trash can icon in Blogger comments. This link will only be visible to the blog owner when the owner views the comments.
• Blogger Comment Moderation - Check off comments to delete, then blast them all at the same time. Use with Checkrange for extra fun.
• Blogger Keep Current Time on Post - Blogger keep current time on post.
• Blogger Large Template Editor - Hides the navbar setting and doubles the template editor’s height.
• Sitemap Generator for Blogger - Generates a Sitemap for Blogger.
• Technorati and Del.icio.us Tags for Blogger - Changes the Edit Post Blogger form to include a tags field.

Bloglines Greasemonkey Scripts

• Bloglines + Gmail - Displays a box in Gmail with your Bloglines feeds.
• Bloglines Hide Archived Items - Hides your archived items, and adds a separate link to show them.
• Bloglines Just Show Titles - Removes the body of the post, leaving just the titles for easier browsing.
• Bloglines Moreover Ad Remover - Removes ads from your feeds.
• Bloglines Open Links in a New Tab - Forces all entry/post links on Bloglines open in a new tab.
• Bloglines ‘Post to Del.icio.us’ - Adds “Post to Del.icio.us” link under each item in Bloglines.
• Bloglines Sidebar Tweaker - Squeezes the feeds in the Bloglines side panel so that as many as possible are visible at once. Removes the tabs at the top of the side panel. Moves the Add/Edit/Options links and Extras into a drop-down at the bottom of the feed tree.
• Bloglines Subscribe - Adds links to subscribe to site feeds via Bloglines.
• Bloglines Tweaks - Integrates Bloglines with del.icio.us, adds “Expand” links that convert snippet feeds into full content ones, and makes the “Extras” section toggleable (with more to come).

As more things begin to move online, it has become more important to have a centralized homepage of sorts to access all your information from one spot.  There are a variety of great options out there today, but so far I’ve found that iGoogle, Google’s homepage, has done the best job of filling my needs in this area.  

With that said, there is always room improvement with any product, and Greasemonkey has stepped in to fill that void with a variety of great scripts to change the behavior of iGoogle.   In order to use these, you will first need the Greasemonkey extension and the Firefox web browser installed on your computer.  

iGoogle Greasemonkey Scripts

• BeautyBlue - Nice blue theme for your iGoogle page.
• Google IG Max - Maximizes the removal of extra space to save room. Removes headers, footers, along with reducing the size of many elements on this page.
• More Rounded Corners - Allows you to round the corners of your modules.
• Remove Extra Space - Removes all the extra space on your iGoogle homepage.
• Remove the Header - Allows you to remove all module headers. You can also remove the footer with this script.
• Remove the Plus - Removes the + symbol next to each link within the modules.
• Replacing the Google Logo - Allows you to put any image where the iGoogle logo is (requires some hard coding).
• Resizeable Columns - Allows you to resize your homepage’s columns to look how you want.
• Transparencies - Makes the header image transparent to improve the look of your homepage.

Know of any good ones I’ve missed?  Let me know in the comments below!

There are all sorts of great uses for the Greasemonkey extension, but one of my all time favorites is using it to prevent advertisements.  The first thing most people think of when they think of advertisements is Google AdSense, and there are a large number of scripts available that can influence the behavior of Google AdSense.  

I’ve gone ahead and compiled a list of the better Google AdSense Greasemonkey scripts that I could find.  In order to use these, you will need to have the Greasemonkey extension installed in your Firefox web browser.  

Google AdSense Greasemonkey Scripts

• Google AdSense Auto-Login - Automatically logs you into your Google AdSense account.
• Google AdSense EPC/CPC - Shows the Earnings Per Click (EPC) you’re getting in your Google Adsense reports. Also known as Cost Per Click (CPC).
• Google AdSense Removal - Removes Google AdSense advertisements and sponsored links from web pages you visit, as well as removing the advertisements from Gmail.  Also gives you the options to allow advertisements on designated pages.
• Google Search AdSense Removal - Removes AdSense advertisements from Google’s search results.
• Prevent Accidental Clicks - Makes it so you can’t accidentally click on your own advertisements on your website.   Requires you to enter your AdSense Indentification Number.
• Replace Google/Yahoo Ads - Replaces Google AdSense and Yahoo! advertisements with a box that says “Advertisement removed.”  This way you can see who is using ads, but not have to view them.

Missed any good ones?  Let me know in the comments below!