Web Standards
Everyone who surfs the internet knows that they open a browser and type the address of the site they want to visit. What you don't see is what is going on behind the scenes. The web has similarities to the human race. We are all basically the same, but each of us has differences and many of us speak different languages. The web appears to display pages in your browser and let you view videos or listen to music, however behind the scenes the web is based on many different languages.
You don't need to know the details, but some acronyms you should be aware of are html, css, javascript, php, asp, and perl. These are languages that computer browsers speak. Your browser "hears" these languages and translates them into something you can understand. The problem is these languages are based on standards, which are set by an organization called the World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C. The W3C determines what your browser "should" hear, and what it should do when it "hears" it.
Most users are familiar with, and use, Internet Explorer because it came pre-installed on their computer. Those who are using MSN, AOL, Maxthon, and several other browsers are actually using Internet Explorer with a different user interface. Presently Internet Explorer accounts for approximately 80% of the browsers in use.
Of the top three browsers; Internet Explorer, Firefox 3, and Opera, Internet Explorer has the worst track record of following the W3C standards. Microsoft has always tried to keep things proprietary, and this continues with Internet Explorer. What does this mean to you? The page you see is not necessarily what the designer wanted. If it is then they have went to great effort tweaking and tricking Internet Explorer into displaying what it should by default.
ActiveX Controls
Many years ago Microsoft came up with an idea of allowing programs, called ActiveX controls, to run within Internet Explorer. ActiveX controls are not part of any standard and can only be used in Internet Explorer. Microsoft believed that this would allow web designers to create better sites with more features. They were somewhat correct, but they didn't account for people who would write ActiveX controls for purposes of infecting your computer, stealing passwords, or showing popup ads without your consent.
Customization
When you surf the web with Internet Explorer you are stuck with what they give you. You can't change the look of the program, or how pages are displayed. You can change some basic things like which icons appear in the toolbar, but beyond that you don't have many options.
Firefox 3 allows you to customize every aspect of the browser with themes and extensions. Themes change the appearance of Firefox and extensions add useful features. There are thousands of themes and extensions, allowing you to customize your browsing experience to your own personal preferences.
A large target
Since Microsoft's Internet Explorer has such a large market share, and it is so tightly integrated into the Windows operating system it has become a target for malicious software. We've all fell victim to a screen of popup windows containing advertisements for everything from grass seed to things you don't want your children to see. Every program has security holes. Programs are written by humans and we all know that we make mistakes, but Internet Explorer has more than it's fair share. Microsoft is also not known for always being up front about security holes or releasing patches as quickly as they should. If you are using Internet Explorer, AOL, MSN, or one of the other variants you are walking around with a large target on your back that says "Infect me!".
Enter FireFox
FireFox was first released in November of 2004. It has been downloaded over 200 million times as of today. Firefox is based on a concept called Open Source. This means the program is written and maintained by hundreds of ordinary individuals, not by a company with an agenda, and the code that makes up the program is "open" to the public. This allows thousands of people from all over the world to add, change, and review the code. This results in a program that is more secure and more compliant with the W3C standards. The people who are responsible for Firefox are very concerned about security and patch security holes very quickly.
Extensions
Firefox 3 has addins for increased functionality called extensions. The difference is these extensions must be checked and approved as spyware free and safe before they are allowed to be posted for download. Microsoft has no way of doing this with ActiveX, and that creates a problem for them. Extensions are available to spell check, customize menus, alter what parts of your favorite pages display, backup your bookmarks, show the weather in the corner of the browser, and many more. There are actually thousands of approved extensions which allow Firefox to do almost anything. You can explore my favorites here.
No more pop ups
Firefox 3 has a built in pop-up blocker. You don't have to buy, download, or install anything extra. Firefox also uses tabs, which allow the program to open multiple web pages with only one instance of Firefox running. Each page opens in a tab. To change pages you click on the tab for that page. This is cool and saves you time. Firefox can also have more than one home page. Let's say that you have 4 website's that you always have open. Your email, company website, a favorite internet discussion site, and Google. You can have Firefox open these 4 (or more) pages every time you start Firefox. Firefox also comes with an integrated search box for Google, Amazon, Ebay, and Wikipedia.
What about IE7?
Microsoft is currently including IE7 (version 7) of Internet Explorer with Windows XP and Vista. I've had access to IE7 for a few years and I see some improvement, but not enough. With IE7 Microsoft has finally added tabs, but there is no way to control where they display on the screen or what order they appear. IE7 has increased standards compliance over IE6 (version 6), but still not enough. IE7 has redesigned the interface. I HATE IT! It's truly a poor design. The back and forward buttons are in the upper left corner, which means they are farther away from the scroll bar and areas you would generally use your mouse. The stop and reload buttons are in the upper right corner, far away from the other navigation buttons. What I've found is I spend a lot more time moving the mouse from one side of the screen to the other, when I should be reading a web page. There is no way to change this or customize the display to eliminate this!
My plea to you
If you aren't using Firefox you are not enjoying the web to it's full potential. It's like buying and ice cream cone and only being allowed to eat the cone. Try Firefox 3 for a week. Look at some of the extensions available. Try them out. Look at the themes. Try them out. You will be more secure. You will have less spyware. You will see what the web designer intended you to see. You will thank me!