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Social browsing with Mozilla Labs F1 -- how RockMelt should've been
The F1 button, which works in Firefox 3.6 and 4.0, sits in the top right corner of your browser, next to the search bar. The first time you use it, you need to authorize any (or all) of the three services. After that, you simply hit the F1 button, select a sharing service, and hit share. In case you were wondering, hitting F1 on the keyboard doesn't work -- that still brings up the Firefox help pages, alas. There's a video of it in action after the break.
It's painfully simple and stunningly effective. Sharing services like AddToAny and ShareThis have been deprecated by a 35 kilobyte Firefox add-on. F1 is faster, more convenient and unfailingly secure -- and this is just the beginning! While it only supports Facebook, Twitter and Gmail for now, Mozilla Labs talks about an API that will allow social sites to hook into Firefox; in theory, F1 could support any and all sharing services, all from within the browser.
This is the beginning of the end for the 'Share' block that hunkers like a hairy, unkempt baboon beneath each and every blog post on the Web. It really makes you wonder what exactly RockMelt spent 10 million dollars and two years of development on. F1 was probably developed in less than a week by a couple of Mozilla Labs code foxes.
Comments
20
Subscribe to commentsdmitr77Nov 10th 2010 6:16PM
lets bloat more intuitive!
wow! I miss gui integrated add ons (I hate those little chrome bubbles)
iJeffNov 10th 2010 6:48PM
What I fail to get is how RockMelt should have been like this? The interface on RockMelt feels a lot more intuitive, instant, and integrated into the web browser experience. I wasn't a fan of Flock, but RM seems to work well at what it's supposed to do. While the left bar only supports Facebook chat, it's a superb chat client, for a web browser. The RSS reader on the right side is almost perfect and the Facebook search integration is interesting.
coolaaron88Nov 10th 2010 6:37PM
Im sorry but as an active chrome user and current rockmelt user, that doesnt look good, looks like a bunch of toolbars crammed together. I think that should either be integrated into browser or be a pop over that can be activated.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 10th 2010 6:39PM
Oh, I agree -- it's not beautiful by any means. I don't think anyone will claim that RockMelt's UI is anything short of lovely.
But... RockMelt should've just been a couple of extensions that you could install in Chrome :(
JeffreyNov 10th 2010 8:31PM
People keep saying that RockMelt should be a bunch of extensions. But the truth is in Chrome unlike Firefox there is a difference between the UI and extensions. Chrome's UI is not script-based so there would be a noticeable difference in responsiveness.
Also, I doubt all of those features could be implemented as Chrome extensions. Finally, extensions are purely for power-users. Sure if they are targeting power-users then extensions would be the way to go but I don't think they are.
Also, creating a full product that's made for a specific purpose is way better than hedging your bets on a bunch of extensions.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 11th 2010 6:45AM
Thanks for the input, Jeffrey.
I'm sure you're right, and I'm sure there are significant performance gains from having the UI buried away in compiled DLL files.
I just question whether it _has_ to be hidden away. A modern computer should still be able to handle a few simple sidebars... even if they're written in JavaScript...
Crome TysnomiGnu32Nov 10th 2010 7:27PM
At least this doesn't have that stupid, design-violating Firefox4-like "RockMelt" button on the top left corner.
silentNov 10th 2010 10:46PM
I still think, RM is way more intuitive than F1.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 11th 2010 6:43AM
Agree. Those $10 million were definitely well-spent in terms of usability.
Brad HillNov 10th 2010 11:05PM
I get it that you don't respect RockMelt. And you're right -- it's a lot of sizzle for not much steak. But RM has three main perks: 1) dynamic friend list; 2) link sharing; 3) feed reader. It is not just #2, which F1 seems to be -- just feed sharing. F1 is elegant, but in no way a replacement for RockMelt. You need a few plug-ins for that. :)
(Comment submitted in RockMelt)
Sebastian AnthonyNov 11th 2010 6:42AM
A FEW add-ons you say?! :P Yes, it would be fantastic if RockMelt released as an extension package. Perhaps for both Chrome and Firefox...!
Don't get me wrong. I think RockMelt is very intuitive, very pretty and very smooth. I expect a lot of people will like it.
I just think it's a bit underwhelming, given the time and money that went into it. Still, I will look at future versions without prejudice :)
dreadnautNov 11th 2010 6:13AM
"Sharing services like AddToAny and ShareThis have been deprecated by a 35 kilobyte Firefox add-on."
Or is it just another sharing service with a well written extension? The interface you see is not chrome, is just this page:
- https://f1.mozillamessaging.com/share/
See also their Privacy terms: "[F1] consists of an add-on for Firefox and a web service".
- https://f1.mozillamessaging.com/service/privacy.html
Sebastian AnthonyNov 11th 2010 6:43AM
Hehe, nice find :)
I guess that's why it's so lightweight...
hot zizzyNov 13th 2010 10:36AM
Is there a special url that includes the page to share? (Like https://f1.mozillamessaging.com/share=google.com, or whatever)
Mark KNov 11th 2010 8:57AM
I don't really get the debate...
Rockmelt was designed for exactly what is seen in the browser and I don't think they wanted it to be anything else.
To use a metaphor: I don't believe it will ever compete with the Walmart and Targets, but there is always some demand for those local stores which fill a smaller niche.
Competition is never a bad thing... if anything, it may force the others to come out with something better, especially with all the media coverage and even more so if it starts gaining market share. After all, isn't that what all the RM haters want?
TylerNov 13th 2010 6:56AM
Your despise for Rockmelt's social interaction is blown totally out of preportion'. RockMelt has a share button and it works exactly like this ... only the UI is more intuitive.
I'm a firefox user so don't brand me a Chrome or RockMelt fanboy. If Firefox had the same social interaction as RockMelt I would have it installed. What you fail to see is how RockMelt's social interaction goes beyond the Share button ... which exists I remind you.
RockMelt pulls data from my web pages. When a new story appears on Yahoo! Tech Ticker .. RockMelt lets me know. When my Facebook friends write new posts, RockMelt lets me know. Same with twitter.
This share button is only one fraction of all that RockMelt supplies. Albiet in a Chrome browser and with a disregard for bandwidth consumption at times ... but this one add on does little to obliterate all that RockMelt provides.
hot zizzyNov 13th 2010 10:52AM
Any Chrome extension developer interested in porting this? I tried developing an extension with an iframe (https://f1.mozillamessaging.com/share/), but I've never before developed a Chrome extension so I got stuck. I don't know how to get it to recognize the current url as the one to share (probably using this though: http://src.chromium.org/viewvc/chrome/trunk/src/chrome/common/extensions/docs/tabs.html#method-getSelected ), and it's not quite as elegant as the implementation in Firefox. If anyone knows a bit more about Chrome extensions, maybe they could finish it:
http://www.mediafire.com/?ebqy008fyf58aw0
willemNov 13th 2010 7:50PM
Wow, sounds nice this F1. Installed on my latest Firefox version but doesn't work for me : just get one big grey bar without Facebook nor Gmail. Wrote to Mozilla lab but didn't get no answer. Googled a bit and didn't find anyone else with the problem, so I'm really worried!
Abhimanyu GhoshalNov 14th 2010 1:12PM
What about Google Toolbar's awesome sharing options? It works extremely well with a huge number of services. And it's really simple too. For example, I'd been using it to share items via Gmail and Facebook (which was a breeze) but I was especially impressed when I started using it with Twitter - I got a tweet already composed with the page's title + a shortened URL.
Another great thing about Google Toolbar's sharing? I get a Gmail window that's not only familiar but also allows me to use Gmail's awesome email address autoprompt. When trying to use F1 to share a link via Gmail I realised that I don't remember a single person's email address but I never needed to.
My opinion is that when one is covering rehashed to solutions to problems that have already been solved, one should state the differences between the old and new solutions and why a user should choose one over the other. A 35kb footprint isn't going to help me if I can't remember my friends' email addresses.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 14th 2010 6:00PM
Very true! I'd forgotten about those toolbars -- I guess the Yahoo one is similar?