Power Browsing

Browse Like a Pro: Tips From Web Experts

Even if you've been surfing since the dawn of the Web, or you've been going online since ARPANET, there's always more to learn about finding information quickly and efficiently. And who better to get tips from than the people who browse for a living?

These days it seems nearly every other site you visit prompts you to download some plug-in or player that's required to "view the page correctly." Of course, you'd never click the Download button reflexively, right? You've got good reason to be cautious.

"I don't view pages that run VBScript (Microsoft's Visual Basic Script)," says Dave Bohn, who has been developing, managing, and cataloging Web sites since 1993. "Whenever they say, 'You need to install VBScript' I say, 'No, thanks!'" Bohn cites JavaScript as an example of a safer technology that Web developers can use to display dynamic content in the pages they design. VBScript makes it relatively easy for malefactors to disseminate viruses and other potentially damaging files. "There's only a small chance for a security breach with VBS," says Bohn, "but I'm unwilling to assume the risk."

Some browser add-ons receive a warmer welcome, however. Nani Luia-Harris, senior quality assurance engineer at the Web site service provider Atomz, wouldn't want to browse without her favorite IE front end. "I love NeoPlanet," she says. "Its interface is wonderful, and you can change the look by downloading skins," several of which she has designed herself. The plug-in is available at NeoPlanet.

Luia-Harris prefers IE 5 to Netscape, but she has changed most of IE's default settings. "I set it to clear out the Temp folder whenever I close the browser," she says. This erases confidential information that may have been entered during the session.

Note: If you would like to set IE to empty your Temporary Internet Files folder automatically, click Tools, Internet Options, Advanced, select the Security heading in the resulting dialog box, and check the box next to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed. (In Netscape, you have to clear the cache manually.)

While the professional Web browsers we spoke with agreed almost unanimously about Web elements they didn't enjoy (pop-up windows, ads), their opinions diverged on one very important subject: security.

"My security levels are pretty much the default," says Bay-Wei Chang, senior research scientist with search-engine company Google. Bohn is more security conscious. "When I'm linked to a secure server, I always log off before surfing to another page," he says. "If I go to another URL without first logging off, the information I provided to the secure server could remain in my browser's cache."

The browser pros all agree on how important it is to have a search strategy. It's not surprising that Bay prefers the Google Toolbar, but he was a fan of the search tool before he joined the company. "The Google Toolbar lets me highlight my terms in the page so I can quickly scan to see the relevant sections," says Bay. "It adds buttons for each search term so I can jump directly to the words on the page I'm viewing." Luia-Harris of Atomz likes Go.com's ExpressSearch, which features a toolbar that lets her use multiple search engines at the same time.

Dennis O'Reilly