No, the feature is called Disconnect. And temporarily disables Firefox from connecting to the Sync server. As far as "should's" - it is what it is.

What "damage"?

the-Edmeister, "It is what it is", is not a very good reply. It's not the method that is a problem. It's the access to the method. The damage is that the process badly messes up the bookmarks which are carefully organized and sorted. The user is ignorant of the syncing process when exiting Firefox. If FF is gracious enough to provides a "Sync Now" options, they can also provide a pause option.

Instead of syncing everything, just sync only; bookmarks, history, and passwords.

I am only syncing bookmarks, passwords, and settings. The problem I am having is with the bookmarks. Syncing is not a new concept and has been around for years. Implementing a user controlled pause as in Google Drive is feasible.

ineuw said

The problem I am having is with the bookmarks.

What is the problem? Give details.

The bookmarks are duplicated and out of order and recently added bookmarks are lost. I have approximately 2,500 bookmarks, well organized and sorted in numerous folders. I see a problem that if I am working with the bookmarks and unknown to me, sync kicks in. If I have control I would only activate when there are no changes occurring. This is what I am doing with Google Drive.

I called for more help.

Some tips for corruption of bookmarks when you're using Sync.

1. In Troubleshooting Information reached via the Help menu, almost all the way down is a feature called Verify Integrity for the Places Database. With Sync disconnected on that device, use that feature when you see that type of corruption. And before re-connecting to Sync change your Firefox Account password to clear all your data from Sync; that will flush the corruption from Sync. Otherwise that corruption will keep getting propagated.
2. Disconnect from Sync before rearranging bookmarks when you're going to be moving more than just a few bookmarks. Firefox will send "changes" to the Sync server real time for the first few changes that happen close together, then it seems to switch to a "batch mode" where it will stop the "real time" action and send a batch of changes all at once. That is where the corruption originates, IMO. Users who have disconnected from Sync before rearranging bookmarks have reported "success", or lack of corruption when rearranging a good number of bookmarks in one sitting.

I have "tracked" the start of Sync & bookmarks corruption problems that were posted here back to May/June 2015 when Firefox for iOS brought about changes to Sync & bookmarks and the processing of Sync data for both Android and iOS builds for handheld devices (Smart Phones).

The real problem is that once the corruption occurs it gets spread to all types of devices; and some users have reported this corruption issue when they didn't have a Mobile device in the Sync process.

Thanks for your trouble. I realize now that disconnection is my only option to stop corruption. By the way do you know of any FF extension that would place the sync controls on the toolbars? somewhere closer than in Options?

The-edmeister regretfully, this information is incorrect. . . and I quote "And before re-connecting to Sync change your Firefox Account password". One cannot change passwords unless one is logged in. This means that I must connect, which kicks off a new round syncing and by the time I manage to change passwords, the damage is done.

With your years of knowledge and experience with Firefox, I fail to understand why are supporting the developers' fallacious logic, which has a serious design flaw, unless of course you are employed by Mozilla. On the other hand, I have learned from years of computer use for productivity that developers, as smart as they may be, do not use their creations in real world situations, and rather than admit errors in their logic and reexamine their approach, they prefer to defend their egos. They should take a page from Google Drive, which allows the pausing of sync. Otherwise, they would have the same issues.

You can log in to the Firefox account via this website in case of issues.

• https://accounts.firefox.com/signin

ineuw said

The-edmeister regretfully, this information is incorrect. . . and I quote With your years of knowledge and experience with Firefox, I fail to understand why are supporting the developers' fallacious logic, which has a serious design flaw, unless of course you are employed by Mozilla.

Thank you for your comments. Sorry that I forgot to include a link to the Firefox Accounts login page for Sync services - faulty assumption on my part that you had already read the available KB pages regarding Sync.

I don't support Mozilla, only other users; and only answer Sync questions because Sync is overly complicated, IMO, and I have somewhat of an understanding of how it works. And since the documentation of Sync in the KB is so poor I spend way too much of my time explaining how to "fix" what went wrong AND explaining how users went wrong when using Sync. I am NOT a "computer person" - before I retired 10 years ago I fixed cars for a living in my own shop - where I started using PC's back in 1984 to help me run my business and then for automotive computer diagnostics.

I have no use for Sync myself! I have kept up with Sync development and changes since Sync became a standard feature in Firefox 4.0 back in March 2011 -- only to help other users!

But with your disparaging comment to me I intend to re-think my desire to help other users with their issues with Sync.

the-edmeister, I had no intention to disparage you. Myself is in identical situation as you are, I do not come from a computing background, worked on and with computers since 1984, but did do some programming. It is just that I was taught that when doing something to do it well. As for assuming, or asking, whether you are an employee at Mozilla was a natural extension of my frustration, since I had such prior experience. I also know that you have helped me on many occasions in the past, here and at mozillazine, and I would not give up on helping others.