DO animated gifs on web pages use up more data?

The size of the animated gif is 276.87 kB, and it's loaded only once. The size of the entire site is about 1.3 MB. So that isn't sucking up all your data quota.

i am guessing so, as it seems that after this happens, a whopping half gig of my 2 gig monthly quota is gobbled up!

I'd rather look for other reasons causing that much data being transferred. Windows updates? Malware? Youtube videos?

i saw another help subject here called"How to turn off Java applets", but i have no idea what that really means (possibly related somehow?

If you don't know what you need Java for, uninstall it altogether via the Windows Control Panel.

I have installed Quickjava, but have not been able to figure out how to use it.

This add-on basically provides a GUI to easily enable or disable certain plugin functions. It doesn't block anything, it just turns of the functionality.

How would i use QuickJava to block Gifs , Flash, Javascript...

See above. If you don't know how to use it, remove it.

and what's the difference between these? (ie., what does each one do?) )

Gifs , Flash, Javascript are part of websites you're viewing. Flash is primarily used for videos and for serving ads. Javascript is usually an essential part to make a website work. It's not recommended to block it when you don't know what you're doing, because that would render a whole lot of websites useless. That's why the GUI to disable Javascript has been removed from Firefox. QuickJava restores that GUI.

Javascript is also used by advertising networks for tracking purposes. These scripts don't provide anything useful for the users viewing the web page, but they can really suck up your data quota.

I'd recommend to install an adblocker like AdblockPlus. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/adblock-plus

Make sure to subscribe to a filter list upon the first start. A number of lists are suggested and you can chose what you want. You can add filter lists at any time later.

That alone should already reduce your data consumption. And it's much more friendly to the eye without ads.

Aloha christ1,

thanks so much!!! your help is brilliant!

i just uninstalled java. and i just removed quickjava.

i hope you don't mind if ask for some clarification and

related questions?-- when you say "This add-on basically provides a GUI to

easily enable or disable certain plugin functions. It doesn't

block anything, it just turns off the functionality.", i don't

understand the difference?--i mean, when i go to tools:

add-ons, i know i can disable a plugin there--do you mean

quickjava does for just certain functions of a plugin, rather

than the entire plugin? or, you do mean the entire plugin,

but that quickjava just makes it a little more convenient? What exactly do you mean by blocking?--I don't understand

the difference between blocking and disabling-- (i know it's

a moot point for quickjava, but it would still probably be

good for me to learn this basic principle) Maybe you simply

mean blocking as for ads, malware and such (rather than

blocking plugins)?

wow-- i didn't know that windows updates would make a

big difference for amount of data transfer--perhaps i should disable my cellular data each time before i enable windows

updates?--or maybe im better off leaving windows updates

on at all times for security? (i use my iphone as a hotspot,

since my wifi signal is usually poor)

i already have the adblockplus, but it's so good to hear that

it's really such a useful add-on! i will go through its settings

again, keeping in mind your super info.

after posting this question last night, i searched firefox help

forums for more info on it, and i found these

recommendations for the add-on superstop, so i installed it.

i found suggestions to also install keyconfig and from there

change the shortcut from shift-esc to esc as it's easier to type,

so i did that too. After reading your info tonight here, i'm

wondering if getting superstop really matters at all fo data

consumption(?) Still, is it something you would get yourself, if like me you

found all those animations overwhelmingly distracting? (i

can't even think when things on a page are flashing, and i

even find ways to avoid having to see a blinking cursor

while typing anywhere.)

Since we are discussing the usefulness and

recommendations for add-ons, i have a related question (if

it's not appropriate to ask such related questions here, my

apologies, and if you want you can tell me where would be

better): are the avira browser safety and the avast online

security extensions compatible? is it better to have just one,

or several? i currently have both. (avast is my computer's

antivirus too.) i also have dr. web anti-virus checker.

(I will mark your reply as helpful and solved, yet would

still very much appreciate your reply to my post here as

well. If someone marks a reply as solved, can the solver still

get notices and reply in that post, or it is like completely

closed? Just in case, i will only mark as helpful this time

around, til i next hear from you.

Thanks again christ1, i am super grateful!

You can set the image.animation_mode pref to "none" or "once'.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/Animated_images

You can open the about:config page via the location/address bar. You can accept the warning and click "I'll be careful" to continue.

• http://kb.mozillazine.org/about:config

SuperStop (Shift+Esc):

• https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/superstop/

Once upon a time, an animated GIF was just a compressed image file that contained numerous image frames and some timing information.

Nowadays, some sites are converting animated GIFs to "GIFV" format, which I think is MP4 video format. That presumably consumes MUCH more data than true animated GIFs. You might need to look into a way to block videos from auto-loading.

thanks cor-el and jscher!

okay, i am trying to understand: just what's the difference between the Flash Block Firefox and Superstop add-ons? is it okay to use both?

i just installed the Flash Block Firefox, thinking that would cover your suggestion "to block videos from auto-loading." Is superstop already doing that too?

it says it "stops active WebSocket connections, XMLHttpRequests, and any animated images."

So are these just different ways of saying the same thing?

(All the tech jargon is over my head!)

The SuperStop page on the Add-ons site says:

SuperStop is very simple: it adds a Shift+Esc shortcut that stops active WebSocket connections, XMLHttpRequests, and any animated images, regardless of the state of the Firefox Stop button.

The first two items refer to background connections that retrieve additional content from websites, while the third refers to traditional animated GIFs. I don't think SuperStop stops Flash (or HTML video) from playing.

SuperStop and Flashblock work in the opposite way: SuperStop provides a new way to stop animating images, while Flashblock stops Flash by default and you can start it when you want to start it. Note that neither of these stops videos that are delivered through an HTML5-based player.

Thanks so much jscher2000 !

I am so very  glad to have such 

a clear and simple explanation! ☺ It makes sense to me at last!

So from what i think you are saying,

it is fine to use both superstop and flashblock simultaneously
(as flashblock blocks flash, but superstop blocks 

other types of content)--right?

And one thing I don't yet understand: what are "videos that are delivered through an HTML5-based player"? how would i know when i come across them? and is there a good app or recommended method to stop those?

ps. a side question relating to these forum windows: what is the purpose of the "needs more info" checkbox?

hi all☺ if you all don't mind, i still have these questions too:

(from my posts above)

--what's the difference between blocking and disabling?

--to conserve data usage, should i disable my cellular data

each time before i enable windows 

updates?--or would i still be better off leaving windows updates on at all times for security? ( i do have avast antivirus on my PC)

--are the avira browser safety and the avast online security extensions compatible?

(i have those and also have dr. web anti-virus checker.)

--If someone marks a reply as solved, can the solver still get notices of my new posts and reply to me in that forum, or is the subject completely closed?

thanks!

coatli said

what are "videos that are delivered through an HTML5-based player"?
how would i know when i come across them?
and is there a good app or recommended method to stop those?

Websites can embed a video in a page using a variety of methods, including these HTML tags:

<embed> => causes Firefox to use a plugin <object> => causes Firefox to use a plugin <video> => causes Firefox to play the video itself (HTML5 player)

Since these HTML tags are not visible to you when the page loads, it's difficult to tell which one is the source of the black rectangle/player. If you right-click the player area, if the context menu doesn't identify a specific plugin, most likely it's Firefox's built-in HTML5 video player.

I am not aware of any method to prevent Firefox from loading HTML5 video if the page is set to auto-play it. Firefox has a preference to stop it from playing (media.autoplay.enabled), but the video is still buffered even though playback is paused. Therefore, that setting is not very helpful for your needs. Maybe you can find a different add-on.

coatli said

--what's the difference between blocking and disabling?

Hmm, this depends on the context.

--to conserve data usage, should i disable my cellular data each time before i enable windows updates?--or would i still be better off leaving windows updates on at all times for security? ( i do have avast antivirus on my PC)

I don't think updates will work without having access to Microsoft's website. While antivirus is very useful, it is not complete protection for the kinds of flaws that are fixed by program updates.

--are the avira browser safety and the avast online security extensions compatible? (i have those and also have dr. web anti-virus checker.)

It depends on what they do. I'm not sure any volunteers use that combination.

Thanks again, jscher!

I'm so glad to find out about the windows update and antivirus.

And your explanation of the HTML5 dynamics is awesome!

As for the blocking and disabling, the context is from the answer christ1 gave me on 7/16/16 above: "...This add-on (Quickjava) basically provides a GUI to easily enable or disable certain plugin functions. It doesn't block anything, it just turns of the functionality. "

Also, by chance do you know what is the purpose of this forum's "needs more info" checkbox? And if the original asker marks a reply as solved, do you know if the solver can still get notices of any new posts by the asker, and can still reply in that forum? (I hope this question makes sense?)

Much appreciated! :)

coatli said

As for the blocking and disabling, the context is from the answer christ1 gave me on 7/16/16 above: "...This add-on (Quickjava) basically provides a GUI to easily enable or disable certain plugin functions. It doesn't block anything, it just turns of the functionality. "

I see. QuickJava provides buttons that operate internal settings. For example, a button to allow or not allow JavaScript to run. Firefox may still retrieve the script files called for by the page, but not run them, so the downloading might not be blocked.

Also, by chance do you know what is the purpose of this forum's "needs more info" checkbox?

I don't remember!

And if the original asker marks a reply as solved, do you know if the solver can still get notices of any new posts by the asker, and can still reply in that forum?

The thread usually remains open for six months from the time it starts, with notifications continuing until it is closed.

jscher2000 said

coatli said

...

Also, by chance do you know what is the purpose of this forum's "needs more info" checkbox?

I don't remember!

I think there were thoughts of using that in a filter for those answering questions.

And if the original asker marks a reply as solved, do you know if the solver can still get notices of any new posts by the asker, and can still reply in that forum?

The thread usually remains open for six months from the time it starts, with notifications continuing until it is closed.

The person solving it and others, see the thread slightlly differently once solved, anyone posting in it is not highlighted in the same way. On the other hand, solved posts show up in Google etc searches , whereas unsolved ones do not. Internally solved threads show more prominently in searches.

We may well change forum software in the not too distant future.

Thanks so much, everyone! All the info everyone provided here in this thread has been very helpful!

)