Location Based Browsing- Firefox 3.5 Has Got It Right
The Basic purpose of Web is to enable easy sharing of information. However, even the inventors of the World Wide Web would not have anticipated the various functions that the World Wide Web is performing today. Sharing of information has become just one aspect of the World Wide Web today. Today, purchase of goods and services over the internet and marketing of goods and services provided by entities, has become a very important function of the World Wide Web.
There are many individuals who are providing services on the web itself, and there are many others simply advertising services provided in the real world on the World Wide Web. Now, marketing and advertising is a highly competitive field. The freedom of individuals to advertise on the web and the right of the individuals to privacy on the web are now in conflict. Advertisers claim that they should be permitted access to detailed private information so that they can provide the best possible services. Surfers are not keen on sharing detailed information, so as to enable the service provider to advertise his or her wares on the web.
The Firefox web browser has taken note of this conflict in Firefox 3.5. The latest update offers location based web browsing. What does this mean? There are many service providers and web sites on the web that can serve you better if they know your current location. For example, it is not unreasonable to presume that a person living in New York searching for a coffee shop would like to be informed about those coffee shops that are located close to him first. The website can provide this information only if it is aware of the location of the individual. This bit of information is private and the individual may or may not want to share the same. As on date, there is no way a surfer can share this information even if he wants to.
The Firefox web browsing software application has offered location based browsing feature where the individual has the choice of disclosing his or her location to the website. Needless to say, this will help individuals get better services and products. The Firefox web browser has acted smartly insofar as it has left the choice in the hands of the server. If you are comfortable informing others of your current location to get better service, you are free to disclose your location. However, if you do not display location and do not want to take the risk, you are perfectly free to continue surfing the web as you always used to.
This is yet another brilliant innovation by the Firefox web browser software application that has the potential of changing the way individuals surf the web. You will spend less time searching for information and you will spend more time going through the information useful for you. The next time you search for any product or service available in any location you have asked for, you will be promptly led to those products and services located close to you.
Since there is no compulsion for the individual to disclose his/her location and since the individual can choose which websites should know his or her location, the security and privacy of the individual is completely in his or her own hands. All the individual has to do is make sure that the website receiving the information does not misuse the same. There is no denying that the new feature offered by the Firefox web browser has the potential of changing the way people buy and sell goods on the web.
Tags: Firefox Help
