Comments on: Snazzy Google Tricks http://www.cf2group.com/technotes/2007/08/09/snazzy-google-tricks/ News and Opionions on Emerging Technologies and Products Wed, 29 Apr 2009 03:25:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: curtis_franklin http://www.cf2group.com/technotes/2007/08/09/snazzy-google-tricks/comment-page-1/#comment-294 curtis_franklin Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:54:36 +0000 http://www.cf2group.com/technotes/2007/08/09/snazzy-google-tricks/#comment-294 Thanks for that tip, Jordan. I'm not sure why I've never done as much as I should have with profiles, but this could be the impetus for me to get started and figure out how to do things right. I like the security aspect, too--that's not trivial when some of the things I'm doing involve my work. Thanks for that tip, Jordan. I’m not sure why I’ve never done as much as I should have with profiles, but this could be the impetus for me to get started and figure out how to do things right. I like the security aspect, too–that’s not trivial when some of the things I’m doing involve my work.

]]> By: Jordan http://www.cf2group.com/technotes/2007/08/09/snazzy-google-tricks/comment-page-1/#comment-276 Jordan Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:57:43 +0000 http://www.cf2group.com/technotes/2007/08/09/snazzy-google-tricks/#comment-276 There's a better option -- simply use two different browser profiles. I don't know how to do this in IE, but hey, you'd rather use two copies of Firefox anyway, right? ;-) First, create a new profile to run your secondary settings under: File Run "firefox -ProfileManager" (under OS X open a terminal and run: /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -ProfileManager) Rename or adjust your profile names so they're obvious "Default" and "WorkGmail" or some such. Then, just create launchers or bat scripts to run firefox with your alternate profile (using the -P ProfileName option to firefox). For bonus points, you could even change the icon or title bar so it's more obvious which is which. Of course, all the rest of your login cookies, session settings, etc, will be distinct. So you'll want to try to remember to only use the firefox window that is not your default for the alternate google services and not other browsing. Running two totally different browsers does make this a bit more obvious, so maybe this trick is unnecessary for you. One advantage of this is if you have a website you're concerned about the security of, create a new profile just for it. This type of approach can totally protect you from XSS or CSRF attacks because the browser only has a session with the suspect site, and doesn't have access to all the cookies of your other sites. There’s a better option — simply use two different browser profiles. I don’t know how to do this in IE, but hey, you’d rather use two copies of Firefox anyway, right? ;-)

First, create a new profile to run your secondary settings under:

File
Run
“firefox -ProfileManager”

(under OS X open a terminal and run: /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/MacOS/firefox -ProfileManager)

Rename or adjust your profile names so they’re obvious “Default” and “WorkGmail” or some such.

Then, just create launchers or bat scripts to run firefox with your alternate profile (using the -P ProfileName option to firefox). For bonus points, you could even change the icon or title bar so it’s more obvious which is which.

Of course, all the rest of your login cookies, session settings, etc, will be distinct. So you’ll want to try to remember to only use the firefox window that is not your default for the alternate google services and not other browsing. Running two totally different browsers does make this a bit more obvious, so maybe this trick is unnecessary for you. One advantage of this is if you have a website you’re concerned about the security of, create a new profile just for it. This type of approach can totally protect you from XSS or CSRF attacks because the browser only has a session with the suspect site, and doesn’t have access to all the cookies of your other sites.

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