The Firefox Extension TubeStop was created originally just to stop auto-play of Youtube videos. A side benefit was that it also blocked the new Youtube ads.

How does it work? Well… TubeStop replaces YouTube’s native player on the site with the embeddable version, which has not been ad-ified yet. So when you open the video it isn’t running yet, and therefore can’t pre-load the ads. So unless you want to get links to HGH releasers while watching a video of Ahnold drinking Jack Daniel’s, you probably have a need for this Firefox add-on to block Youtube ads.

There are other side effects you will have to consider as well and decide if this is for you. Since the TubeStop add-on stops the video from auto-starting it also stops your ability to view uninterrupted play lists. This is a newer feature of Youtube that allows you to watch several videos in a row with out having to click on anything. Like when you want to watch some BS conspiracy program from Alex Jones and it is uploaded into 122 parts. It will just run straight through rather than having to find the next one every time one part ends. With the TubeStop extension you will not be able to do this. At least not yet.

Also, it doesn’t pre-load videos. So if you have a shit internet connection you probably will just want to avoid TubeStop entirely and forget about blocking the Youtube ads.

This is obviously all I have seen. If ANYONE knows a better option please let us know.

Now this is really easy, but I think I will provide a video companion to speed up Firefox as well so that you can actually see it in action.

The simple way to speed up Firefox with about:config is to use these few simple steps.

1) type about:config in your BROWSER ADDRESS bar. (You can actually just click on it here and it will take you there). Be aware that there will be some sort of WARNING window that will come up saying some BS about avoiding your warranty or something. Dar…Firefox is free folks.

2) A long list will come up. type pipelining in the new address bar that pops up above the list to sort it to just what you want.

3) Double-click on the network.http.pipelining line so that it become “True”. Default is “false”.

4) Double-click on the network.http.pipelining.maxrequests line and give it a value. Most people use “30″.

5) Enjoy faster surfing.

For those that want visual direction, this video is very good at explaining the hows and whys of what you are doing here as well as a few other tips:

If you don’t know what the hell GameFox is…it’s an add on for Firefox that works with the GameFAQs.com message boards…Just go read this post about the GameFaqs Gamefox Add On and come back when you are looking to figure out what the problem is unless you are a paella pan head and don’t know what the hell you are even doing here.

Apparently they wanted to make it a secret as to how to have the correct style sheet active so they didn’t give you any fancy check boxes or anything to do so. It really isn’t difficult once you figure it out though. You will feel like a moron when you see what you should be doing to activate whatever style-sheet it is you are looking for. Like I did…lol

Just look at this pic:

See those check marks on the right? No boxes, no button to tell you to activate something right? Well…i guess you don’t need any of that. Just click over in that area and they will be activated…LOL

I stared at that thing for 15 minutes trying to figure out how the heck to get DrakRedFaQs activated again after the change. As always you can get help on the unofficial GameFox forum Blood Money at GFaqs as well.

How often do you see a video posted on a board that you just love, but don’t really want to have 666 different video accounts with all the video sites to save it, or have an entire bookmark folder for them? Those hysterical Natalie Portman Rap video, George Washington video, hotties bouncing jugglies in their home gyms, etc. I know I see videos all the time that I either want to watch over and over again, or ones that people post which are just way too long to watch at one time. Like all those stupid ass conspiracy theory videos which I don’t even believe, but HAVE to watch anyways for some odd reason. I guess I watch them so that I can mock on the people that believe them.

Anyways, the extension lets you add the url and a title to it to save in one click. You can use it for virtually anything actually like a regular bookmark folder, but I like it a bit better because it has the mini-player window on it so I can listen to it if it doesn’t really need to be watched while I browse elsewhere. Download it directly here, or go to the Youplayer Page and get it there.

Once installed you will see a small icon on the lower status bar of your browser, or wherever you have it. The circular icon with the “L” in it has a few functions if you right-click on it. The first is that you can blacklist a site from getting Linkified. If you have a site that maybe you do programming on, it is rather bothersome to have links in your code linkified, so it is nice to be able to blacklist that site and not have to worry about it every time. This is a permanent solution unlike the other option available there. You can simply just turn of the links on a page that have been linkified as well in that menu. Two very handy tools that you will find useful once you start to use this Firefox extension.

The other is the options menu which has far too many features to go in depth with here. Just browse around the options and see the various features it has. A couple of note is that you can turn off auto-linkification, allow text links to be visited simply by double clicking on them with out actually having them linkified and even force the links to open in new tabs or windows. More advanced options are available as well and can be reviewed in the help sections.

You can Download the Linkification Add on in the link there, or go to the Linkification Add on page directly and get it there.

Main Features

QuickPost

This adds a form to message and topic lists that lets you quickly reply to a topic, or create a new one without having to go to the Create New Topic/Post New Message page.

Quoting

This feature allows you to quickly quote a message.

GameFAQs Themes

Read the update at the bottom of this post for more information on finding GameFox Themes.

User Highlighting

The User Highlighting feature does exactly that; it highlights the post headers and topics of users you list, and can hide the posts of others.

QuickWhois

QuickWhois allows you to quickly check a user’s profile without leaving the message list.

Other features:

* Manage your Message Board and Site settings from the GameFOX Options menu. This includes setting up your sig so that it will post when you use the “QuickPost” feature. So you can always have your website link up for marketing purposes if you want to make sure your ellipticals site gets some run.

* Compatibility with gfaqs9 and gfaqs.

* Right-click on the GameFaqs board pages to reveal many GameFox features in the right-click menu. A real time saver that will show you topics you have tagged, or tracked.

* GameFOX Sidebar allows you to quickly navigate the site. You can even use this when you aren’t at the GameFaqs site. Very handy. Like a bookmarks panel that goes with you.

* Topic Tagging allows you to keep track of topics easily.

If you post on the GameFAQs boards this is a MUST HAVE extension for Firefox. The other important extension that you will want to have is the Text to Image extension which changes text image links to actual pics so you don’t have to copy/paste it into the address bar, but just have to double-click on it to see the full size image. Sort of like an attachment that needs no download. Also, one that is a can’t live with out is what is called Linkification. With this add on all the text links you see on the boards become clickable links. Very good add on for such things as clicking on youtube video links in thread.

UPDATED: Just to add to this. GameFox Themes are sort of difficult to come by searching on the internet. There are quite a few GameFox Themes out there, but other than the Blood Money board on GFaqs (link in next line) it is usually quite difficult to find them because they aren’t very search engine friendly sites they appear on in most cases. Go to this board and read about the extension as well as ask questions about what you need help with, or just post a comment her and I will be glad to tell you what you need to do if I can. It is the unofficial discussion board for GameFox and the place you are going to get your questions answered quickest.

Have you ever been Rickrolled?

Hopefully, you have never heard of Rick Astley. He’s a terrible musician and has some very bad songs. Rick Astley was “popular” way back in the 80′s. In fact, 2007 marks the 20 year anniversary of the song that will get you Rickrolled. Never Gonna Give you Up. This song is terrible, but back then people used to fall in love with shitty pop tunes just like they still do today. IF you have never heard this song you are going to have to hear it to know why I think it sucks so bad, but let me explain what a Rickroll is first and then you yourself can get Rickrolled.

A Rickroll is another great internet fad. How it works is the same as many other message board fads do. Trickery. Unsuspecting forum readers will see a topic, or even request an image, Youtube video, or story about whatever. Since people on the internet are jerks and like to enjoy a laugh at the expense of other users they will trick them by giving them false information just to waste their time.

So let’s assume that Johnny Internet User wants some videos from Youtube. Other “nice” internet users will pop links to the videos of Little Johnny’s request into their posts so that Little Johnny is happy with the results. What if you don’t like Little Johnny? What if you aren’t a “nice” internet user? You may as well just Rickroll the little bastard then.

Since Youtube videos don’t have any explanation in their links it is always quite easy to throw in a shocking, or tasteless video when someone asks. Rickrolling isn’t really shocking, or tasteless, but it is annoying. I find it funny. So when you feel like screwing with someone, Little Johnny in this case, you just go to Youtube and search “Rick Astley”, or “Never Gonna Give you Up”, and post a link to a video such as this:

Oh the humanity! You just got Rickrolled.

If you want to avoid getting Rickroll’d you can install this anti-Rickroll Firefox extension. Good Luck!

Here is another extremely annoying Rickroll. Click at your own risk. muwahaha!

CTRL+ALT+DELETE will soon be your friend.

UPDATE! The Major League Baseball New York Mets and their fans were Rickroll’d! After a contest that began on March 31st to vote for a song to be played during the 8th inning of games. Fans and Mets were treated to an organized effort by Diggers and other message board users to a massive Rickroll. Well done internet. HEre is a fan video of the Met’s Rickroll: