Firefox rocks as do the extensions. Extensions extend the power of Firefox and are a great way of adding value to the browser. Two of the more popular extensions are Forecast Fox and Bloglines Toolkit. Unfortunately, the latest update of Forecast Fox breaks the Bloglines Toolkit.

After I installed the latest Forecast Fox I noticed that my Bloglines Toolkit no longer worked. This was extremely impacting as I count on it to help me subscribe to feeds I find.

This is a common problem with Firefox and extension authors. It's happened before when an updated extension will break another one and the two most common reasons I've been able to find are:

• Variable names - Sometimes one extension will use the same variable name as the other.
• Functions - Sometimes an extension will use the same function calls as the other.

What causes this issue to impact users of Firefox is the availability of automatic updates. It's a wonderful feature, but can cause serious issues. For instance, I can now use Forecast Fox or Bloglines Toolkit, but I can't use both. Since Firefox doesn't provide a way to rollback to an earlier extension version I'm stuck.

So, how do you resolve extension conflicts?

1. Verify the issue: You should check to make sure you're running the latest version of the extensions in question and if possible, install them on a clean copy of Firefox to ensure they're causing the issue. This way you can ensure it's the two extensions in questions.
2. Note any errors: Firefox logs errors in the JavaScript Console under Tools/JavaScript Console. If there are errors be sure to include them.
3. Write the authors an email: Be polite and understand that extensions are free and developed in author's spare time. They have offered you additional functionality that you haven't paid for, so be sure to understand that. Include the version of the extensions, the version of Firefox you used for testing and your operating system.
4. Let others know: The easiest way to do this is through the Mozilla Update Site. Each extension has a place for comments. Note the issue and give details so others can help confirm the issue.

Why is it important to follow these steps? Well, you don't want to waste anyone's time. If the issue is limited to you or can be fixed by restarting Firefox or disabling then re-enabling an extension you can help yourself. Also, the more information you provide the better.

In this case I was able to resolve the issue myself. All I had to do was simply disable Forecast Fox, restart Firefox, enable Forecast Fox and restart Firefox. It took less than two minutes and now both extensions are working. But don't think you're finished.

As a Firefox user it's your responsibility to help develop the browser. Even though you cannot code, you should still help by reporting real issues to those who can code. In this case, I followed up by sending an email to the extension authors and posting on the Mozilla Update Site.

With a little help each user of Firefox can help make it the best browser experience on the Windows platform.

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