Opera Skins/Widgets/Extensions?

[Daveski17]

I've been giving Opera 11.50 a bit of a trial over the past few weeks & I am enjoying using it. Three years ago it was my default browser, although I think a few small bugs will need to be ironed out before that happens again.

What I wanted to ask was does anyone have any favourite skins, widgets or extensions that they would like to share for other Opera aficionados?

I really like Soft classic (http://my.opera.com/community/customize/skins/info/?id=11292) as a skin at the moment.

[Yakuman]

I don't use any widgets or extensions, but my current skin preference is this:
http://my.opera.com/community/customize/skins/info/?id=11662

Then I select the Indigo color version of the skin

[Daveski17]

That looks nice. How come you don't use any extensions?

[Yakuman]

None needed. All the features I need are already built-in Opera. Some might be nice to have like weather forecast extensions, but meh. I have my bookmarks that can show me the weather in one-click on demand :). Also, extensions are still young at this point. In due time there will be more interesting ones to look at.

[vasa1]

-{ Quote: "That looks nice. How come you don't use any extensions?" }-

Extensions? What extensions? Maybe he don't need no stinking extensions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinking_badges)?

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "None needed. All the features I need are already built-in Opera. Some might be nice to have like weather forecast extensions, but meh. I have my bookmarks that can show me the weather in one-click on demand :). Also, extensions are still young at this point. In due time there will be more interesting ones to look at." }-

OK, I use a fair few, including an adblocker, a reader, NotScripts, Ghostery & WOT.

I think I'm a bit of an extension junkie. ;)

I also like this Chrome (http://my.opera.com/community/customize/skins/info/?id=10522) skin. It works well on 11:50.

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "Extensions? What extensions? Maybe he don't need no stinking extensions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinking_badges)?" }-

I'm thinking of getting help for my excessive extension addiction. Do you think that there is an extension for it?

[act8192]

Widgets - no need
Skin - Opera classic. I tried few others, they were cute, but I keep returning to the plain one.
Extensions - no need. Recently I added ad blocks and ghostery. I see no need for them. I think the built-in stuff is fine.

Edit: I use Opera standard, not classic.

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "
Skin - Opera classic. I tried few others, they were cute, but I keep returning to the plain one.
" }-

Is that skin compatible with 11:50?

[vasa1]

-{ Quote: "I'm thinking of getting help for my excessive extension addiction. Do you think that there is an extension for it?" }-

At one time, Opera users were quite of the opinion that the browser was self-contained.

In general, I keep away from extensions unless there's a very, very clear justification. And from the "medical" POV, this addiction will cure itself. That condition will be extension fatigue.

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "At one time, Opera users were quite of the opinion that the browser was self-contained.

In general, I keep away from extensions unless there's a very, very clear justification. " }-

Mine tend to be either for security or functionality.

-{ Quote: "And from the "medical" POV, this addiction will cure itself. That condition will be extension fatigue." }-

Well, as long as it isn't terminal, or I go completely insane & start to use IE, I should be OK then. ;)

[act8192]

-{ Quote: "Is that skin compatible with 11:50?" }-
I just edited my post.
My mistake. So used to classic :(
I use standard. Another one is Windows native, similar.

[vasa1]

-{ Quote: "Mine tend to be either for security or functionality..." }-

So which are the "security" ones you've installed? I'm using Firefox and I don't think any of the extensions I use would qualify as being security-related.

Stylish
Dom Inspector and Inspect Context
SimpleBlock (ad blocker which works quite a bit like Opera's content blocker)
Console2 (better presentation of the error console and helps troubleshoot ad-blocking rules)
Flash and Video Downloader
Down Them All!

[dw426]

Dave, you said you used the ad-blocker for Opera. How well is it working? I've been lurking around there lately with that "should I, or shouldn't I?" mindset I always get before trying something out. From the extensions page, people are saying it's gone to crap, or may be abandoned?

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "Dave, you said you used the ad-blocker for Opera. How well is it working? I've been lurking around there lately with that "should I, or shouldn't I?" mindset I always get before trying something out. From the extensions page, people are saying it's gone to crap, or may be abandoned?" }-

This adblocker (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/opera-adblock/0.46/?display=en) (Opera AdBlock by leomajko) is working fine for me on both of my computers. It has a good preferences section & an option to block website tracking. I honestly recommend Opera AdBlock.

I think there was an older adblocker which was a bit dodgy.

Blurb:

The true ad blocking solution for Opera.

Subscribe to ad blocking lists and enable ad blocking in Opera.

Fanboy, Peter Lowe, EasyList and other providers of lists are available (including many language specific lists), for more details see the preferences page.
Fanboy CSS filter is also used to collapse ads section.

Tracking and statistic websites like Google Analytics can also be blocked.

Gmail ads can now be blocked.
It also allows you to get through the New York Times' paywall, allowing you to read an unlimited number of articles per month.

[dw426]

-{ Quote: "This adblocker (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/opera-adblock/0.46/?display=en) is working fine for me on both of my computers. It has a good preferences section & an option to block website tracking. I recommend this adblocker.

I think there was an older adblocker which was a bit dodgy." }-

This one seems to have the issues, if you switch over to the "reported issues" tab on that page. *shrug* I'll give it a try anyway.

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "So which are the "security" ones you've installed? I'm using Firefox and I don't think any of the extensions I use would qualify as being security-related.

Stylish
Dom Inspector and Inspect Context
SimpleBlock (ad blocker which works quite a bit like Opera's content blocker)
Console2 (better presentation of the error console and helps troubleshoot ad-blocking rules)
Flash and Video Downloader
Down Them All!" }-

NotScripts (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/notscripts/1.1.0/?display=en)

Ghostery (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/ghostery/0.9.0/?display=en)

Swiss Knife (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/swiss-knife/2.11/?display=en)

Flag Button (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/flag-button/1.3-a/?display=en)

WOT (https://addons.opera.com/addons/extensions/details/wot/1.2/?display=en)

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "Widgets - no need
Skin - Opera classic. I tried few others, they were cute, but I keep returning to the plain one.
Extensions - no need. Recently I added ad blocks and ghostery. I see no need for them. I think the built-in stuff is fine.

Edit: I use Opera standard, not classic." }-

OK, I like this (http://my.opera.com/community/customize/skins/info/?id=10182) skin a lot as well. It looks cool on my portable. 8)

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "This one seems to have the issues, if you switch over to the "reported issues" tab on that page. *shrug* I'll give it a try anyway." }-

Oh, OK. I think it is updated relatively regularly, June 27, 2011 being the last time.

It is working pretty well for me, I hope you have some success with it.

[Yakuman]

-{ Quote: "OK, I like this (http://my.opera.com/community/customize/skins/info/?id=10182) skin a lot as well. It looks cool on my portable. 8)" }-
Those aero (transparent) skins may be cool, but they also suck up quite a bit of CPU / graphics resource. Mine is rather slow, so when I scroll up or down web pages it's noticeably choppy.

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "Those aero (transparent) skins may be cool, but they also suck up quite a bit of CPU / graphics resource. Mine is rather slow, so when I scroll up or down web pages it's noticeably choppy." }-

Yes, I should imagine that they do use some CPU like that. I thought it worked quite sprightly on Opera portable (Portable Apps (http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/opera_portable)). I haven't really given it a thorough test yet though.

[iravgupta]

The only extension that I miss in Opera is Xmarks.

[Daveski17]

@ RaviG

Was that a Firefox extension originally?

EDIT: Xmarks (http://www.xmarks.com/)

[vasa1]

Your Browser And Your IQ: Opera Users Are Exceptionally Smart
-http://www.conceivablytech.com/8576/business/your-browser-and-your-iq-opera-users-are-exceptionally-smart-

(My always-on browser is still Firefox though I'm playing with Epiphany on the side.)

[Daveski17]

"IE ranks at the very bottom of browser user IQ levels."

LOL! You don't have to be Einstein to figure that out. ;D

[Yakuman]

-{ Quote: "Your Browser And Your IQ: Opera Users Are Exceptionally Smart
-http://www.conceivablytech.com/8576/business/your-browser-and-your-iq-opera-users-are-exceptionally-smart-
" }-
Good one ;D. Thanks for the link.

[vasa1]

And I like this part:
From the test results, it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers.

Makes me appear smarter since I'm on Aurora ;)

[vasa1]

-{ Quote: "AptiQuant say “Our data have important implications” which, apart from being terrible English simply isn’t true given what we know about the study." }-

Any thoughts? [i]have or has? If, instead of using data, they had used findings ... ?

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "Any thoughts? have or has? If, instead of using data, they had used findings ... ?" }-

Well, has is the present third person singular of have. I'd tend to go with that in this context. I don't know what that says about my IQ though, even though I'm an Opera user. A lot of language is dialectical, & grammar is only a convention invented by some smart-arse wiggy blokes in the eighteenth century. ;) 8)

[Spruce]

Skin: Z1-Glass
Extensions: Exchange, ExtendTube, Flag Button, HyperTranslate, ImgTip, Linkify, Maps, PanicButton ;D , SaveFrom.net Helper, SimilarWeb, Slim Scrollbar, To-Read Sites, Youtube to MP3. Only one I'm missing from Firefox is CoolPreviews :'(

[Daveski17]

-{ Quote: "Skin: Z1-Glass
Extensions: Exchange, ExtendTube, Flag Button, HyperTranslate, ImgTip, Linkify, Maps, PanicButton ;D , SaveFrom.net Helper, SimilarWeb, Slim Scrollbar, To-Read Sites, Youtube to MP3. Only one I'm missing from Firefox is CoolPreviews :'(" }-

Thanks for those, I may check some of them out. I have Flag Button. :thumb:

[Daveski17]

I'm impressed by Maps. Could be a keeper! :thumb: