I didn’t used to use the little search box in Firefox. Then I realized how much time I could save by not having to load the start/search pages for Google, Wikipedia, Technorati, Google blogs, Google news, and all the other sites I search.
Recently, I made a Google Co-op page that searches over RedMonk content. It’s handy for searching over all 4 of us, plus I added in DrunkAndRetired.com and Anne’s other content on her blog and WWD.
In short, I wanted a narrowed search engine to use when I’m thinking, “I know of the the RedMonks/Nun wrote something about…” So far, it’s worked out well.
So, the natural step is to create an OpenSearch descriptor so you can add that RedMonk search to Firefox. I did just that (here’s the XML), but you can also use the auto-discovery feature in Firefox.
When you go to my blog, the little down-arrow on the search widget will be highlighted in blue. Clicking on it, you’ll see the option to Add Redmonk Search. Click that, and you’ll have RedMonk at your mouse-tips:
If you can think of other URLs I need to add to the search, suggest them below.
Disclaimer: A9, who came up with/hosts the OpenSearch format is a client.
Technorati Tags: search, redmonk, googlecoop, firefox, plugins, opensearch, a9
9 Comments
On WinXP FF 2.0.0.1 with the default theme the blue color is pretty weak, just a faint outline/tint of blue you really have to be looking for it to notice. I didn’t even know that feature existed. Looks like they are on it though: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=339735
Very nice!
Great stuff, why not have a wiki where people can add sites along with why they think it should be there. I understand you are looking at a niche search engine but that can be achieved with the option of narrowing down the search.
Also you might be interested in this ( http://zooie.wordpress.com/ ) work…
tres sweet. this post gave me the warm and fuzzies and no mistake. great job. i will post on this in the am.
Where/how did you generate the code that goes between the URL tags please? I can see code for the Google search widget but not this piece which would put it in the FF search engine pull-down. (Gimme a break - I’m a bean counter by trade, not a code monkey!!)
No problem, my bean counting friend ;)
The “code” that glues all this together is a small XML file that you can get here: http://www.redmonk.com/cote/redmonk-open-search.xml.
That said, The way you add it to FireFox is to go to my blog page and then click the down arrow in the FireFox searh bar. When you do this, as shown in the above screenshot, you should be given the option to “Add RedMonk Search.” This will use that XML file to add the RedMonk scoped search to your search bar.
If that doesn’t work, comment back, and I’ll do something else, like record a screen cast or, if I’ve misunderstood the question, answer the right question ;)
As a side note, it is a little silly to have this on just my blog. Perhaps we’ll move it up to the top level and/or the header that’s in all our blogs.
Cote - I got the file, I’m after *how* you generated the code between the URL tags so you could insert into the XML file. I understand everything else. Reason: I’m after spreading some search goodness and showing folk how they can do it for themselves seems a reasonable idea. This was the point I got stuck and went ‘uh?’
Dennis: ah, I see. Well, I made a Google Co-op account, did a sample search, and then untangled the URL and the search parameters from the resulting Google URL to put into the XML.
What I outta do is make a screen cast of it. How’s abouts thats?
excellent idea Cote - look forward to it.
4 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] People Over Process » Blog Archive » RedMonk + Google Co-op + OpenSearch = Search Plugin for Firefox Cool: add RedMonk search to your Firefox search box. Includes drunkandretired.com (Cote’s personal blog) plus Anne 2.0 and Web Worker Daily too! Just go to redmonk.com/cote/, click on the down arrow in the firefox search box, and add RedMonk search. (tags: search google google-coop opensearch redmonk) [...]
[...] Great great work from Cote. [...]
[...] I’ve finally gotten around to teaching myself how to do and publish screencasts. I’ll have another post on the topic later. For now, here’s the first screencast, adding the RedMonk Search Plugin to Firefox: [...]
[...] Sometime ago, I promised Dennis that I’d record a screencast of how I created the RedMonk Firefox search plugin. On this day of learning to make screencasts then, here it is: [...]
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