Readability
Readability is a simple tool that makes reading on the Web more enjoyable by removing the clutter around what you are reading.
Readability is a new Firefox add-on that makes reading web pages simpler and more enjoyable. The system strips the superfluous information and shows the main content in a single column of easy-to-read text. It is also a precious tool for printing the web pages in less.
Readability has 64 different styling options. You can choose to style in different colors, change the reading fonts and adjust the size of the text. Users can also add a Toolbar button to the navigation toolbox. Other than the add-on icon Readability supports Toolbar buttons, keyboard short-cuts, panel options and send via email functionality.
Readability contains Autoscroll functionality, too. As the name suggests Autoscroll functionality will let you scroll the pages automatically without using your mouse or keyboard. After you activate the Readability and simplify the page, pressing CTRL + SHIFT + A keyboard combination to start using the Autoscroll.
Hi, I’m using readability since some times now and I’m loving it !
I was wondering if you’re considering porting that addon on Thunderbird. It’d be great to be able to read some long mail nicely formated like Readability does in Firefox.
@ Baris Derin : any idea about my former comment ?
In addition, regarding usability, i don’t think that the “reload” icon is a good metaphor for “desactivate Readibilty and go back to the ‘real’ page”.
To me Readability acts like a “print preview” functionality which means that the page i see through Readibility is not the same than the ‘real’ page therefore Reload is not logic to me.
User is used to “close” when using “print preview”. I think that having “go back” or “close” rather that “reload” would be more logical from a user point of view ?
Hello antistress,
So sorry, I missed your comment to give a reply.
Readability works at 95% accuracy rate. Now and then strange things occur like you described. Readability does its best to strip down the web page as accurately as possible and only tries to leave the necessary content section including the images.
But lets notice that many pages on the web are not well coded and contains many flaws. However, Readability process actually depends also on the web page very much. If the web page is created properly then Readability does its job on her side as perfectly. If the web page contains problems then stripping down of Readability will contain problems, too. In short, the problem generally relates to the web page not the Readability.
I am aware that most people do not like the Reload button logic. In future I may change the button to a more logical one.
Feature Request: Since lots of web pages are poor coded and make Readability unable to extract content properly. Why not let us to select the content that we need to read. Just like READABLE does.
I really believe this feature will enhance Readability much. Looking forward to your reply.
Hello hiforrest,
Sure. It is in the roadmap.
Unable to get Firefox to add Readability. Works fine in Chrome. Great add on. Thanks for making it.
Hi Baris,
Thanks for 0.9 – the custom font size is great.
P.S. I notice that there is a ‘Thumbs.db’ file in the chrome/content/style and chrome/skins/classic folders. I guess this is not needed.
Hi David,
Glad you liked it.
Yes Thumbs.db files are unnecessary. I forgot to delete them.
Spectacular Add-on!!!
Readability just made my on-line news reading much more pleasurable!
Thank you.
Readability is great! Thanks!
I noticed one issue that I often have: some pages are on multiple pages (i.e., there is “Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next” at the bottom, like in this article http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/06/21/verity_stob_roomba/). It would be really nice if there was a way to either navigate to the next page directly from Readability (to keep the next/prev. page links) or even to pre-fetch the complete article. Right now I have to go to the original article, scroll to the bottom, go to the next page and re-launch Readability.
But even with this limitation, it is a great tool. Thanks!
Hello Alex,
Thanks for the suggestion. Such a functionality is in the roadmap and will be available in future versions of the add-on.
Really love readability.
Id suggest some features to make it even better:
– custom selector to choose what is the main text (e.g. ‘#text’) so sites where the text is not found can be added by hand
– show the original page when i am inside readability and press the readability icon/shortcut again
– try to find the “Next”/”->” link on the page and add it to readability(possibly prefetch the content and append it)
Baris, it seems that settings are no longer remembered with the latest nightly builds.
Love the plugin, would like to echo the requesets above about showing page numbers.
Additionally, would it be possible to add the “Convert hyperlinks to footnotes” feature that was recently introduced in the original readability bookmarket?
Thanks for the great work!
Darin,
Thanks for the report. Firefox 3.7 has been changed majorly recently and some components need to be updated. Hope to fix it next version.
Hi,
If you like and it is possible I would translate Firefox Reader and Readability into German. Just mail me.
FYI, the Athelas, eBook and Inverse options all seem to be using the same sans-serif font in the Firefox nightlies (aka, Minefield). I know that in the past the Athelas theme was using a rather attractive and readable serif font.
Hi Darin, Right click menu is not rendering properly (becomes invisible) with certain type of Personas viz. have a fox dream (http://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/230639).
Hi Himannshu,
Thanks for the report but it is actually a bug of Personas. You should send the bug report to either Personas skin author or to the Personas development team.
Hi Darin,
Thanks for reply. Plz guide me how do I do that.