Ancestry Daily News
  Beau Sharbrough – 8/31/2000

RootsWorks: Browser Plug-ins

You've surfed the Net, and sometimes you see messages that say you need a "plug-in" in order to view the information on a Web site. When you start your browser, you occasionally see a message about "loading preferences and plug-ins" and wonder what it means. Sometimes you get an option to download and install the plug-in immediately, and other times you see a link to another site.

On the whole, plug-ins are a great way to extend the capabilities of your browser. As they say on the Microsoft site, "The best parts of Internet Explorer haven’t been written yet." (They didn’t have in mind the sarcastic inferences going through your mind right now.) The parts they referred to are the additional features that independent programmers can write and then "hook into" their browser, extending its usefulness to you. Whether you favor the chocolate browser or the vanilla one, there are some plug-ins out there that you will want to use.

What Are Plug-ins?
Technically, plug-ins are small programs that extend the capabilities of a browser by processing specific file types in specific ways. At least, they are small compared to a browser. In plain English, they soup up your browser. Most plug-ins only perform one kind of specialized function—such as multimedia, 3-D graphics, or streaming media. If the Web page designer relies on one of these functions by using a particular file type, such as an animation file, the plug-in will display that file's output in the browser window.

Many plug-ins will work with either of the two popular browsers, but some will only work with one or the other. It's an unfortunate world where you have to choose, but at least there is some comfort in the variety. Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) pages include a section with "Web Accessories," and the plug-ins available from Alexa, New York Times, and Alta Vista will interest many users. Netscape has more VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language—more on this later) plug-ins to view 3-D graphic content.

Typically, you download plug-ins in one step and install them in another, but occasionally, you can do it all in one step. In some cases you'll also have to re-boot, as is the case with the Stamps.com plug-in.

Name Two of Them
Here is a list of some of the more popular browser plug-ins available:

  • RealAudio (streaming audio and video). Almost every radio station in the country and every major league baseball game is available on the Web and accessible with this plug-in.

  • MacroMedia Shockwave (animation). Install it and go to bunco.com. The cartoons are fun to watch.

  • Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF file display). Many sites are using PDF files to control the display of document files.

  • Apple QuickTime (multimedia player). This plug-in works for content on Macs or PCs. I remember playing the Star Wars Episode I trailer with it.

  • Internet Postage by Stamps.com (print your own postage). While the program is free, the postage costs the same as anywhere, and there’s a service fee. The Web site has detailed information.

When It Works, What Does It Do?
Some people think the Web is already better than television. I'm not one of them—but then again, I enjoyed The A-Team, so don't go by my tastes. Using the most popular plug-ins, you can watch video, hear music or Lou Gerstner's IBM Annual Meeting address, view and print IRS tax forms, watch movie trailers, or print postage on your own printer. With the right plug-in, you can hear MIDI music while viewing a page.

The Web is getting pretty good. One of my old professors says that the Internet is a mile wide and an inch deep. It's getting deeper and wider every week, as the quality of available content improves and its value for edu-tainment grows.

What’s the Downside?
I've seen the install break down. Some people find that keeping up with the current version of every plug-in they have is tiresome. Even though they're free, you have to spend your time downloading and installing them. Netscape and IE are working on "smart updates" that make updating less painful, but until it's transparent, I’m not going to say it's not a potential headache.

How Do I Know If They Aren’t Working?
If your plug-in isn't installed properly, you could see a number of different indications. For Macromedia, you may see a white box with a blue puzzle piece, or sometimes you just don't hear the sounds that are associated with a site. On occasion, I've seen the link from the browser to the add-in break, which results in an error message from the browser: the browser says it can't find the add-in. This happens frequently with Adobe Acrobat. Re-installing the plug-in when this happens usually solves the problem.

What If I Change Computers?
Usually, if you change computers, you have to re-download and install the plug-ins. Check with the plug-in Web site if you have specifics in mind. Since they're free, there is no issue with expense. The other side of the coin is that you can install the same plug-ins on any computer that has your browser, and you can view the same information anywhere.

Where's the Genealogical Tie-in?
If you or your relatives are videotaping interviews and want to share them over the Web, you might find yourself creating file types that would be played back by a plug-in. The Adobe Acrobat plug-in has moved into the forms arena, with many agencies posting Adobe downloadable forms for requesting records on their sites. I suspect that you'll be filling out public record requests online for before too long. In addition, most of the genealogists I know do a LOT of mailing. The convenience of printing your own postage is a great timesaver.

Link Me Up (More stars is better)

What Else?
I tried to find a page about Macs, but it was under construction. I’m not a Mac lover, but I’ve become a Mac lover lover, so I have to quit trashing them in print. I tried to find a second page, and it was a broken link. I began to get the impression that if you have a Mac and want to surf for plug-ins, you should come back some other year.

It turns out that plug-ins are almost always usable for both PCs and Macs, and that sites like Adobe and Macromedia have Mac downloads available. Still, I'd like to see things look fair to everybody, not just PC users.

Also, Netscape is the clear leader in add-in technology. Microsoft makes developers use different tricks to hook in their add-ons, and it’s not as seamless.

And finally, one up-and-coming tool is VRML, or Virtual Reality Modeling Language. I think it's only a matter of time until a developer creates a family tree browser plug-in with a graphic interface similar to flight simulator for people to surf through genealogical databases. It's not as far-fetched as one might think. The Sierra Generations Grande Suite version 8.0 has a 3-D chart that uses the Cosmo VRML engine. There's a Cosmo plug-in for Netscape. I think that the Sierra guys will have you putting 3-D genealogical charts on the Web for viewing with a VRML plug-in soon.

Beau Sharbrough is the president of GENTECH, the founder of the GENTECH and FGS Web sites, and a founder of the Lexicon Working Group. He would like to hear from you at beau@sharbrough.net, but due to the volume of e-mail received, he is unable to answer every e-mail message received. Please note that he cannot assist you with your individual computer problems. Visit Beau's Web site for information about speaking engagements. Beau is the father of two college-age girls and is another insufferable graduate of Texas A&M University.

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