🌏 The Subject Specific Browser with Waterfox

The idea of the Site Specific Browser, led me to the idea of the Subject Specific Browser. Instead of using a tool to reconfigure a browser, why not just install another instance, rename it, then configure it for the sites I want?

For example, when working with automation and Katalon Studio, why not have a browser that always loads Stackoverflow, the Katalon forums, Tutorialspoint, and any other Groovy/Java or automation specific sites?

This creates a more focused and consistent experience so the browser loads the sites you need to work with. You avoid sifting through tabs or closing the wrong one and create a browser for automation, or C# Programming, or Udemy courses. You won’t get distracted by a previous session in Amazon, YouTube, or the latest review of the Mac Studio

You can also gain some privacy. Since companies pillage your browsing history for shopping habits, why not make a browser specific for YouTube or Amazon? Harder to track your habits.

This also makes browsing faster and lighter. Plugins are great, but you don’t need them all the time. For example, I only need Katalon Recorder for automation.

With a siloed browser, you can stay signed in to YouTube in one browser, but not be signed into Google on another. You can use Honey just for Amazon. You can have more privacy blocking in one browser with Ghostery, and Privacy Possum, than you do in another. You can have AdBlock turned On and Off.

It also allows you to create browser specific Bookmarks, Recent Activity, and passwords, as well as separate browser configs. Maybe you do want it clear the cache on exit in one, but not in the other.

Yes, this uses drive space and ram. I usually only have two running at a time, with a third coming into play for a specific purpose.

I’m a fan of using multiple browser instances. It makes for a focused experience and I much prefer YouTube and Amazon to be isolated from everything else I’m doing.

I’ve chosen Waterfox as my alternate browser. It’s Firefox with some improvements.

The process is quite simple.

• Install Waterfox
• Run Waterfox once then close it
• Customize the icon and .plist file
• Launch and configure your settings
• Install your plugins
• Repeat as necessary.

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/385073/how-do-i-rename-an-app-in-macos-properly

The only drawback so far is the need to redo the .plist and reset the icon after an update, but that takes a few seconds.