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If you're a user of the Firefox browser and haven't yet experimented with the Greasemonkey extension for it, downloadable for free here, you're in for a treat. The basic goal of Greasemonkey is to allow you to customize the way a web page displays and behaves by using small bits of JavaScript. The good news, if you're not adept with JavaScript, is that a thriving community of Greasemonkey users posts useful scripts for common applications that you can install in seconds for free. Many scripts are posted every day. Alternatively, it's easy to learn to create your own scripts. Read on for seven excellent example scripts, and see how Greasemonkey turns Firefox into a muscular web customization front-end.

If you want to learn to write your own Greasemonkey scripts, the online instructions are easy to follow. However, you can get lots of good shortcuts, time-savers and other tweaks for your favorite applications in the daily list of updated Greasemonkey scripts from the community. At the page calling out what each script does, you'll find an Install Now button for one-click installation, or you can view and customize the source code for the script.

Here are eight useful examples of community-driven Greasemonkey scripts for popular applications:

Yousable Tube Fix. This script allows you to customize YouTube in a number of ways. You can removes ads and unwanted sections (configurable), allow downloading and resizing of videos, display all comments on one video page, and more.

Twitter Enhancements. This Greasemonkey script appends a "retweet" button to the end of each Twitter entry and marks read items conveniently.

Google Reader: Show Feed Favicons. This Greasemonkey script automatically decorates your Google Reader subscription list with icons corresponding to the web site from which each feed originates, as seen at left.

Gmail Addons. This script allows you to add numerous kinds of functionality to the GMail interface. It also has complete integration with Google Calendar and Google Chat.

Google Auto Login. This script signs you in automatically from any Google page (it only works if Firefox is set to remember your password).

MySpace Home Auto-Update. Use this script to auto-update MySpace home pages, bulletin spaces, friend updates and more.

Flickramio. This Greasemonkey script puts two Google Earth map images adjacent to any geotagged locations you view in Flickr. For example, the aeiral Google Earth image at the bottom below is the same jetty being shown in Flickr at left.

If you haven't given Greasemonkey and available scripts a whirl, spend some time tinkering--maybe over the holiday weekend.

• firefox
• Greasemonkey