What Are Plugins?

An Internet browser allows you to view a website. It understands the programming languages that are used to design a page. However, it doesn't understand what a Quicktime movie, Real Player file or even an PDF (Portable Document Format) file is. This is where plugins come into the picture. Plugins are add-ons to a browser. They are developed by a third party (not the same folks who develop the browser you are using) and are usually meant to view multimedia on the net.

Not having the proper plugin, or not having an updated version of the plugin, really can limit your web viewing experience. If you do not have a plugin installed on your machine, you are not able to view some of the content that the website you are at is trying to deliver to you. For example, in the "Queer As Folk" section of this site, we offer videos in both Real Player and Quicktime format. If you do not have those plugins installed on your machine, you can't view these files.

Not only do you need to have the right plugin, you often need to have an updated version of a plugin. Just as with any software, developers often create updates and/or upgrades to programs as technology changes. Having version 3.0 of a plugin won't help you if the file was designed to be viewed using version 4.0. For example, if you wanted to view the video files in the QAF section that were created for Quicktime, you would need to have Quicktime's version 4.0 or higher. If you only have version 3.0 on your computer, you would only hear sound.

How Do I Install A Plugin?

Different plugins require different installation requirements. You should always check and make sure that your computer meets the System Requirements that the file was designed for. Once you are sure that your system can handle the file, you can begin downloading the file. I always suggest that you read and print the instructions. Often, you must disconnect from the Internet after downloading the file and may not have access to the web page that provides the instructions. A printed copy will help you prevent problems installing the file.

How Do I Use A Plugin?

Most plugins are not usually large files, and once installed, they load up automatically. If you visit a website which uses Flash navigation (buttons to help you get around the site), and have Flash installed, you will see the proper navigation. If not, you will see text (if the developer created a second level of navigation) or nothing at all. You do not need to tell your browser to run the Flash plugin. They work seamlessly with your browser.

Which Plugins Do I Need?

It depends on what you do on the Internet. Most of the time, you will be told that you need to download a plugin to view the content on a web page I don't usually load plugins until I know I will need it. Do be careful when downloading plugins though. Some contain Spyware (which I will cover in the near future) and can do more harm then good. That aside, there are some plugins that have become a standard on the Internet. Some are even installed on newer machines at the factory.

Below is a list of the most commonly used plugins. Each button will link you directly to the download page for each file. The links below also take you to the Free versions of these programs.

	Acrobat - Used for PDF files, which are documents that are set up to viewed in a specific way.
	Shockwave - Used for animation, games and multimedia files on the net.
	Flash - Also used for animation, games and even navigation.
	Quicktime - Let's you watch .mov files such as movie trailers.
	Real Player - Another format used to watch video on the net.
	Media Player - Yet another format used for video on the net.
Not technically plugins
	Winzip - Used to uncompress .zip files you may download. Evaluation copy does not expire.
	Winamp - Used to play .mp3 and .wav files you may download.

If you know of a plugin that should be on this list and isn't, let us know. Use the Online Contact Form or drop us an e-mail.