You can follow the link above to read up on the new search tool. You can access Verbatim with a click on More search tools in the left sidebar of a Google search result’s page, and the selection of Verbatim thereafter. Another possibility is to add the parameter &tbs=li:1 to the end of the query to trigger a verbatim search.

It took less than a day for someone to create a Google Verbatim userscript that places the option more prominently on all Google Search pages. A Yes, really button is added to the Google search form both on the Google homepage and on search result pages. Users can still click on the standard button to perform a search, or they can click on the new Yes, really button to run a verbatim search instead.

The name Yes, really answers the unasked question whether you really want to search for all the words entered in the search form. The userscript works fine under the Firefox web browser with Scriptish installed, and in the Google Chrome web browser. It should run equally fine for users who have the Greasemonkey extension installed instead. I have not tested the Google Verbatim userscript in the Opera browser or other web browsers.

Interested users can download Gooverbatim from the official Userscripts website.

Probably the biggest issue with linked YouTube videos is the fact that users do not see any information about the video. They see a cryptic url http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co8IaSS0Z08 and do not know if it is worth watching the video.

The free userscript YouTube Link Title has two core features. It looks up YouTube video urls automatically and replaces their original link text with the video title. See the following two screenshots for a demonstration (first the standard display on Twitter, then the YouTube links with YouTube Link Title installed)

While that does not make it impossible to get rick rolled it certainly aids users in determining whether they would like to watch the video.

The second feature puts an end to pranks and rill rolls though. You can hover your mouse over YouTube links to see a still of the YouTube video. Even better, a left-click on that video link loads the full video right on the third party web page so that it can be played right away without having to visit the YouTube video portal to do so.

YouTube Link Title is a handy userscript for Internet users who encounter direct links to YouTube videos regularly. NoScript users need to enable scripts for the root domain to make the extension work on sites.

I have tested the userscript both in Firefox and Google Chrome, and it worked identical in both. Firefox users need to install Scriptish or Greasemonkey to install the script, Chrome users can install it right away. (thanks Vineeth)

The browser userscript Add Enlarge Picture Option to eBay Search Results (what a name) adds a semi-automatic option to all eBay search and category pages to display a larger version of the thumbnail image that is shown next to each item in those listings.

The developer has configured the userscript to only work on eBay.com and eBay.co.uk. Users who want to use the script on other eBay sites can try to add those urls to the script. I have not tested this though and it is questionable if it is going to work.

It should be noted that the script works on most eBay category pages. Those that use a custom layout, like the Women’s Clothing category, are not supported.

The script displays an enlarge link next to each thumbnail image on eBay. Moving the mouse cursor over the link text will automatically display the larger version – if available – as an overlay image on the screen. The image vanishes automatically when the mouse cursor leaves the link area.

Users of the script can click on the top right corner of each listing to open the program options. Here they can modify the image preview option to activate by click and not by mouse over. They can furthermore add enlarge links to the private My eBay listing and check for script updates manually from there.

I have tested the userscript both in the Firefox and the Google Chrome web browser and it turned out that the script is compatible with both Internet browsers. Google Chrome users can simply install the userscript from the project website over at userscripts.org just like they would with any other extensions for the browser. Firefox users need to install the Greasemonkey or Scriptish add-on first before they can install and use that userscript.

The default homepage for instance does not fit vertically on a computer monitor running a 1920×1200 resolution. Imagine how that looks like on a netbook or tablet with half that resolution. While it is possible to cut down on the gadgets on the page to reduce the space requirements, it means at the same time that less information are displayed on the page.

If you look around, you will notice other areas of improvement, the large header, sidebar or footer areas for instance.

There is no option to remove the static contents from the iGoogle homepage, or at least reduce the height or width. The userscript Super iGoogle changes that. It hides the header, sidebar and footer area of the iGoogle page by default, and offers options to display the modules again should they be needed.

The default homepage after installation of the Super iGoogle userscript looks like this.

As you can see, the header, sidebars and footer area have been removed from the page. The functionality of the page remains the same, it is still possible to move modules around. The only difference is that the modules can now use the full height and width of the screen, with the exception of the small header bar on top of the screen.

Some users may want to retain one of the removed areas, the sidebar for instance or the header. A click on the options button at the upper right corner of the screen displays options to display the hidden page elements again.

A click on one of the elements displays it instantly on the page. It is alternatively possible to use one of the shortcuts to display and hide the elements.

• Display the header with the shortcut Alt-1
• Display the sidebar with the shortcut Alt-2
• Display the footer with the shortcut Alt-3
• Display a mini-search element with Alt-4

Users who do not want the big header but a search on their iGoogle page can display the mini search module instead to search the Google Search engine from their iGoogle page.

Super iGoogle is a userscript. It has been tested under Firefox with the Greasemonkey extension installed. It may run on other web browsers as well, but that has not been tested.

The only indication of a link’s destination is the url that is displayed when you hover over the link with the mouse cursor.

Cursor Indicator is a free userscript that addresses this. It will automatically change the mouse cursor when it is moved over a supported file link.

The userscript supports the following file extensions and protocols: zip, doc, exe, pdf, txt, xls and e-mail. Each file extension is indicated with its own cursor design to make the distinction easier.

The cursor change is automatic and requires no user interaction. The standard white mouse cursor will change to the appropriate file type cursor whenever you hover the mouse over a support file link. Please note that this acts as an indicator only, the links remain clickable.

The script is offered for multiple web browsers. According to the project page, it supports Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera and Internet Explorer. Firefox users can use the Stylish extension to install it as a user style, or Greasemonkey or Scriptish to install it as a userscript.

The script works on direct links only. Some websites use redirects to link to direct files. Those redirects are not detected by the script which means that the cursor won’t indicate that the destination points to a file.

Cursor Indicator works on all websites and properties. It has been tested on Google and Bing search, as well as on forums and blogs.

Interested users can download the userscript from the UserStyles website.

The Firefox extension supports all userscripts that can be loaded into Greasemonkey, and then some that make use of Google chrome functions that Greasemonkey does not support right now.

Probably the biggest problem for existing Greasemonkey users is that Scriptish cannot import userscripts from Greasemonkey, which means that they need to be installed anew before they become available in the new extension. But that is a one time process and should not take that long, especially since the developer has posted a guide to manually import Greasemonkey userscripts into Scriptish on the official website.

Scriptish offers a better manageability of userscripts. It is for instance possible to edit excludes and includes, and a userscript’s options in the Firefox add-on manager. Greasemonkey users need to be on one of the pages supported by the userscript to access the options. The extension in addition reveals more information about userscripts directly in the add-on manager.

Is Scriptish the better Greasemonkey? It certainly offers support for features that Greasemonkey does not offer. More interesting than that may be that it offers better access to configuration options and additional information about individual userscripts.

Does it offer a better performance than Greasemonkey? I could not really tell a difference, but that does not mean there is none as it depends a lot on the computer and the scripts that are used.

Scriptish is an option for Greasemonkey users who experience performance problems when running scripts, users who want to run userscripts that are working in Chrome but not in Firefox and users who prefer extensions that receive regular updates. For the rest it is definitely an extension to keep an eye on.

The userscript Webcomic Reader offers a partial solution for the problem. Partial? Yes, it is only compatible with site’s specified b the developer. Among the hundred+ websites that are supported are popular destinations such as XKCD, One Manga or Penny Arcade. A full list is available on the userscript profile page, more about that later.

Back to why the userscript is a godsend for comic lovers. Probably the most noticeable feature is the ability to pre-load images or pages. Couple that with Ajax navigation for instant page changes and keyboard shortcuts, and you reduce the page load delay to an absolute minimum. The delay is barely noticeable on fast connections.

Webcomic Reader automatically positions the page so that the comic is shown at the very top. It adds several buttons right beneath the comic which can be used to navigate back and forth with the mouse (this can also be done by clicking directly on the images). There is also a button to remember the page which basically acts as a bookmark without saving a bookmark.

Configuration options are displayed below that allow the user to open the userscript’s settings, switch between the standard and minimalistic layout (which only displays the comic and navigation basically), and enable or disable the fit to screen option.

The following keyboard shortcuts are available to navigate even faster:

• Left/right arrows to move to the previous/next page
• Ctrl+arrows to scroll
• F5 or “.” to reload the current page
• “-” to toggle between the original and minimalistic layout
• “+” to toggle the fit-to-screen option (zooms in or out the image to make it fit in the window)
• Ctrl+Shift+A to add the current page to the site’s bookmarks
• Ctrl+Shift+B to set the current page as the only bookmark
• Ctrl+Shift+X to toggle the “debug mode” (to get alerts on errors, useful for testing settings for new sites)
• “,” while in “debug mode” to see the currently preloaded links/images

Keyboard shortcuts can be changed in the program settings.

What else; Oh yeah, it is possible to add your own site to the userscript. How is that done? Well the developer explains it in detail on the userscript’s homepage but there is a quick rundown. Please note that this only works in Firefox with Greasemonkey installed.

• Right-click the Greasemonkey icon and select Manage User Scripts.
• Select Webcomic Reader and click the Add button. Enter website addresses that you want to add to the userscript.
• Try it, may work out of the box.
• If it does not open the Site settings under User Script Commands – Webcomic Reader – Settings and start modifying parameters.

Webcomic Reader offers everything that one expects, it fastens up page loading times thanks to pre-loading, Ajax and better navigational options, can remember page positions without saving bookmarks and has options to add support for new web comics that are not supported by default.

The userscript works best in Firefox thanks to the advanced options that are available there. It is however compatible with Opera and Google Chrome as well. Check the userscript page for restrictions on this. The userscript is available for installation at the Userscript.org website.

Locate Multiple Domains in Search Results is a free userscript that can visualize results from those domains in the Google, Yahoo and Bing search engines.

The script unfortunately requires manual editing of its code to add domains to it but more about that later.

The userscript basically allows the configuration of an unlimited number of sites that should be highlighted in the three popular search engines. Each site can get its own color code for additional means of visualizing them. It is of course also possible to use one color for all sites, or use colors for specific site groups.

The userscript needs to be edited before it becomes useful. This is done differently depending on the browser and its version. One option is to save the userscript to the local computer, instead of installing it right away, to edit it there which is more comfortable than editing it in the browser window.

Users who want to do that find the source code on this page. Simply copy and paste it into a plain text file on your computer first as it is easier that way for editing purpose.

Locate the following code near the top of the source code

var sites = [
['devseo.co.uk', '#C2D9EF'],
['syst3m32.co.uk', '#98292B'],
['myspace.com', '#CCC']
];

each site is added in the format ['domain name', 'color'],

To add new domain names edit the existing ones or add new ones. Make sure you keep the format exactly as it is, as it would break the script otherwise. To add ghacks as the first site you would change the code this way

var sites = [
['ghacks.net', '#C2D9EF'],
['syst3m32.co.uk', '#98292B'],
['myspace.com', '#CCC']
];

You can check out a HTML color code chart here if you need to. Simply add all your favorite sites this way and save the file in the end as userscript.js.

Then drag and drop it into the browser window where it should be automatically picked up. Firefox users need the Greasemonkey extension for this though. (via Make use of)

Better Amazon is a userscript for Mozilla Firefox (with Greasemonkey add-on installed) and Google Chrome that turns the Amazon product page into a user friendly version. The userscript works with all localized Amazon shops, from Amazon.com to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.de

It only does its magic on product pages. The three most notable changes are the following:

• Displays the average product rating of the product in big letters next to the item name
• Removal of ads on the Amazon page
• Collapsible sections to only display the needed information

Collapsible items can be expanded with a simple click. This way it is for instance possible to expand the customer reviews to read the reviews. Collapsing the items puts them all above the fold or near the fold to access them directly without having to scroll down to the desired section on the page.

Sections can be collapsed again with another click. Firefox and Chrome users find the Better Amazon userscript at the official Userscript repository.

The userscript Image Search Preview changes that for users of the Firefox web browser. The userscript does not seem to work in Google Chrome after installation. Image Search Preview by default will display the original image on hover on the same page.

Users who only want to view the images can do so more easily just by hovering over them in the image search results. The script is currently working on a number of sites, including the popular image search engines Google Images, Bing Images, Yahoo Images as well as Flickr.

Larger image previews is just one of the features that the userscript brings to the table. It can for instance be configured to display direct links to the original images on the thumbnail pages. This makes it possible to download images directly from a search results page or image listing page without visiting the site or page the image is hosted on.

Firefox users need to change the preferences of the userscript for that and a few other features available. To open the preferences users need to click in the search box on a supported website and press the keyboard combination Ctrl-Y or Ctrl-P.

A configuration menu is opened with options to enable direct links. Other options available are to set a maximum height or width for the image previews, a background color for images with transparency and a delay before the image is shown (to avoid accidental previews if the mouse moves over an image preview area).

Firefox users need to install the Greasemonkey add-on before they can install the userscript.

We have taken a look at price comparison add-ons for Firefox (see Firefox Price Comparison or Price Comparison With Invisible Hand For Firefox for starters) and Google Chrome (View Item Price History Of Amazon, Best Buy And NewEgg or Top Google Chrome Shopping Extensions) in the past.

BookInfoLine is a userscript that is currently only compatible with the Firefox web browser. The userscript concentrates on book price comparison. It supports several of the largest book retailers in the world and concentrates largely on the English book market. It checks for instance on various Amazon stores, eBay, Walmart, Google Books, Barnes and Nobles and Abebooks. The userscript furthermore checks for audio and Kindle editions as well.

How does it work then? You simply visit a store page that lists a book. The userscript displays an overlay window at the top right, which, when pressed, displays pricing information from all supported online stores.

Links point directly to the book page on the shops that carry the item. All it takes is one click on the shop of choice to load the page and read up on the details. The userscript does not include shipping and handling costs in the price that is fetched from the online book stores. This means it is still up to the user to make that calculation to come up with the best price.

It is possible to save lots of money on book purchases if the userscript is used for price comparison. Then again, it is mostly of use for users from the US and UK, and not so much for users from countries where English is not the primary language.

Firefox users can install the BookInfoLine userscript directly from the userscript.org website.

The options available are limited, and third party developers have created numerous tools to modify Google Search one way or the other.

GoogleMonkeyR is a userscript that adds many additional options to Google Search. The configuration link is displayed in the upper right corner of all Google Search pages. A click on the link displays the options on the same page in an overlay.

Take a look at the userscript’s options below:

• Columns, change the number of search results columns from the default one column to two, three or four.
• Ability to remove related searches, sponsored links and and search tools
• Add numbers to the search result listing
• Automatically load more results when the end of the search results page is reached
• Don’t display the Google web search dialog
• Change the background color of the search results listing
• Make Google search results open in new tab for all search results, or only on iGoogle.
• Disable Google tracking of the search results
• Display favicons and / or Google Search Preview images for all search results.

Here is an example of how Google Search could look like after changing some settings in the userscript’s options.

GoogleMonkeyR is only compatible with the Firefox browser, and only if the Greasemonkey add-on is installed. It adds some interesting options to Google Search. Especially the ability to remove the tracking of the search resultsm the auto paging and the ability to display search results in up to four columns are worth mentioning.

Firefox users can install the userscript right from the userscript website if they have Greasemonkey installed. (via)

One of the add-ons that I came to rely on in the past is the Greasemonkey extension. Unfortunately it was one of the add-ons not working in Firefox 4.

I first tried to force compatibility on the add-on, with mixed results as it was not working correctly afterwards (take a look at this guide on how to force compatibility in the Firefox web browser)

If you look at the official Greasemonkey site at Mozilla you notice that the add-on is only compatible with versions up to Firefox 3.6, and the same information is offered on the web page of the developer. The last release dates back to April 2010.

What many users do not know is that the developer publishes nightly builds of Greasemonkey on the same server. Nightly builds are development versions of the add-on which often contain additional features or improvements.

In the case of Greasemonkey, they add Firefox 4 compatibility. Just install the latest nightly build from the listing to make Greasemonkey compatible with Firefox 4. Please note though that nightly builds may contain bugs. Firefox will automatically recognize Greasemonkey nightly updates and offer to install them automatically, so that it does not need to be done manually.

All installed userscripts worked fine after installation of the latest Greasemonkey nightly. Let us know your experience in the comments.

That’s a problem as it means that users have to look for updates manually, or make use of one of the userscript updaters to receive notifications about updates. This is true for all userscript implementation, regardless of the browser they are installed on.

Install With is a userscript with an interesting concept to resolve the updating problem once and for all. The userscript basically makes sure that userscripts are installed with auto updating functionality, so that update notifications are displayed to the user whenever a script can be updated.

Here is how it works in detail. Install the Install With userscript first. It can be installed like any other userscript and requires no configuration. Please note that it is currently only compatible with Firefox and Seamonkey. Both web browsers need the Greasemonkey add-on before they can install userscripts.

The Install With userscript alters the install page on the userscripts website. It places a selection menu below the install button, that displays options to install the script with auto updating functionality. Install With supports various auto updaters and an option to install the script without auto updating functionality.

The option to install the script without automatic updating is the default selection. Selecting an auto updater from the pulldown menu will display parameters on the screen. Here it is possible to configure the minimum and maximum time between update checks.

The userscript tries to detect if another userscript uses a built-in updater. If that is the case it will notify the user, and it is the best option to install it without another updater. Security advisories are displayed if an update of a userscript has been detected. These advisories are rudimentary, and use severity ratings from critical to low and undetermined.

Install With is a must have userscript for every Firefox and Seamonkey users with Greasemonkey installed. It adds a much needed functionality to all scripts.

The translation is the only constant when it comes to those third party tools. The main difference is accessibility and the extra features that the developers have added to those apps.

One of the most comfortable options is the Google Translate Tooltip userscript. What does it do? It basically displays a tooltip whenever text is selected in the browser. Hovering the mouse over the tooltip displays the translation right on the page.

google translate

This by default works on every http page on the Internet, and benefits users the most who often receive messages or read textual contents in foreign languages. The userscript works fine on sites such as Twitter, Facebook or Google Mail (after configuring https sites to be included).

As mentioned earlier, the tooltip is displayed on all pages by default, even if those pages are in the native language of the user – or more precisely the default system language. That can quickly become annoying. The userscript thankfully has an option to prevent this from happening by configuring it to only work if the Ctrl key is pressed at the same time.

Once configured this way, Internet users who want to translate text on a page need to press Ctrl, select the text and then the tooltip. If they select text anyway else it will not display the tooltip. This configuration menu can also be used to enable support for https websites.

The options of Google Translate Tooltip hold preferences to select the from and to languages manually. Here it is possible to change the default to translation language English to another language.

Finally, the script offers search options right in the translation tooltip.

google translate search

Links lead to searches on sites such as Google Search, Wikipedia, Youtube or the Urban Dictionary. The tooltip stays on the page until the next left-click on an area outside of it.

Google Translate Tooltip offers fast translations for users who prefer to stay on the page during the translation. The userscript only works in the Firefox web browser, and can be installed on the official userscript website. New users need to remember to install the Greasemonkey extension first, before userscripts can be installed in the browser.

Lets take a moment to think about the features that a userscript should offer. Most users will probably mention that it should support a resolution selector, options to disable autoplay, download links, any maybe hide some stuff on YouTube.

YouTube HD Utimate offers most of those features, in an easy to configure interface. The userscript is only compatible with the Firefox web browser, and requires the Greasemonkey extension to be installed as an add-on, before it can be installed.

The userscript does its magic on all YouTube video pages. The script selects the highest possible video quality automatically, with options to lower it if the computer has problems playing 1080p videos. The video is automatically expanded, and preloaded to avoid playback pauses.

youtube hd ultimate

Download links for various formats are displayed beneath the video for quick video downloads. Several options need to be enabled before they become active. The userscript supports hiding annoyances on the video pages, which includes advertisements and annotations in the video. One interesting option is the mini player mode, which shows playback controls but no video. This mode has been designed for users who want to listen to music on Youtube.

Other options include looping videos, making the videos fit to the browser screen size, darken the video page, keyboard shortcuts for basic player controls and the ability to share HQ links. Youtube HD Ultimate is a feature rich userscript, well suited for users who regularly use the video hosting platform. Remember that Greasemonkey is required to install the userscript.

Switching manually to a safe website takes time, even if it is open in another tab in the web browser. Even worse, the title of the page that you do not want to reveal is still shown on the screen.

Panic Button is a lightweight userscript that offers a safer and faster way of switching sites. The userscript is compatible with Firefox and Google Chrome, and displays a Panic button in the lower right corner of the screen after installation.

A click on that button instantly switches to a preconfigured website in the same tab, that is now showing the Panic button.

It is furthermore possible to press Ctrl+Shift+Q to activate the userscript so that the safe page is loaded. The final shortcut is Ctrl+Q which changes the visibility of the Panic button in the browser.

panic button

Firefox users can configure the add-on by editing the script in the browser. Here it is possible to define the button size, button position and website that should be opened when panic mode is activated.

Users with privacy concerns may also consider changing the locations of the panic button images, as they are by default pointing to the developers website. This means that the developer is theoretically able to see all pages that are accessed by a specific user of the extension.

Chrome users may need to download the userscript first, edit it locally before installing it for the same customization options.

The Panic Button script is available for installation and download at the Userscripts website. Users of the Windows operating system have lots of software alternatives, including Plancoin, WinHide or Hide Windows.

Google Chrome, unlike Firefox, where the Greasemonkey extension is needed to install and use userscripts, supports userscripts out of the box. The browser is however not fully compatible at this point which means that several userscripts will not work properly if they make use of functions that the Chrome browser is not supporting or actively blocking.

The two Chrome extensions Tampermonkey and Blank Canvas aim to reduce the amount of non-working scripts by adding support for some of the functions to Chrome that are not available by default.

Tampermonkey

Tampermonkey was the first Chrome extension to increase userscript support in the web browser. It adds support for several userscript functions like GM_registerMenuCommand or GM_xmlhttpRequest which are not supported by default.

The extension will also intercept the install dialogs on the userscript website.

userscript tampermonkey

This provides additional information about each userscript including its version and website’s that it is configured to work on.

Userscripts that are installed while Tampermonkey is running will not be added to the Extensions listing of the browser. They are instead listed in the options of the Tampermonkey extension.

tampermonkey options

Here it is possible to select a script from the list of installed userscripts to take a look at its source code and configure compatibility options.

userscript source

Blank Canvas

Blank Canvas is another extension for Chrome that changes the way userscripts are handled in the web browser. The extension is in a very early stage according to the developer, basically an alpha version which does not yet offer the same functionality as Tampermonkey.

Installed userscripts are on the other hand displayed in a handy table that displays information such as names, versions, sites, features and controls.

The controls can be used to easily edit, enable / disable or delete userscripts that have been installed.

installed userscripts

Blank Canvas offers a clearly superior layout to manage userscripts in Google Chrome while Tampermonkey leads compatibility wise.

Update: Black Canvas has been removed by the author from the official Google Web Store. Tampermonkey remains as an alternative on the browser.

Developers have found ways to reduce the number of those elements on the image hosting sites. Add-ons like Adblock Plus or NoScript reduce the clutter on those websites so that it is easier to access the images on those websites.

Show Just Image is a userscript that supports almost 100 different image hosts among them popular sites like Flickr, Fapomatic and Photobucket.

The script redirects image requests on supported image hosting sites from their standard pages to the actual address of the image so that the image gets loaded in the web browser without the surrounding page.

Flickr images will for instance be automatically displayed in their largest size in the web browser. The script seems to handle image requests on all supported image hosts the same way.

The script redirects the initial request from the original page after it has been loaded so that the full size image is loaded and displayed in the web browser.

The script is fully compatible with the Firefox web browser. The Greasemonkey add-on needs to be installed. It might also be compatible with other web browsers but this has not been tested.

Wikipedia is on the other hand a rather messy site with lots and lots of links, menus and information that are often not related to the topic the user is researching.

Userscripts are small scripts that change the information that are displayed on a website they have been configured for. They can change, remove or add information to those pages. Userscripts are supported natively by the Google Chrome browser. Firefox users need to install the Greasemonkey extension first. Opera users might want to take a look at Greasemonkey in Opera and Internet Explorer users at the plugin Trixie.

Simplepedia – If you think that Wikipedia is to crowded and filled with unrelated information then Simplepedia is for you. The userscript removes much of the excess on the pages turning Wikipedia into a simple but effective information powerhouse. The starting page has been redesigned to only provide access to a search form, much like Google does with Google Search.

The individual pages on Wikipedia have also been redesigned. Away with all the information in the header and sidebar. Only the relevant information, a search form and the footer information are displayed so that it becomes much easier to access the information on Wikipedia.

Wikipedia Inline Article Viewer – Wikipedia uses a keyword listing to link to other articles on their website automatically. This can accumulate to hundreds of links on a single page that lead to other Wikipedia entries. A click on a link normally loads the new page in the same browser tab. Some users might prefer to access the information directly instead.

That is what the Wikipedia Inline Article Viewer helps with. It will display the linked articles in an iframe on the same site making it possible to browser the linked page without leaving the current one.

Multi-column articles – Wikipedia provides access to a printable version of all articles hosted on the site. The printable version is not optimized. The multi-column articles userscript has been designed to change that. It turns printable Wikipedia pages into a multi-column layout so that the printout is optimized. Some users might even prefer to read the articles in that mode as it resembles the design of newspapers. The extension is not working in Google Chrome currently but a port seems to be in the making.

wikiEd – Most Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone. Wikipedia displays an edit page with some basic text editing controls at the top. Most of the editing has to be done manually though. WikiEd adds more controls to the top of the edit article window at Wikipedia. Some of the features that are added are syntax highlighting, search and replace operations with regular expression support, following links from the edit area, fullscreen text editing and pasting formatted text into the editor.

Wikipedia Clean and Professional – If Simplepedia was simply overkill in your eyes you might want to check out this userscript which does change the layout of Wikipedia encyclopedia articles as well. It gets rid of most navigational elements as well but uses a different layout and design to present the articles to the user.

Wikipedia Large Images – Most articles on Wikipedia contain images that are usually displayed as thumbnails. A click on an image will load an extra page where it is shown in full size. The Wikipedia Large Images userscript displays a larger version of the image when the user hovers the mouse over the image on the Wikipedia page which effectively means that it is no longer necessary to visit the image pages to get a closer look.

Google in Wikipedia – The name of this userscript is a bit misleading. It adds links to searches on other Internet sites at the top of the Wikipedia page. This includes Google Image search, IMDB, eBay, Video and Music searches.

Secure Wiki – Makes sure that a https connection is used to access Wikipedia and its sister sites. This can be helpful when users log into Wikipedia to edit pages. It is also possible to open the https connections manually but this userscript makes sure that it will never be forgotten.

Wikipedia cursor2input! – Wikipedia places the cursor on the page in the search text field on its main page only. This is not the default behavior on article pages. This userscript places the cursor on Wikipedia article pages in the search form as well so that it becomes possible to type the search phrase right away.

Wikipedia Printable Version – The printable pages of Wikipedia articles display only the contents of the article and no navigational elements. This userscript redirects every Wikipedia page to their printable page which is handy for users who usually print Wikipedia pages and users who prefer a distraction free experience.

Are you a Wikipedia regular? Have you found other userscripts, browser add-ons or bookmarklets to improve the online encyclopedia? Let us know in the comments.