No blinking icon/multiple choice selections...whoa!

[IMB4U]

ALERT: A lengthy post is about to begin.

Hi! I love Flashgot...rather, "I did" until I downloaded the newest version 1.5.5.1 yesterday. I see others are experiencing similar issues as I am.

NOTE: My choice of words may seem a little harsh at times (?), but please keep in mind that I “DID” actually love Flashgot before the new version appeared on the scene.

Problem #1:
I download TONS of videos from YouTube and have usually been in a hurry to download as quickly as possible, and it was great to simply do a "one click" on the blinking icon and the download automatically began. HOWEVER...I downloaded the newest version of Flashgot yesterday and now when I try to download videos, the format has CHANGED. Instead of clicking on the icon and having the video instantly begin downloading, I receive MULTIPLE CHOICES of which type would I like to download.

(A) When I "right-click" on the icon, I receive one set of choices and I "CAN" actually select JUST ONE and have that one download. HOWEVER, my problem is that now my INSTANT video downloading process has been taken away from me! PLUS just which selection do I want to choose?
---Do I want a SMALL sized video, MEDIUM, or LARGE?
---Do I want a WEBEM video, FLASH, or FLV?
Excuse me, but those choices are NOT helping me one bit. I do NOT know for certain which selection I wish to choose...AND...if I need to spend 15 minutes in trying to make a “haphazzard” decision, then Flashgot is of no more use to me.

(B) When I "left-click" on the icon, I receive a DIFFERENT set of choices - DOUBLE the amount of choices that the right-click displays! HOWEVER...I CAN'T just select "one" choice no matter what I do...ALL of the choices get downloaded and spread all over my desktop during the download process. I usually have many folders on my desktop and so all of those video downloads get spread throughout my other folders, also. Then I need to go to each download and delete them; very "TIME CONSUMING"!

Problem #2:
There is NO "blinking" icon any longer.
What happened to the "blinking" icon? That always alerted me as to when I could click on it to begin the download process. The icon looks like Flashgot is not working when it just sits there in the tray WITHOUT blinking.

There may be other problems with the newest version, also, but these are the 2 issues I've experienced right from the get-go. I do wish to state that all was working just fine BEFORE I uploaded the newest version of Flashgot.

I'm very upset with this newest version and I sure do hope this is NOT the way Flashgot is going to be working from now on because there is no way I would want to continue using it. It had been a wonderful little add-on, but there is certainly NOTHING "wonderful" about it now.

Instead of being called "Flashgot", maybe it should be called "Get-Flash-Slowly-If-U-Can-Get-It-At-All"?

I currently began a new project where I need to download a ton of videos "quickly"...BUT...there is no way I will be allowed to do that now with this new version of Flashgot!

QUESTION:
Is there a page I can go to that has OLDER versions listed for downloading? I would like to get an older version so that I can continue getting videos without hassles. If not, then I will simply need to give up on Flashgot and find a "better" add-on...one that works like users have come to rely on:
quick & easy “INSTANT” downloads


Addendum: Also, I would “guess” that anyone who is new to downloading videos and tries Flashgot out for the first time to see if that is something they would like to use just might be “turned off” by the display of choices it now gives us. If they’ve never used these type of add-ons previously, then I would think this new version would be too overwhelming to see for the first time. They certainly wouldn’t know which selection to go for...would they?
...Even when I had used other video “grabbers”, I always had looked for something that would get the job done “quickly” and without me having to spend time in making different types of decisions for “each” video I downloaded. I relied on the add-on actually doing “all” the work for me, and not turn me into a detective like Sherlock Holmes.

Again, Flashgot “was” a terrific add-on...however...this new version places it back into the “stone age”. That may seem like a harsh description, but that is strictly my opinion and I wish to relay how I feel (and in hopes I’ll feel a little better after “sounding off”). This makes me sad that I’ve lost such a great add-on. I hope I haven’t actually offended anyone with my comments; if so, please forgive me. I don’t mean to be rude - just honest about my feelings. If I hadn’t have liked Flashgot so well, then I wouldn’t have had any desire to come to this forum and “sound off.”

P.S. Again, can I get access to an “older” version of Flashgot...or not?

[therube]

> Is there a page I can go to that has OLDER versions listed for downloading?

http://flashgot.net/feed (or from AMO)
Disable its automatic updating in Addons Manager until your issue is resolved.


> I receive MULTIPLE CHOICES of which type would I like to download
> There is NO "blinking" icon any longer.

Both are going to be Youtube specific.

[IMB4U]

@therube

Thank you for replying and thank you for the link to the "older" versions of FlashGot! I downloaded an older version, went to YouTube and - VOILA - just like old times again...(1)a blinking icon (which is not absolutely necessary for "me", but I really do like it!) AND (2)no pop-ups asking whether I wanted a small, medium or large sized video, etc. --- just an AUTOMATIC download with a simple click of the icon, with fast results once again. That makes me a happy camper!

Since you said the new version will stay as is for the YouTube website, I'll go ahead and use the older version for now, and perhaps I can begin looking for a different downloader that works like FlashGot used to work...something that fits "my" personal needs and desires. There are probably many users out there somewhere who truly like the new version...but I am not one of them. Different strokes for different folks, right?

Again, thank you very much for your reply and your assistance!

P.S. Um...and thank U for not "scolding" me about perhaps being too harsh with my words in my first comment!

[therube]

> the new version will stay as is for the YouTube website

I did not say that, though I would expect that a Preference will be added to allow you to choose which method is used for Youtube.

[IMB4U]

@ therube

WOW! I just spent 45 minutes trying to "compose" a response to your last reply and when I hit PREVIEW, I was taken away from my posting and a CAPTCHA displayed in front of me, asking me to confirm I was a human. I filled it out correctly, HOWEVER...I COULD NOT GET BACK TO MY COMMENT I WAS WORKING ON FOR THE LAST 45 MINUTES...IT WAS GONE! I also had to fill out the CAPTCHA several more times...each time filling it out correctly, but I wasn't allowed back to my current posting. Then it asked me to fill in my username and when I did, it told me that name was already in use! Needless to say, I just spent 45 minutes of completely WASTED time in trying to post a reply here in this forum. That does NOT make me a happy camper.
......However, I also realize that "you" had nothing to do with what just happened to me.
......Perhaps the person(s) in charge of this forum's working mechanisms might wish to check that problem out?

I'm sorry that I misinterpreted your statement when I initally posted:
> "I receive MULTIPLE CHOICES of which type would I like to download"
> "There is NO "blinking" icon any longer."
You replied:
>"Both are going to be Youtube specific."

With your statement of "Both are going to be YouTube specific", I replied:
>"Since you said the new version will stay as is for the YouTube website...."
I realize you didn't state those words -- those words were "my" initial interpretation of what you had said, but I was wrong in my interpretation. You corrected me by saying:
>"I did not say that, though I would expect that a Preference will be added to allow you to choose which method is used for Youtube."

The entire issue for me boils down to this, I guess. After downloading the newest version of FlashGot and using it in YouTube, I was initially overwhelmed by discovering the following changes:
(1) No blinking icon
(2) Two methods of selecting a video for download; the left-click method not working correctly because I couldn't select just one download -- all of the videos downloaded
(3) Choices offered in which type of video to download (flv, mp4, webem, etc)
......Actually, that is a good idea
(4) Choices offered in "size" of video (small, medium, or large)
......Not knowing the difference my choice would make, it was frustrating for me to see this being offered. I realize that "size" makes a difference to one's computer space availability, BUT...I don't know if "Size" makes any difference in the "quality" of a video.

Again, thank you for correcting my misunderstanding of what you actually had said, and I will check back sometime in the future with FlashGot to see what further developments might have taken place.

P.S. I'm still frustrated, however, that my posting I was working on for 45 minutes got "lost."
I plan on making a copy of this one before I hit SUBMIT -- just in case I need to use it for a third try at posting.

[Thrawn]

If you spent 45 minutes composing a reply, then you would have been automatically logged out.

Yes, FlashGot now offers the option of which Youtube video quality to download. YouTube has always had this available, and some other addons already provided you with the flexibility.

Perhaps what you'd like is an option to choose a default YouTube quality, so that you can then download without making decisions?