Since I recently upgraded Firefox to version 3, I updated my Firebug install to version 1.2 Beta. One of the first things I noticed was that the little icon in the status bar had changed from a checkmark (or a grey slash when disabled) to the little insect icon (it’s grey when disabled, and colour when enabled).
I don’t mind seeing the Firebug icon occasionally (like when the Firebug panel is open), but I find it a bit distracting and, yes, disturbing to have that little bug always onscreen. Oddly, I never found Safari’s “report bug” button distracting in the same wayโperhaps it’s because the Safari bug icon is more abstract than the more finely detailed Firebug icon. (Although I admit that looking at these two screenshots side by side, there doesn’t seem to be much of an obvious difference!)
In any case, I decided to create my own status bar icon for the new Firebug. As you can see, my icons are very abstract, to get away from the creepy-crawliness of it all. The six legs are represented by six stubby horizontal lines, and the body has become a sphere.
(disabled) and 
(enabled)
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