It is not possible to remove downloads, displayed in the Downloads folder in the Library, automatically once finished.
Those download items are history items and is stored in the places.sqlite database file like all data that you see in the Library, so removing items that appear in the Downloads folder would involve clearing history items.
Items that you see in the classic Download Manager are stored in the downloads.sqlite file.

You would have to do the downloads in a New Private Window to prevent data from showing in the history.

then that is really awful. why was this done? maybe it is time to change browsers if this is not corrected soon. yes, corrected, as I see this as a major bug.

thank you for your help though.

Oh, wait, the downloads I keep seeing are not located in any particular folder but scattered across my computer in different folders I manually save them to. Would this make any difference? In any event, I can still see the download history, and I so much prefer the old way.

Yes, this is really awful, and I can't comprehend why the History and Download folders were merged, and thinking of downgrading to an earlier version of Firefox when this was not the case.

The only workaround is to only do downloads in a separate private browsing window? What happened to Firefox being flexible and user-configurable?

Add-ons make it flexible and "user-configurable".
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/download-cleaner/

Yeah, I got that, but my geeky friends tell me add-ons also make it slow & sluggish, and mine is now (I have 23 add-ons, including the one you linked).

What I'm asking is why these options were removed from the UI, where they were easily accessible, and easy to figure out without searching for, installing, configuring and troubleshooting add-ons (some of which cause conflicts with other add-ons).

I can't understand why Mozilla and the moderators here seem to have adopted the 'Microsoft' attitude of "we're right, you're wrong, just deal with it." They seem to ignore the underlying concerns of the users posting by offering workarounds rather than *correction,* as oglethorpe69 said, "...yes, corrected, as I see this as a major bug."

I've never understood the propensity for engineers (of all kinds, but especially the software kind) to 'fix what ain't broken' other than to justify their jobs and incomes.

An add-on like Download-Cleaner isn't going slow Firefox down. It does nothing until the user uses it; while is is "cleaning" Firefox might be slower - but that's it - while it is "cleaning". Yes, some extensions do slow Firefox down and too many extensions will slow Firefox down - it's a tradeoff of adding features vs speed.

I have multiple different Profiles that I use for different purposes; my "support Profile" has support related extensions, where my "developer Profile" has website development extensions, and my "general Profile" has extensions that I like to use for general web 'surfing'. Each of those 3 different Profiles has anywhere from 38 to 52 extensions; and 24 extensions (what I consider my "basic extensions) are common to all three Profiles. Firefox doesn't work too slow with those extensions for me to be looking for extensions that I don't really need, and get rid of the problematic extensions. IMO, its not the "number" but what functions those extensions add to Firefox. For instance, instead of installing an extension like TabMix Plus (a behemoth of an extension, IMO) for all the tab features I may want, I find 5 smaller tab-related that provide only one or two features I want and install those. Less problems like "slow-downs" and much less chance of getting broken or causing "new" problems after a Firefox update. I have so many extensions installed because I prefer "one feature" extensions, and avoid the "all-in-one" class of extensions which usually include features that I don't need and will probably never use. A concept that I have refined over the last ten plus years of using Firefox - I have been using this browser since Oct 2002 (a month after this project was started), the Phoenix 0.3 version was my first version.

Please don't lump all "moderators" in with Mozilla staff and Mozilla developers. Almost every Contributor and Moderator who is here to provide support (especially a weekend) is another user like you - we volunteer our time to try to help other Firefox users. Many of us "moderators" aren't always happy with the changes that come with each new version of Firefox, but we "suck it up" to help other users and try to come up with "solutions" to their support issue.

During the week their are a few Mozilla staff people who provide support in this forum from time to time who have the Moderator or Admin tag, but they don't participate (or have much authority) in feature or design decisions made by Mozilla, either. IMO, Mozilla is not a "republic" or a "democracy" where everyone has a vote, it is a "meritocracy" - "leadership by able and talented persons ".

Right, wrong, or indifferent, no one "here" can influence the direction that Firefox is headed. Complaints or suggestions posted here fall on deaf ears - "you're singing to the choir". The correct way to get Mozilla ear is to use the feedback form which can be reached via Help > Submit Feedback... from within Firefox or by going to https://input.mozilla.org/en-US/feedback

As far as a user feeling that something is a "Bug", they should file a properly documented Bugzilla report.

edited to fix a small formatting error

Thanks for the clarification on the add-on vs. speed issue. Most of my add-ons are, as you say, 'single-feature' add-ons that I assume only use system resources when I invoke them to do their job (like 'search on Google images' and such). A few, like AdBlock, Lazarus and others that probably work all or most of the time don't seem to slow me down that much, and I like the 'trade-off' of the benefits gained for losing a few milliseconds here and there. Glad to know from an expert that my intuition is basically correct (about it not being the *number* of add-ons but their *function*).

Regarding my painting mods & developers with a broad brush, while I'll stand by my statement about Engineering and Programming types doing too much tinkering with things that work just fine (whether being paid or not; it's just a personality quirk), I do apologize if I offended you or anyone else here, and I do sincerely appreciate the almost-always prompt replies and often or usually helpful advice. I try to be fairly self-sufficient in the realm of computers, so usually by the time I end up here, I've already been through a bunch of searching through support forums and hacking away at the problem on my own to the point of frustration, much like a man having to pull over and ask for directions. I guess by that point I'm fairly frustrated and looking to vent some along the way to solving the problem. If indeed some of the moderators agree, then a little expressed empathy or sympathy, combined with useful support help in the form of a fix or at least a good workaround (as in this case, via an add-on) goes a long way. One would think being a moderator does not necessarily equate to being a fan-boy or shill, nor should the even have to 'suck it up,' if you see what I mean. In many threads, I've seen users say, "This is a real inconvenience/issue/problem *for me*" only to get a response such as, "It shouldn't be a problem for you, I don't see why it is." In that the user's perception is his reality, and feelings are subjective and therefore not subject to negation by another, that's just not helpful. But most of the time, there's very capable and adequate help offered too.

I did, in fact, post my extreme displeasure about this and a couple other issues in Mozilla feedback, although I feel fairly certain that my voice there also falls on deaf ears because of the... 'meritocracy.' These talented people, while capable, are still subject to erroneous decisions and doing things that may seem like a good idea in the short view, but without thinking through all the implications of an action. I can even see, in this case, how they may have felt they were 'simplifying' a menu and a process, when from where I and other users sit, they were 'taking away' features and options that we liked.

Regarding this issue being a 'bug' I think both of us who used that term did it tongue-in-cheek as a bit of a slam of the 'improvements' made, and of course realize that it would be peeing up a rope to report it as such on Bugzilla, since the developers would never view it as such (especially when they thought they were improving it in some way, albeit with unintended consequences).

Again, appreciate the help, the free volunteer weekend support, and no offense intended toward anyone; just very frustrated and long for the days of early Firefox, which was simple, streamlined, and did everything I wanted it to do, allowing me to *easily* and completely control it all. I guess I came in about v. 1.5 or so and really went exclusively to FIrefox on all machines at all times about v 2.x. Then in just a couple years, we've gone from 3.x to TWENTY-three-dot-x, with more on the way each week or two, or so it seems, and that just can't happen without trouble (like losing favorite add-ons & features, not to mention bugs). </rant>

Minor edits (2x) for clarity and a typo and I'm sure there are more I didn't see.

No offense taken.

When you have an issue with Firefox, instead of searching for an answer it's probably best to consult websites, forums, and blogs that are more or less Firefox / Mozilla "specialists" where a good number of experienced Firefox users hang out.

Over the years I have been a member of a half a dozen or so fora that had a good deal of activity with Firefox support. Now a days there are only 2 fora that I feel are worth my time; this forum SUMO (SUpport MOzillla) and MozillaZine (founded in 1998) - http://forums.mozillazine.org/index.php - which served as the quasi-official support arm for Mozilla software, until Mozilla started this support forum (in 2007??). MozillaZine fora is where Firefox versions before Firefox 2.0 sent users for support from the internal Help files for additional information about those Help articles. MozillaZine also has a KnowledgeBase of support information and documentation, that IMO far surpasses what is offered here as far as depth for advanced users, and those who want to become an advanced user.

Mike Kaply's blog - http://mike.kaply.com/ - covers many "hot" new issues with the latest version of Firefox, along with the ESR versions (Extended Support Release versions).

Thanks much for the tips. I usually do eventually come here, as Googling the issue usually returns the most/best results either here or Mozillazine, but will check out the other fora & blog you've referenced.

See also http://blog.bonardo.net/2013/04/30/new-download-experience-post-mortem

Please DO NOT comment in bug reports: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/page.cgi?id=etiquette.html

@Cor-el - thanks for the article; explains a lot about why it is the way it is. Also thanks for YELLING at me in ALL CAPS and for the 'etiquette lesson. ' Thought I was 'very clear that the 'bug' reference was facetious and tongue-in-cheek, but even with an English degree, I guess I can't speak English and/or nobody has a sense of humor anymore, and my every post apparently leaves a scorched earth of offense. How 'bout I just quit asking stupid questions and p*ssing people off? [Yes, I hear the applause.]

Such a note is not only meant for you, so do not take this too personally and remember that this is a forum that many read (this thread currently has 208 views).
A lot of times we see that some people think that they need to post in a Bugzilla thread and that is highly disruptive because a lot of people receive a mail automatically and devs have better to do then filter out such mails.
So to be sure we add such a note in many cases as this is really important.