Over time, desktop internet browsing can become clumsy due to the accumulation of numerous open tabs. You may become attached to tabs you've opened or you forget to close them, and you end up carrying them over to each new browsing session. This issue has been recognized in recent years, and some solutions have been developed to enhance the browsing experience.
The most valuable solution for me was the introduction of tab grouping in Chrome. It helped keep my tabs organized. Before this, there were similar tools to tackle this problem, such as Session Buddy, a Chrome extension that allows you to store and manage sessions effortlessly.
However, both solutions share a common drawback: web browsing now requires time for tab management. While the time involved isn't substantial, it disrupts the browsing flow, requiring a cleanup after each session or cleaning opened tabs during browsing, and that is not fun.
After my last browsing session cleanup, I reflected on how having so many tabs open had become normal. I realized that the web browsing experience hasn't fundamentally changed since the introduction of tabs. When opening a link, you either replace the current page or open in a new tab.
What if there was a way to open a link in the same position as the link itself, without replacing the current page?
This approach should lead to fewer open tabs per session and provide a smoother browsing experience, as your eyes wouldn't need to readjust to a new position.
To test this browsing experience, I built a simple Chrome extension (source).
Here's a preview of how it works:
The extension works partially due to multiple security concerns and the fact that it utilizes the iframe HTML element. If this browsing experience is properly integrated, users should have an isolated and safe browsing experience.
Feel free to share your thoughts or suggestions.
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