Snap those tabs
Gaël.com
__ Remember when browsers used to crash? “Aw, Snap!” 😵 … WTF?! I lost all my tabs! What am I going to do?! … 🙇 … ⏳ … 🤔 To be honest, all these tabs were seriously affecting my browsing experience. Did I really need those 37 tabs? How did I even get to that point? I know what I need to do right now and I don’t need all that clutter. Let’s start fresh with a new browser window. Hmmmm that feels good! 💆 [End of this beautiful story] ___ Unfortunately, browsers don’t crash as much as they used to (?!) and there is virtually no limit to how many tabs a person will end up having open at the same time. Why is tab overload an issue? [1] 🤯 cognitive burden 😰 source of stress / anxiety 🐌 slower browser and computer 🔋 increased battery usage __ Some people are attempting to solve the tab hoarding problem with tab groups, tab organizers, tab managers... Seriously? Don’t you have enough things to do? Does “browser tab management” sound like a skill you want to add to your resume? Can I give you access to my inbox so you can organize my emails in different color-coded folders for me? I thought so… The solution to the tab hoarding problem is simple: 1. Realize that you have a problem. 2. Start sorting all your tabs one by one and take a trip down memory lane remembering the ambitions of your former self when you opened this tab earlier today and that other one a week ago, oh and this one about buying bitcoin in 2019... → ❌ NO! Skip this step. ❌ 3. Close ALL the tabs. This is where Snap Those Tabs comes in. It allows you to close your tabs before the FOMO kicks in. No time to change your mind! Whether you’re on the verge of a mental breakdown or just because you’re fed up with your computer sounding like it’s about to take off, save yourself with 1 click. 17 tabs? 1 click. Gone. 29 tabs? 1 click. Gone. 43 tabs? 1 click. Gone. ___ ⚙️ Adjust the settings to decide which tabs get to live and which get to die. Want to spare pinned tabs? 📌 “These are actually important because…” 🤫 I don’t want to hear your excuse but yes, you can do that. Want to spare tabs in other browser windows because not only do you have a tab hoarding problem but you also have a window accumulation condition? 🤷 Sure. One step at a time... ___ FAQ (no one ever asked me any of these questions, I just made them up) Q: Can’t I just close my browser to get rid of all my tabs? A: If you haven’t set your browser to “Continue where you left off” you can do that. You’re also missing out on life. Q: Isn’t there a shortcut to close all tabs anyway? A: There is one. It’s for power users though. Are you sure you can handle it? Also, the shortcut is 3 keys. This is 1 click. Consider this a shortcut to the shortcut. Q: I accidentally closed all my tabs! What am I going to do? A: Three steps: 1. Take a deep breath. 2. Trust your brain. It should hopefully remember what you were doing and what tools and information you need to do it. If it doesn’t, tab hoarding might have damaged it a little bit. But don’t worry, it’ll get better. Worst case scenario you can always check your "recently closed tabs" or your browser history. 3. Enjoy 😌 [1] When the Tab Comes Due: Challenges in the Cost Structure of Browser Tab Usage (research article) https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3411764.3445585
