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Glad to see the concept of work spaces realized quite thoroughly - I wrote about the need for such an approach before: https://rybakov.com/blog/open_tabs_are_co

Glad to see the concept of work spaces realized quite thoroughly - I wrote about the need for such an approach before: https://rybakov.com/blog/open_tabs_are_cognitive_spaces/ https://rybakov.com/blog/open_tabs_are_cognitive_spaces/ I am intrigued, though, how well the browsing history concept scales up to dozens of tabs. In my experience, I only use the newest tab on mobile, while the other open tabs become some kind of living bookmarks.

juliussohn 8y ago
Your article has a place in our reading list ;) https://refresh.study/reading-list https://refresh.study/reading-list
- spython 8y ago
  Oh wow, awesome! Glad my text was, in part, a source of inspiration :)
erikpukinskis 8y ago
This is correct. Browsers need to become “spacers”. The spaces need to be publishable and moderateable and multiuser and all the other things we expect for web objects though. Nice progress made on this project.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- workona 8y ago
  You should check out Workona's workspaces. We've built some of what you've mentioned as a Chrome extension backed by a web app. Our workspaces (persistent windows with names) remember your tabs automatically, are multiuser/collaborative, and even have a URL (like any good web object). You can also access your workspaces on multiple computers, so you can start a project at work and finish it at home. We're officially launching out of beta next month, but you can sign up now if you're interested: https://workona.com https://workona.com
  - bendotero 8y ago
    This looks promising. I've tried to adjust some of my workflow around a concept like this using Spaces/Task Switching apps but eventually just fall back to old habits. Will give it a try.
  - spython 8y ago
    Glad you guys are launching! I tried workona for a week, but couldn't justify switching away from firefox. It seems though, you added a lot of features, maybe it's time to try again..
    - workona 8y ago
      Thanks! We'll add Firefox support soon. In fact, they have some additional APIs that we're pretty excited about.
  - VladimirGolovin 8y ago
    Just tried it -- this is a great idea. Unfortunately, I can't use it because Workona spaces don't "containerize" accounts I'm logged into. For example, I need multiple spaces where each space is "dedicated" to a single Google account -- it has multiple tabs open that are logged into that particular Google account. I tried to create that setup, but the accounts "leak" between spaces: logging into a Google account in one space doesn't allow tabs in other spaces to be logged into a different Google account. If you ever implement proper account isolation per space, please notify me: I'd like to be a beta tester.
    - maccard 8y ago
      > For example, I need multiple spaces where each space is "dedicated" to a single Google account Could you sign in to chrome in your different google accounts, with an instance of workona per google account? It's not perfect, but might do what you want it to do?
    - workona 8y ago
      Glad you like the concept. You're correct that we don't attempt to do account isolation as that isn't the purpose of our workspaces. Our workspaces are meant to be used at the project/meeting/workflow level, not at the Example Inc./Acme Inc./Home level. As another person suggested, you can use Chrome profiles with Workona installed on each, but that likely isn't what you're after.
kodablah 8y ago
Somewhat coincidentally, I also used the term workspaces for a similar approach [0], and "bubbles" for what FF calls containers [1]. 0 - https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/page-tree#workspaces https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/page-tree#workspaces 1 - https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/bubble https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/bubble
- spython 8y ago
  I kind of like your project just for the simple goal of not hiding complexity. As it is through hiding complexity that we get products whose minds we can not read. As your approach is "Browser as IDE", have you thought of.. actually putting tabs next to tabs, inside of the main window? Like Jupyter Notebook, but for websites? After all, we all mostly do research and there is an action that springs out of our browsing activity. If that action is 'writing stuff down', why not do it directly in the browser?
  - kodablah 8y ago
    The idea was less "browser as an IDE" and more "browser GUI like an IDE's GUI" meaning maximize organization and quick context switching in lieu of hiding everything. Granted IDEs often have tabs on top too, I just chose not to. While I update it to newer Chromium versions regularly and use it as my main browser with great success, the lack of community interest in the project limits my desire to put much work in to new features unless I really want them. This article and the idea of tab history solidify an approach that I have always taken to browsing that I've dubbed "immutable browsing". I ctrl+click every link to make a child and only purge the roots of the tree to roll up the children when the roots habe no value to me anymore. On a Wikipedia or Github project spelunking expedition, I can get many levels deep, sometimes ctrl+clicking dozens of pages as background child pages from a single page.
niutech 8y ago
There is Panorama View for Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/panorama-view/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/panorama-view... and Spaces for Chrome: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/spaces/cenkmofngpohdnkbjdpilgpmbiiljjim https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/spaces/cenkmofngpo...

juliussohn 8y ago

Your article has a place in our reading list ;) https://refresh.study/reading-list https://refresh.study/reading-list

spython 8y ago
Oh wow, awesome! Glad my text was, in part, a source of inspiration :)

erikpukinskis 8y ago

This is correct. Browsers need to become “spacers”. The spaces need to be publishable and moderateable and multiuser and all the other things we expect for web objects though. Nice progress made on this project.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
workona 8y ago
You should check out Workona's workspaces. We've built some of what you've mentioned as a Chrome extension backed by a web app. Our workspaces (persistent windows with names) remember your tabs automatically, are multiuser/collaborative, and even have a URL (like any good web object). You can also access your workspaces on multiple computers, so you can start a project at work and finish it at home. We're officially launching out of beta next month, but you can sign up now if you're interested: https://workona.com https://workona.com
- bendotero 8y ago
  This looks promising. I've tried to adjust some of my workflow around a concept like this using Spaces/Task Switching apps but eventually just fall back to old habits. Will give it a try.
- spython 8y ago
  Glad you guys are launching! I tried workona for a week, but couldn't justify switching away from firefox. It seems though, you added a lot of features, maybe it's time to try again..
  - workona 8y ago
    Thanks! We'll add Firefox support soon. In fact, they have some additional APIs that we're pretty excited about.
- VladimirGolovin 8y ago
  Just tried it -- this is a great idea. Unfortunately, I can't use it because Workona spaces don't "containerize" accounts I'm logged into. For example, I need multiple spaces where each space is "dedicated" to a single Google account -- it has multiple tabs open that are logged into that particular Google account. I tried to create that setup, but the accounts "leak" between spaces: logging into a Google account in one space doesn't allow tabs in other spaces to be logged into a different Google account. If you ever implement proper account isolation per space, please notify me: I'd like to be a beta tester.
  - maccard 8y ago
    > For example, I need multiple spaces where each space is "dedicated" to a single Google account Could you sign in to chrome in your different google accounts, with an instance of workona per google account? It's not perfect, but might do what you want it to do?
  - workona 8y ago
    Glad you like the concept. You're correct that we don't attempt to do account isolation as that isn't the purpose of our workspaces. Our workspaces are meant to be used at the project/meeting/workflow level, not at the Example Inc./Acme Inc./Home level. As another person suggested, you can use Chrome profiles with Workona installed on each, but that likely isn't what you're after.

kodablah 8y ago

Somewhat coincidentally, I also used the term workspaces for a similar approach [0], and "bubbles" for what FF calls containers [1]. 0 - https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/page-tree#workspaces https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/page-tree#workspaces 1 - https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/bubble https://cretz.github.io/doogie/guide/bubble

spython 8y ago
I kind of like your project just for the simple goal of not hiding complexity. As it is through hiding complexity that we get products whose minds we can not read. As your approach is "Browser as IDE", have you thought of.. actually putting tabs next to tabs, inside of the main window? Like Jupyter Notebook, but for websites? After all, we all mostly do research and there is an action that springs out of our browsing activity. If that action is 'writing stuff down', why not do it directly in the browser?
- kodablah 8y ago
  The idea was less "browser as an IDE" and more "browser GUI like an IDE's GUI" meaning maximize organization and quick context switching in lieu of hiding everything. Granted IDEs often have tabs on top too, I just chose not to. While I update it to newer Chromium versions regularly and use it as my main browser with great success, the lack of community interest in the project limits my desire to put much work in to new features unless I really want them. This article and the idea of tab history solidify an approach that I have always taken to browsing that I've dubbed "immutable browsing". I ctrl+click every link to make a child and only purge the roots of the tree to roll up the children when the roots habe no value to me anymore. On a Wikipedia or Github project spelunking expedition, I can get many levels deep, sometimes ctrl+clicking dozens of pages as background child pages from a single page.

niutech 8y ago

There is Panorama View for Firefox: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/panorama-view/ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/panorama-view... and Spaces for Chrome: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/spaces/cenkmofngpohdnkbjdpilgpmbiiljjim https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/spaces/cenkmofngpo...