Message from the Developer
Like many people, I'm constantly accumulating browser tabs and windows, which got so bad it started slowing down my computer. I didn't have time to sort through all my old windows, so I kept them open to avoid losing anything important. I did try using "bookmark all tabs" for each window, but it took a lot of time and I couldn't easily restore tab groups, not to mention how much it cluttered up my bookmarks. I needed help!
Fortunately, I'm an experienced app developer, so I decided to create a quick Chrome extension to save and restore windows and tabs. After about a day I had something I trusted to work, then all I had to do was click the extension icon on each window to save it. Not only did my computer run MUCH faster, but it was a huge weight off my shoulders knowing everything was saved and could be easily restored. After such a freeing experience, I decided that I should put it in the store for anyone to use.
Despite how quickly I made the initial version, it took a few weeks to get it working well enough that I was comfortable putting my name on it. Because this basically has access to every browser window and tab, I knew focusing on privacy and transparency was essential, so I took extra steps to achieve that. Unlike most software, this never uploads any identifying information, and only accesses the network for 3 things:
- Download images for it to use (ex. website thumbnails)
- Send simple info for counting actions (ex. button clicks and screen views) so I know what's useful
- Send simple error reports so I know what to fix
These NEVER include identifying information, so it's impossible to know if they even came from the same person. That makes it more difficult to know how people are using it, which is how software developers usually decide what to improve, but maintaining the privacy and trust of users is more important to me. It also means I can't use ads or data collection to make money for working on this, and I don't want to limit who can use it by charging for it. Instead, I'm trusting that if people find it useful and can afford to, they'll donate to help me continue improving this. In return, I'll do my best to listen to community feedback to help determine what improvements are needed.
I don't expect you to just trust me or donate to this project without knowing anything about me, which is why I'm publicly attaching my name to this. You can also review my LinkedIn, which I've had since 2006 and verified my identity on over a year ago (profile info), and go through the portfolio of my work at csApp.dev. I realize that other developers may be interested in contributing to this, but for security reasons I think it's important to limit who can modify it for now. That said, I'm happy to discuss collaboration opportunities, and I'll look for ways to enable other extensions to integrate with it and build on my work. There are also a couple other separate extensions I'd like to build if I this works out.
If you've installed Window Stash, or even just read this far, I really appreciate it! I hope you find it useful and intuitive, but if not, please email [email protected] with any issues or suggestions. As the only developer, it may take a while to get to everything and respond to messages, but I'll at least try to get through all of them to determine what improvements to prioritize. Thanks for your patience and continued support!
-Chris
Window Stash
