Hello Coders ๐
For past few weeks, I've been working on a web extension ๐ for Chromium Base Browsers.
What it does? ๐ค
An extension that will allow you to talk to people over the internet, who are in the same website/webpage as you are in, assuming they've installed the app as well.
Can you imagine how exciting ๐คฉ this is. I felt the same when this idea stricken my mind.
With unlimited possibilities ๐คฉ
- Talk to people with similar interests
- Talk to people before making any transaction on an eCommerce site.
How can I use it? ๐ค
So, just yesterday I've submitted it for the review, it may take up-to 3days or so to get live on Chrome web store.
So stay connected and subscribed, I'll post an article once it goes live.
โจ Update, The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Thanks,
happy coding
Top comments (36)
Neat idea. Definitely keep an eye out for possible abuse.
Just implement all initial conversations as message requests like Facebook does and that takes care of pretty much all abuse.
Combined with an option to block or delete a conversation youve really got everything covered.
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
If @ben (the Founder of dev.to) likes the idea, then it must be a good idea.
Thanks man.
I guess it depends on your definition of good ๐
But yes, this is definitely clever and fun.
โค๏ธ
There's loads of potential for abuse and security issues in everything on the internet, there always has been, and there always will be. I appreciate the gung-ho efforts younger devs are giving to try and make it secure, but it's never going to happen; it will always be a losing game. Some of us gray hatters and those infamous "scary" black hatters out here in our onion communities will always make sure of that and have been ahead of the game ever since I've been part of the tech community (mid - late 90s?). Cyber Security as it stands is a very scary and sick joke; I have watched it (de) evolve over the years and it's only got worse and it's only going to get even worse. Incredible headway is already being made in breaking ALL containers.
Security (as most of us should know) is the responsibility of the user (1st and foremost). I'll be damned if I'm putting my faith in some host or some container to "protect" me.
I'm not saying "go ahead and do these types of insecure things" or just "give up" on Cyber Security. As a programmer (and someone that doesn't conform too well to nonsensical rules) I understand all too well the concept of someone telling me I can't do something and me doing it anyway, but it's still scary and funny to watch at the same time none-the-less and we SHOULD NOT TRUST IN MODERN SECURITY.
My main point is that if we keep at this rate of stressing on security then eventually no one will be able to do ANYTHING at all on the internet because NONE of it is secure.
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
It sounds like you're re-inventing Third Voice. Background here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Voice; please try to avoid the traps they stepped on.
As long as the extension asks permission for each domain you visit before allowing it to work I can't see why Google would call this an abuse of power. As others have said this is ripe for hijinks; imagine you're an Etsy seller, but a dozen bots are camped out on your page waiting to show you exactly where to get a knockoff of your creation for half price.
Hitchweb sounds like OpenComments, which I originally developed in 2016. It's now gone beyond an extension for Chromium-based and Firefox browsers to a Web app and an Android app.
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
Awesome idea, but your second use case doesn't fit well.
"Talk to people before making any transaction on an eCommerce site"
for eg. if I bought x from amazon, why would I go to X's page on amazon after buying it?
Thank you Rachit for the appreciation.
Your thought is obvious, by that example what I actually meant was, you may talk to others that are planing to buy the same product, know their perspective and based on that you may take a better decision.
That was just one example, there are unlimited possibilities with this.
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
Interesting idea. Kudos to you for making it happen.
This reminds me of an agency site from many years ago (circa 2009) Red Universe, which gave all site visitors a cartoon avatar, and you would explore the landscape of content by flying or walking around and if you approached another avatar you could chat with them. It blew my mindโฆ it would have been a mind boggling amount of work to produce with the available tools at the timeโฆ
These kinds of ideas challenge the third wall of websites, this idea that we are alone on a site while in reality there are sometimes thousands of other users there doing the same thing you are.
One of the reasons people are drawn to leaving comments or reading comments is it brings that social component back to an otherwise solitary activityโฆ not saying this is always a good thing, but is interesting to consider nonetheless.
Chat takes the positive and negative aspects of comments and amplifies them.
I could imagine a lot of dystopian things that uses could do with thisโฆ but some fun things tooโฆ imagine chatting with someone on one site, then playing hide and go seek with them across the internet, by leaving hints as to which site youโll visit.
But of course as others have said, and I will say again donโt underestimate how bad actors tend to take something fun and novel and make it dark, dangerous and cruel.
Great idea!
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
Always want this. Firefox soon!? I hate google and it's chrome data collection engine.
Sure, once it works smoothly I'll make one for Firefox as well, and it'll be browser independent.
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
That really sounds great!
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
Awesome, this is some great idea.
โจ The Extension is now ๐ด Live โจ
Hitchweb! Browser Extension๐งฉ, Talk to people on same website ๐คฉ
Rajesh Joshi ใป Jun 6 ใป 1 min read
is it ready to use? could you please give me a link?
Yes, it's ready to use.
Link: chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/...