This is a short form version of the full Manifesto posted on Partizion. You can read the full manifesto here.
A short time ago personal computing was a futuristic and powerful concept. Only those lucky enough to be in a position to operate a computer, most of the time being a company computer, could possibly see what was to come — and the power personal computing held.
Fast forward to today and a vast majority of first world society has a personal computer, many have more than one. Your phone, being the most used.
The second technological revolution that we’ve witnessed in the passed few decades has been the adoption — or rather the growth of — software and its applications. “Software is eating the world” according to Andreessen Horowitz, the famed VC which boasts a reputable portfolio.
Furthermore, we’ve seen a growth in the number of people starting entrepreneurial ventures. There are more entrepreneurs, freelancers, side-hustlers, partners, founders, and nomad’s than ever before. This has lead to a myriad of new venture — and the wide-spreading discovery that your job doesn’t have to be something you despise.
In this modern age people work online; putting a heavy reliance on the internet, and furthermore their browser.
Today, people read their news on their phones and in their browser. Everyday millions of people check the weather, email, post photos and blurbs of text on social media, and browse websites for pleasure. In a more productive queue, designers browse websites for inspiration, do their design work, then share their designs with teammates and clients — all while in the browser. Developers look to the browser to solve problems, source information, ask others for help, and publish their work. Marketing folks check their analytics, make adjustments, check their analytics again, and then brag about the results — all while using a handy tool, a web browser.
If you haven’t already spotted the trend, these are illustrations of the shear power and reliance on the web browser. The web browser enables people from all walks of earth to learn, create, share, communicate, develop, sell, listen, read, plan, and more. It is the epicentre of all things online.
Moreover, it’s growing. Everyday new apps, websites, and people are published online and become available.
So why should we care?
Being productive in the browser has become cumbersome.
Working in the browser eventually overwhelms itself.
The current most popular web browser, Google Chrome, has proven to be a bit overwhelming and to no surprise, every other browser has this problem. Some claim having 271 tabs open is just fine, other’s suggest having no more than 9 open at a time. What most fail to point out is that humans cannot multitask. In fact, when you think you are working speedily on multiple tasks you are probably just slowing yourself down and doing poorer quality work on top of that.
You are better off working on one thing at a time with laser focus than 2 or more things at a ‘quicker pace’ with your attentions supposedly divided.
So why do we do it? Why do we attempt to maintain so many tabs when we know that it’s impossible to productively utilize many resources at the same time and that working on more than one task/project at a time is detrimental. Popular media would suggest it’s because of FOMO — Fear Of Missing Out..
Science however, has shown time and time again that multitasking isn’t possible and it can even have damaging effects.
This usually stems into a battle on tabs. We’ve all experienced it: You’re working on something and your tabs slowly start to pile up. Maybe something else comes up and you switch to working on that. You don’t want to close those tabs though because you’ll inevitably need to go back to them later once you’ve dealt with the problem/task/email/etc. that has just surfaced. Furthermore, what if you close those tabs and don’t know how to get back to them? Even if you do know how to get back to them, do you really want to spend 10–60 seconds finding and opening each of those tabs?
You are now imposed with a great ultimatum: Work in agony, distraction, and chaos while trying to multitask and accomplish multiple things in a single crowded environment OR close tabs and waste time finding and reopening them. Akin to some political elections, neither is a worthy option.
What do we do?
The bookmarks strategy and why it falls short
Browsers have created Bookmarks — an attempt at solving the battle on tabs. Bookmarks are permanently saved links that usually live at the top of your browser or are buried in a folder for later access. As you know, bookmarks aren’t going to save you. The bookmarks bar can quickly become full and what about your different browsing habits? Surely, you’re not browsing for the same purpose every time you use a web browser. You use it for work, for personal, for your business, school, your side hustle, a research project, and team work all differently. Good luck using bookmarks to fit all of those roles. Furthermore, that bookmarks bar will inevitably fill up. Then you’re hooped. What about context switching (Completely changing tasks, usually closing all current tabs and replacing with a different set of tabs)? Bookmarks can’t do that. So, we move on.
Well, what about using Multiple Windows?
Surely you can separate you work into multiple windows and manage it that way.
Some turn to using multiple browser windows in an attempt to partition their work. Separating your tasks, projects, or workflows at first seems like a great idea. It allows you to use different environments or areas of work. Unfortunately, putting your Personal browsing tabs in one window and your Work tabs in another will just lead to less work getting done and less enjoyment from your much needed personal time. Overall its a lose — lose. As the amount of windows you use grows it just becomes more chaotic; tabs and windows get lost, windows blur into a stack of un-sortable browsers, and you don’t dare close anything in fear of losing those ever important tabs.
Okay — then just use ONE window, to rule them all. Well, not so fast; this doesn’t solve the context switching issue. Again, you’d still be wasting vast amounts of time even picking up where you left off, let alone switching between tasks, work, projects, or browsing habits.
Okay, Okay — how about using chrome “profiles” (or a similar browser feature)? Yes! Profiles are great! They open a new window that is completely divided from the rest of your work. You are basically running different sessions. Unfortunately, there’s no way to organize your work from a birds eye view. We don’t always know when we’re going to need to work on “Side Project” and when “Team A” needs our help. Profiles won’t save you. Just like bookmarks and other multiple windows, profiles eventually pile up and slow you and your computer down, or you are forced to part with them forever and waste even more time opening/closing/finding things. And what about when you’re browsing in your “Personal” browser and you come across something that is pertinent to your “Work”? One would hope you don’t open your other chrome profile > copy the link from the first browser > paste it into the other browser > Save it as a bookmark or otherwise > and then continue on your way. What a time suck. Another strategy bites the dust.
Ah-hah, I am so smart, I actually just use multiple desktops 😏
Multiple desktops allow you to create almost completely separate spaces that you can quickly switch back and forth between. Theoretically you can create a different space for work, personal, and anything else you please. You would be right in claiming victory on the tab battle, until you have to fire up that workspace again, or share what you’re working on. Even worse, what about working from another device? You’ll lose progress, computing power, cooperation capabilities, and fundamental productivity. Multiple desktops inevitably fall short.
When it comes down to it, if all (or most) of your work is done in a web browser, it should work for you. The default shouldn’t be distraction, dilution, and shortcoming. The most fundamental piece of web browsers, the tab — that which holds information, a website, app, or more unimagined, should not be unwieldy and cumbersome. Finding, saving, organizing, sharing, and using tabs should be wonderful. We can do better.
So, what is the solution?
People of the internet need a solution to their browsing management. Designers, Writers, Developers, Creators, and Consumers alike all use the internet and the web browser for just about anything — recognizing that multitasking is firstly not possible and secondly detrimental to one’s daily goals is the first step.
Then, managing your work becomes clearer.
- Working on one thing at a time is crucial to maximum productivity
- Reducing the time spent on setting up your workspace, switching contexts (stopping work on one thing and switching to another), and picking up where you left off
- Keeping organized and up to date with tasks/projects/ and team work
In short, close the tabs you aren’t using. It takes up bandwidth and CPU power, distracts you, and makes it harder to find the resources you actually need in the moment.
What about X, you say?
“But I need all those tabs open because I don’t work on the same thing all day”
“I don’t need that tab right now, but I will when I work on that other thing”
“I forgot how I got to this tab, how am I supposed to find it later?”
Imagine a world where your recent sessions are accessible, custom configured groups of tabs are a click away, and you don’t have to worry about closing potentially valuable tabs anymore. You can find any tab or resource, past or present, in the blink of an eye. Your workspace is focused. Your browser desktop de-cluttered. You’re free to do what you do best; create, consume, and collaborate.
Even better, all of your work is neatly separated into workspaces so that you can focus on the task at hand, switch contexts whenever, and always have access to the information you need.
Enter Partizion, the simplest way to manage your tabs and keep your workspace clutter free. Easily find tabs, save tabs to later reopen, or just declutter your workspace.
Partizion is on a mission to make working in the browser productive and enjoyable. We’re building the features that you wish your browser had and more.
For inquiries email matthew@partizion.io or visit www.partizion.io
