I've been teaching myself to program over the past year, and HN has been a great resource. I started with Python, but wanted to learn some Javascript, too, and settled on writing a browser extension as a first project. I wrote this simple Chrome extension to bug me when I browse distracting sites and keep one tab from turning into ten.
I'm a big fan of tools that help manage the total time I waste online like Leechblock and StayFocusd, but I wanted a tool to remind me to spend my daily distraction quotas wisely. This extension prevents quick visits to HN and other sites from sucking up too much time by providing a gentle reminder every few minutes. Open a distracting tab, and it starts counting down from your preset time limit. When time's up, it will prompt you to close the tab or restart the timer.
This is my first browser extension (and the first real thing I've written in Javascript). I'm sure you'll find some bugs, but I hope you also find it useful. It feels great to have the ability to build the tools I want myself, instead of hoping someone else will!
