paraka | Tabs! Tabs! Everywhere!

Tabs! Tabs! Everywhere!

I kind of stopped reading my LJ about halfway through the month of December. I've gone back as far as my flist will let me and am making my way forward. So if you get a comment from me for a post from 2 weeks ago, that's why.

Since I'm catching up, I only just saw this post by

seperis on how many tabs people generally have open at a time. I was kind of surprised to see "Why In the Name of God: 51 - 99" and "Screenshots or It Didn't Happen: 100+ " because for me, 51-99 means "Yay! I've gotten rid of a ton of tabs!" My average amount of tabs is somewhere around 120-180 tabs open (generally between 2, sometimes 3 windows). It always takes me like 2 minutes to scroll through all the tabs I have open.

...Is that not normal? Because I totally thought it was. Hell, even at work, where I try my best to not have very many tabs open, I have 35 open. So, I'd like to do my own poll to see how my flist does:

[Poll #1322798]

It's funny, when I first got into fandom (when I was still using IE) I never used to have more than, oh, say 5 windows open (although, I think it was more like 2). I used to make fun of

raxhel for having 20 windows open all the time. Then when we moved to China, we were sharing an internet connection between the two of us, so I'd go on stints and open a ton of windows so I'd always have fic available. I was still using IE at the time, and would get like 50 window open. I *hated* Windows automatic updates, because they'd shut my computer down while I was sleeping (I turn my computer off maybe a dozen times a year the rest of the time it just goes into hibernation) and I'd lose all my windows. Then I found Firefox.

I think before too, I wasn't getting as much fic off of LJ, I'd just go searching for fic off archives, rec lists or yes, sometimes LJ whenever I wanted to read. I'd only ever pull up one fic at a time. Now though, there's so much fic on my flist that I am constantly opening new tabs. There's more fic than I could ever possibly read out there. In fact, I started a spreadsheet with links to all the fics I found interesting enough to read. And that's not even mentioning all the meta and rec lists and vidding links I pull up as well. I can't imagine going back to just having a few windows open at a time.

Of course, all this does explain why Firefox alone uses around 400MBs of my memory on a good day.

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I clean up and restart my computer too often to have a zillion tabs open. I just bookmark the hell out of things.

Thinking back, I think I used to bookmark for QaF once I got on LJ, because there were a few comms I was on where fic popped up.
The thing about bookmarking though, is that I don't remember *why* I bookmarked it later when I'm looking through the fic there.
When I open a tab for a fic, I generally open the link of the entry on my flist (so if someone rec'ed it, or it was on a story finders comm, I'll open that window instead of going straight to the fic) so I can always see what it was that caught my interest.
That way if I don't read it right away, I'll know why I thought I'd like to someday. That's how I ended up with that giant ass spreadsheet :P

You're all complicated like Greg, with your spreadsheets. ;)

Me, I figure if I bookmarked it, I wanted to read it, so I do. I keep separate bookmark folders for fic to read, fic I want to reread, websites, etc. Aaaand then I get lazy and don't bookmark in the proper folders and end up with a slopload of unfiled bookmarks. One of my resolutions for 2009 is to get back to using my organization better.

But, but, but aren't you ever in moods for certain *kinds* of fics? That's my problem with just bookmarking. Sometimes I want to read an AU, or a first time, or something funny, or smut, or hell, mpreg.
I think I'm just a moody reader. There are some fics that if read at the wrong time, I won't like, but at another time will be just perfect. So bookmarking something and assuming I'll enjoy it doesn't work for me.

Yes, I get moody for fic. But, since I can't keep a zillion tabs open, I have to make do with bookmarking.

I can't even keep too many windows up. I usually go Outlook email, Firefox window with usually four tabs, gear player, WordPerfect, and my IM panel. Once I'm done working I close all my work stuff. Once I'm done with a tab I close it. Otherwise all the clutter makes me go AAAAGH cuz my little brain can't handle it.

Which, given the perpetual state of my house, is rather funny.

Heh, I was just looking at my computer (and I'm at work right now) and realized just how cluttered it is, see?
I have 14 windows open:
Notes: 12 tabs
Chrome Window #1: 9 tabs
Chrome Window #2: 27 tabs
2 Folder widows
4 Session windows
2 Portal windows
2 spread sheets (normally that number is *much* higher)
Widows Media Player

I think I'm one of those people that needs more than one monitor :P I always resize my windows so I can see the most windows at once possible. I think I'm sick or something.

OMG there is NO WAY I could do that. Just simply no way.

:P Hee, I guess I'm lucky I have a fairly large screen here at work. I honestly can't imagine doing it any other way.

Oooh, a bit of an OT question: how are you liking Chrome? It looked pretty good from the previews, but I'm still a bit too attached to all my FF addons.

Well, I had a conversation about it over here a while ago.

Chrome definitely isn't Firefox, but given time it could be something similar, it's just not there yet. I think the only people they're going to switch over are people currently using IE.

A couple additional comments to my post linked above.
-I really like that you can do Google searches from the address bar without having to first go to the Google homepage. I know it doesn't take much extra time to skip over to Google, but I'm lazy like that. I find myself constantly making mistakes when I'm at home and using Firefox :P
-I only recently discovered this, but you can do a Google search on the links in your history, that kicks some serious ass. I hate trying to find things in my history since I always have so many tabs :)
-Tabs on Chrome don't scroll, they just get smaller and smaller. So if you have 50 tabs open the tabs on the bar become so small you can't know what you're clicking on as you change tabs. I'll sometimes accidentally close tabs instead of switching tabs because the X button is pretty much all that's showing.

I think those are the main points. Like I said, it could be a kick ass browser in the future if they get an add on community like Firefox has, but right now I still find FF is better.

Chrome definitely isn't Firefox, but given time it could be something similar, it's just not there yet.
Boo! But yeah, it looked kinda spiffy from the previews.

re: additional comments:
- you can totally do google searches in the firefox address bar! I do it constantly.
- FF does have history search too, but maybe it's not as good as google searches.
- I'll sometimes accidentally close tabs instead of switching tabs because the X button is pretty much all that's showing.
Hmmm... But on the other hand: I like seeing how many tabs I have open. (I also heart my 'tabs counter' FF add-on.)

I'm going to read that IJ post now. Thanks!!

you can totally do google searches in the firefox address bar! I do it constantly.
Yeah, but Firefox will see if there's a webpage fitting that description first, so I sometimes end up at really random websites. I shouldn't really complain, I have a Google search box right beside my address bar.

FF does have history search too, but maybe it's not as good as google searches.
Hmm, I guess I never noticed that. I see it now though, I'll have to try that next time.

Sorry about the double post, I hit post prematurely.

Yeah, but Firefox will see if there's a webpage fitting that description first, so I sometimes end up at really random websites.
That's true. But most of the time I'm curious enough to see where a search will take me, even if it's really not what I was looking for. :D

There are some tabs that I always have open - my primary e-mail, Twitter and LJ - and then a few with things I need to/meant to read or want to remember to post about. But once I realize that I won't get around to reading something anytime soon, it goes into the "to do" part of my bookmarks. I would go CRAZY with more than 10-15 tabs.

(Although there are more sometimes while I'm "actively surfing", for example when I'm checking my flist, reading another community and having someone send me links via IM at the same time.)

There are some tabs that I always have open
*nods* Me too. For me, it's gmail, Livejourna and Insanejournal and lately, google docs, since that's where I keep spreadsheet with my bookmarks saved. :P

I can't imagine only having 10-15 tabs open on a regular basis. Not because I necissarily enjoy having so many tabs open, but more because I'm too lazy to have things that organized. Also, I've become pretty multi fandom lately, in rather large fandoms. That means every time I read my flist I find more fic to read. I probably pull up about 40 fics a day when I'm not filtering my flist. Combine that with the 200 or so post a day on my LJ, about 40 a day on my IJ, the 100 or so vid recs a week, and the meta (really varies from week to week depending on my mood) I just don't have time to read and organize everything that catches my attention. Hense the 150+ tabs open :P

Also, I've become pretty multi fandom lately, in rather large fandoms. That means every time I read my flist I find more fic to read.
That makes sense, of course. The two fandoms I even read participate in these days are pretty small, and since I'm kind of picky about fics and vids, there's not so much I need to keep up with.

Still, doesn't searching through 150+ tabs (and loading them every time you need to reboot!) take way more time than organizing them? I'd get so confused, I can't even imagine anyone being able to work with that - respect! :D

That makes sense, of course. The two fandoms I even read participate in these days are pretty small, and since I'm kind of picky about fics and vids, there's not so much I need to keep up with.
*nods* Back in my QaF days I doubt I ever had more than 5 windows open, just because the fandom wasn't that prolific, or I'd be more friendly with the back button to work my way through a list. But Stargate Atlantis can easily turn out 30 fics a day on my flist that I'd like to read. Now that I'm in the Supernatural fandom too, they have more like 50 (I haven't really adjusted to having that fandom on my flist yet). I just joined a bunch of Torchwood comms, but haven't been able to take my flist off it's filter yet to see how it'll affect my numbers. At least Numb3rs, Reaper and Alles Was Zählt don't have very much fic.

Still, doesn't searching through 150+ tabs (and loading them every time you need to reboot!) take way more time than organizing them?
Well, generally I have the tabs I use the most at the front, it's not like I'm using all the tabs that are open, so I don't have to do much scrolling. When I go through the fic I have up, I can generally find one not too far in, and will just move the tab closer to the front. Sometimes it can take a minute to move it (as it scrolls past all the tabs in front of it) but that seems much faster than trying to put all the tabs in my spreadsheet.
As for rebooting, heh, I'd have to actually do that. I probably reboot my computer about 10 times a year. Although it doesn't take too long to reboot everything when I have to. Maybe I just have fast internet...

Oh man, I get twitchy when I have more than 10 tabs for longer than a few hours. (And that's WITH Firefox' Faviconize add-on.) When I read my flist, I do tend to open up 50+ because I scroll down/up my friends page and open every entry I want to read/comment on in a separate tab.

I do often open a new window when I'm reading my message center, because I open every relevant message in a new tab too.

As for fic: I really haven't read all that much these last few months, and save all the things I want to read on a 'to do' textfile on my desktop.

Oh, and about reading your flist when you've been gone for a while: don't know if you saw this, but LJ introduced the View Friends Page by Date feature. It's pretty handy.

Oh man, for some reason, I thought you were one of the people on my flist that had 20+ tabs open at a time. I think I must have been in some sort of denial land to think having 100+ tabs open was normal :P

As for fic: I really haven't read all that much these last few months, and save all the things I want to read on a 'to do' textfile on my desktop.
Out of curiosity, when you add things to your to do list, do you just add the link? Or do you add a description of why you wanted to read it?
I think I could avoid a lot of my tabs if I was willing to save things without an explanation of why I want to go back to it but if I do that, I'll never go back and read the links.
Hell, I hardly ever manage to get through anything on my To-Read list, and there are descriptions there.

I thought you were one of the people on my flist that had 20+ tabs open at a time. I
I used to do that last year or so, but then it got on my nerves. Now I'm trying to pace myself a bit.

Out of curiosity, when you add things to your to do list, do you just add the link? Or do you add a description of why you wanted to read it?
Just the link and the wordcount. Most of the time, it's already been recced by a few people whose judgment I trust. And if I don't like it (when I finally get around to reading it), I just close the tab.

I used to do that last year or so, but then it got on my nerves. Now I'm trying to pace myself a bit.
Oh good, I'd hate to think I had made that up. I think you had done a screen cap of your tabs once, that's where I got the idea...

Most of the time, it's already been recced by a few people whose judgment I trust. And if I don't like it (when I finally get around to reading it), I just close the tab.
See, I think my problem is that I'm a moody reader. It could be a totally awesome amazing fic, but if I'm just not in the mood for it that day, then I'm not going to enjoy it properly and vice versa (it could be a bad fic, but if I'm in the mood for it, I'll like it anyways).

Oh! And thank you for the by date thing. I remember the announcement, but I never really looked into it. Have you used it before? Can you still filter? Because I'm currently at skip 300 on my super-ultra-nothing-but-people filter, if I have to actually go through all the comms as well, I'll be at about skip 5000 :S

Have you used it before?
I haven't taken any huge breaks from my flist since they introduced it, but I did test it and it seems to work. \o/

I think you could filter yeah...let me look, it was somewhere in the comments of the announcement post: here.

I've gone through some of my flist using these links and OMG is it ever awesome! I'm totally going to have to do it this way from now on. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

Wow. I don't know how you do that -- it would make me crazy.

I generally have three windows open: Outlook, Firefox, and iTunes. (In that order, too. Taskbar Commander is one of my favorite little programs for reorganizing the windows in your taskbar.) If I'm working on something for school, then I'll have those windows open, but I never go more than one row. If that happens, I start closing windows.

As far as browsing goes, I almost always only have one window with no more than two rows of tabs. Even two rows makes me twitchy -- one row is best. If I'm reading my flist or message boards, I only open tabs when I know I have time to read/answer and then close them as I go to get back to one row.

I've been using the Taboo extension for Firefox to bookmark stuff I'd like to read later. I like to keep the bookmarks on my computer organized and at a minimum, so Taboo is great for all the random stuff I don't have time to read. Problem is, I never actually get around to reading them. I've come to realize that if it's not important/interesting enough for me to read when I open the tab, it's generally not important/interesting enough for me to read at all. Less is totally more for me.

It would drive me crazy trying to keep my tabs below this number :P Actually, it drives me a bit crazy maintaining my tabs at this number (otherwise I'd have a billion and 2 open). :)

I remember the first time you mentioned how many tabs you keep open, I scoffed a bit and thought you were crazy.

Now that AOL has the AOL desktop where I can actually open stuff up in tabbed browsing (I really should use IE, but I grew up on AOL and I'm slow to change), I've gone a bit crazy myself.

I'll open tabs for fic, icons, vids, interesting stuff from my flist and whatever. Plus, I do still sometimes have to have an IE window open with stuff either because LJ is not cooperating with AOL at work (it does that sometimes) or because I'm looking at a vid on Veoh, which does not like AOL. Other than that, I also have a Windows Explorer window open, some kind of media player (two if I'm watching an ep), plus a Word doc and sometimes an Excel.

I have to admit, I so badly miss my double monitors from when I was working in IR. They were both huge 19" monitors and the computer was fast, plus access to the T drive meant I could have whatever opened. The only reason I don't have more open now is because Windows Updater still restarts my computer every other week (I know how to stop it, I just don't) and, as much as I hibernate my computer to move between home and work, it slows way down after awhile.

I remember the first time you mentioned how many tabs you keep open, I scoffed a bit and thought you were crazy.
Really? I don't ever remember talking about it. And honestly? I really thought it was normal to have this many tabs open. I'm kind of shocked that I'm the only one on my flist who has this many tabs open.

(I really should use IE, but I grew up on AOL and I'm slow to change)
Oh god, no! Never IE, use Firefox, or hell, even Chrome is better than IE, but never IE. :S

I can't stand having too many tabs open, my limit is usually the number I can put and still read the top subject line. Cause I usually forget about them or again it all gets too messy and I close them all down. Read it later helps me a lot, I just save everything to that and get to them when I get to them.

What's Read it later?

It's a Firefox addon that lets you save links to read later and then get rid of them. It's here (http://www.ideashower.com/ideas/launched/read-it-later/) if you want to check it out. It just keeps things less cluttered for me.

I have dial-up, so I usually don't have more than 15 taps open at once, otherwise my computer slows down way too much. I'm afraid of how many tabs I *would* have open if I did have more freedom. *face-palm*

Question, why does having more tabs open slow your internet down? Do they constantly refresh? I would think if I were on dial up I'd want to have a lot of tabs open, that way I can read through something while other tabs load... It's been a long time since I've been on dial up though.

For me, the more tabs that are open, the longer they take to load, sometimes so much so that the computer just freezes. And if I'm looking up pictures or videos...*shudder*... it's like my computer is possessed.

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Tabs! Tabs! Everywhere!

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