Mentionitis: No more tabs

The way we browse the internet has not changed much in the past 20-30 years. Admittedly, browsers have become quicker, shinier, and safer but we still browse the internet in a very similar way. To help explain, I'm going to introduce two possibly new terms: Horizontal browsing and Vertical browsing.

Horizontal browsing

This is the traditional way we are used to browsing the internet. Every new search requires a new tab or window. Going down a rabbit hole usually ends up with numerous tabs or windows open in your browser. The wider the search, the more tabs you generally have open, hence the name "Horizontal Browsing".

Vertical Browsing

This is the concept I'm building Mentionitis around. Searches based on the content (blog/article etc.) you're currently consuming are carried out in the same tab you are currently on. No need for new tabs or windows.

For example, when reading an article about Steve Jobs, you would likely come across a mention of "Apple Inc." With traditional horizontal browsing, you'd have to search for the term in a new tab just to find some generic information, such as the year it was founded. With Mentionitis, you can carry out that search within the same tab without losing your place, train of thought, or getting sucked into another rabbit hole.

Needless to say (when it works well), this helps reduce cognitive overload and increases productivity when carrying out research.

So how do we do it?

For now, Mentionitis is an extension that can be added to your Chrome browser so you can have it at your fingertips while browsing the web. You, simply highlight the item you want to search, right-click and select "Search Mentionitis for [your term]".

This is the best way I could think of to solve the problem, but if you have a better suggestion, drop it in the comments or DM me on Twitter.

Extras (Nice-to-haves)

In addition to this, I threw in the ability to save (bookmark) links without opening them, strange this isn't built into modern browsers!

Also, previewing Twitter accounts from links without opening them either. Hopefully, Elon doesn't break this API anytime soon.

Last word

I'd like to emphasize that this is an MVP and is still in active development. I would appreciate any feedback that would help direct development or solve problems that you commonly face while browsing the internet. Check out the mentionitis website for a demo and other info.

Happy browsing!