Growing problem with current extension implementation, heading to a total disarray.

[Paul Traut]

Affects: All versions, all platforms

Rationale:

With the ever growing numbers of available extensions and the number of installed ones makes the flat interface not longer practical, cumbersome and counter productive.

Chrome is closing fast with "add-ons" for FF.

BUT today's mix of Chrome Apps, bookmark finders, tab managers and an ever growing number of items extending the browser towards need, taste and necessity makes the current flat interface harder and harder to manage them in a logical way,

To change an option in "Teabag", makes you start at the top and forces you either to traverse 30 something extensions or using the Find-function shows already its impractical implementation. 

Add to that imaginative names, where "Teabag" could be anything, but not quite, entirely uncommon with "Tea" and the turned off extensions that are just turned on for a specific task and then turned off again, because it eats resources, slow down the browser or is not practical after its use, even altering the current session in a negative way, especially if you are a multitasking user that uses Chrome for developing, research, casting, taking a break by lazy browsing or even watching something totally useless on Youtube.

With the fancy names, the sheer number and a memory span of pre/post election politician, it is often good to read the description since having "Cookies", "Cool clock", "Cooler clock" and "Copy all URL" after each other forces you to stop at "Coolest clock" wondering the difference really was? Not having the time written out when you adding what and wondering why both are disabled you might remember it by reading its description.

An example of that; "Facebook one" with the the description "Hands down, the best Facebook extension for  Chrome". OK. Bold, But nothing more...

Pressing details of the extension gives "Hands down, the best Facebook extension for Chrome". OK, Same text??

To know what happen to install at 4:00 you must go to the store - "Get alerted instantly of new messages, notifications and friend requests on Facebook with this simple, time saving extension.". Way more informative!

Here a policy change, where the developer should write a little description when pressing "Details" could be not that hard? (It's not as hard like writing comments in the code!) if they manage to present it well enough to add it, even if not using Facebook.

Trying a new function means often that you download more then one extension to evaluate them. The option of having extensions automatically turned on makes you happy you just saved the set of your tabs before the havoc, like an UFC combined with some "Royal rumble" begins. Adding things one at the time is at least not my style and using the flat interface makes it take up valuable time searching for it since you can't sort them on time added.

A way of grouping, labeling them like bookmarks and freely move them would make it logical, save time, give more freedom and add to a clarity (that is already missing today) since it will get worse the more extensions people WILL install. And they WILL.

Since this is very "core" I doubt that this could be done by a "quick fix". I hope some agree that it is a serious and growing problem and that a solution need to be done until it will be to late.

(Yes, I'm this "Wall of Text" person and "tl, dr" says more about the intelligence of the reader then of me as a writer, IMO.) ;)

All the best.

Paul