Image Block X
This was a small project to learn the ropes of how to make web extensions. Image Block X replicates the functionality of the Firefox add-on Image Block, which was built using Firefox’s deprecated “XUL” API. Simply put, it was a toggle button to enable or disable loading images in the browser. I had found it useful when tethering to my phone during the summer, and wanted to make sure I could continue to use this functionality even after Firefox removed the XUL system.
What I didn’t expected when developing the extension was just how many other people were also looking for a replacement for the extension. Within the first month it had 50 users, by month three it had 500 users, and a year and a half since the initial release, it has stablized at just under 3000 daily active users.
What I didn’t expect was how invested some users would become with the extension. Not just giving ratings and reviews, but writing personal emails, creating GitHub issues, and even writing pull requests! Overall it’s been a very humbling experience to see how the code I write can have a real impact on people around the world.