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.<p>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.<p>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!