PomoTurkey Extension

An extension that works as a Pomodoro timer and blocks users from opening distracting sites for the duration of the study period, and unblocks the sites during the break.

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Inspiration

What inspired us to make the PomoTurkey extension was that we found that now more than ever students are tasked with using their computers and the internet for online school. However, it's difficult to stay disciplined when there's so many fun distracting websites.

What it does

We thought it would be a great idea if there was some way to block these distracting websites during a study session. The idea is that when the extension is turned on students will use a 25-minute Pomodoro timer when it is the study period. During this time, all the websites that they listed as distracting can not be accessed. After that timer is over, they get a 5 minute break in which they can access whatever websites they want.

How we built it

We built the extension by using HTML to build the skeleton of the GUI, and the CSS to style it. We also used JavaScript and typescript to run scripts in the backend such as updating the timer. We decided from the get go that we wanted to make a Chromium based extension since it is popular. Hence, we were able to test the extension in Chrome and used Inspect element to access features such as console, and application.

Challenges we ran into

Each of members are from different time zones which meant that sometimes they would need to rest up a bit and not able to work with the rest of the team. Therefore, we made sure to always be clear when we communicate or talk to each other about the code. Another thing is that all of our members had very experiences with JavaScript prior to this. Even though it was intimidating picking up a new language and learning its quirks as you go, we decided to push ahead anyways since we felt committed and inspired by our idea.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

What we're proud of most is not only the sheer amount of work and time we put in, but also the teamwork and quality communication. Each of us managed to work on the features independently. Yet, when the time came to merge it together, we were able to fit it in and take the best aspects of what we all did and put wrap it into a single package.

What we learned

We learned a great deal about the technical aspects of what it takes to make an extension. In the process of doing so, we also were able to familiarize ourselves with JavaScript and typescript. Not only in terms of syntax, but also advanced concepts such as Object Oriented Programming. Besides technical skills, we also improved our soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and time management.

What's next for PomoTurkey Extension

As much as we accomplished, there are still more features and bugs we would like to fix or work on in the future. The most important feature being that the timer does not pause when the GUI is minimized. We hope to keep working on this extension because it of it's practicality. Eventually the goal is to make an app so that it reaches a broader audience.

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