If you're reading this, it means some part of you enjoys surfing the Internet. Maybe you even enjoy spending an enormous percentage of your day doing it.
But are you doing it correctly? Is your web browsing as efficient, productive and fun as it could be? If you're unsure, and you should be, follow our 17-step guide to solving some of the Internet's many annoying problems.
Problem #1:
You don't know which Internet browser to use.
Solution: Use Google Chrome. This is basic Internet.
Chrome is the the world's most popular web browser for a reason. To us, what makes it special is the Chrome Store, which offers a wide range of apps and extensions that can help make your surfing faster, more secure and more customizable. In fact, all of our other browsing tips involve Chrome extensions and apps.
Problem #2
Opening photos all day takes way too long.
Solution: Hover Zoom, a Chrome extension that enlarges thumbnails whenever your mouse hovers over them.
That means no more clicking on the Facebook photos of that person you're creeping on. It works on a bunch of other photo-centric sites, too -- Flickr, 4chan, Imgur, Reddit, etc.
Problem #3
You're a stickler for privacy while browsing the Internet.
Solution: Collusion, a Chrome extension that will simultaneously terrify and protect you.
Thousands of companies and websites are secretly colluding to collect your personal data as you browse the web, but this extension allows you to track the spread of their data across websites.
A toolbar icon will begin to animate if your "graph" (pictured above) changes. And if that data sharing makes you uncomfortable, Collusion lets you sever the hidden connections.
Problem #4
You don't have time to finish that longread at work.
Solution: Affectionately dubbed the "DVR for everything," Pocket is an app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle that can save articles, videos and images for later. It even works offline.
For Chrome, the Pocket extension puts a small Pocket logo in the top right corner of your browser. See a great piece of investigative journalism you don't have time to read at work? Click the Pocket logo and save it for later.
But careful, your queue of things to read, watch and see can quickly get out of hand.
Problem #5
You're feeling unmotivated.
Solution: Momentum, a kind of personal dashboard, generates a different "New Tab" screen every day with a photograph of beautiful scenery and a motivational quote. It also provides a space where you can list your goal for the day -- so every time you open a new tab, a reminder of that one thing you need to get done is staring you right in the face.
Problem #6
Online ads are the WORST.
Solution: With over 15 million users, AdBlock is the most popular Chrome extension there is, and with good reason. It takes away ads on all your favorite sites, including Hulu, Facebook and YouTube. For those who value their privacy as well while browsing, AdBlock Plus adds an extra layer of protection.
Problem #7
Twitter is too massive and quick for one dinky column.
Solution: Enter TweetDeck. This infinitely customizable app allows you to manage multiple accounts and create columns for everything under the sun: your favorites, streams dedicated purely to a single search term and much more. You can even have a column dedicated to just @HuffPostTech, if you're into that kind of thing.
Problem #8
Your work computer doesn't let you download Spotify.
Solution: Spotify for Chrome! This app provides access to both the service's 20-million song catalogue and Spotify Radio. It also allows you to curate your playlists and discover others. (P.S.: Subscribe to my playlists for best albums and best songs of 2014!)
Problem #9
You don't like the way your Facebook looks.
Solution: Social Fixer adds an icon to the top of your Facebook that offers a dizzying number of customizations that you don't normally get. Among its many tricks are hiding political posts and breaking down your feed into tabs.
And wait a second: You like the HuffPost Tech page on Facebook, don't you?
Problem #10
Google Reader is dead. R.I.P., Google Reader.
Solution: Many different services have vied to become the top RSS reader since Google Reader died. But with a 5-star rating and nearly 69,000 reviews, it appears Chrome users have made their choice: Feedly. This clean, customizable interface allows news junkies to break down all their favorite sites into a single feed for quick scrolling.
Problem #11
You have way too many passwords to remember.
Solution: LastPass, an award-winning password manager that allows you to save your passwords and categorize them, meaning the only password you'll ever have to remember is your LastPass password. In addition, LastPass also helps you generate stronger passwords and speed up your online shopping by adding credit cards and shopping profiles while you browse.
Problem #12
You need a much bigger screenshot than normal.
Solution: Awesome Screenshot, a screencapping tool that allows you to screenshot an entire webpage or a selected area of a webpage. From there, the screencap can be saved and annotated with arrows, circles and text.
Problem #13
You have an important email to send but don't want to bother someone on the weekend.
Solution: Boomerang For Gmail lets you schedule messages now to be sent later. Because if you're using Gmail obsessively, you should at least develop some good email etiquette.
Problem #14
You want to check Instagram at work but can't look at your phone.
Solution: Instagram for Chrome! The app lets you browse your Instagram feed in a Chrome pop-out window. From there, you can like, comment and browse to your heart's desire. In fact, this unofficial version actually feels like it has more options than the official Instagram mobile app.
Problem #15
Reddit is wonderful, but it's impossible to navigate.
Solution: There's a Reddit Enhancement Suite that features a never-ending scroll, so you'll never have to click "next page" again. It also has a "My Subreddits" tab, keyboard shortcuts and an inline image viewer so you don't have to leave the page to look at the latest meme photo. It's a must-have for obsessive Redditors.
Problem #16
You have serious procrastination issues.
Solution: Do you spend too much time on Facebook or Reddit when you have a big assignment due? As the name implies, Block Site allows you to block websites that are eating into your productivity. You can even customize where the blocked site will redirect you. You can also customize Block Site so that it only applies on certain day or at certain times.
Problem #17
The number of tabs in your browser is too damn high.
Solution: One Tab looks to solve tab overload by putting all of your tabs in a single... tab, saving your computer's memory in the process. When you want to open all your tabs again, you can restore them individually or all at once.
And there you have it. Thank us later.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article stated that Social Fixer allowed you to keep track of Facebook friends that unfriend you. This option is no longer available.