Exactly one year ago today, I released StopTheMadness version 1.0 in the Mac App Store. StopTheMadness has come a long way since then and is currently at version 6.1. (No apologies for version number inflation!) The app has gained some great new features, including a Firefox add-on to go along with the original Safari extension. It has increasingly emphasized protecting your privacy on the web, blocking tracking methods such as hyperlink auditing (anchor "ping"), invisible beacons, and uniquely identifying URL query parameters.
StopTheMadness has even gained some beauty over the past year, with a new app icon. It's amusing to look back at the original icon, which was created by me (entirely with code, because I'm a coder not a designer LOL), and compare it with the current icon, designed by Rory Prior of ThinkMac Software. What a difference a year — and a designer — makes!
I'd like to take this opportunity on the first anniversary of StopTheMadness to thank all of my customers for supporting me by buying the app and leaving spectacular ratings and reviews in the Mac App Store. I also appreciate the emails from customers with tons of useful feedback. I'd like to thank my friends for helping to promote the app over the past year. I have special thanks to give to John Gruber, an early fan of StopTheMadness who has done more than anyone to raise awareness about the app. Especially these days, it's extremely difficult for an indie developer on a shoestring budget to get noticed. Word of mouth discovery is essential, and a mention by someone of Gruber's stature and vast reach makes a huge difference for a small business. I'm not sure the app would still exist today if it weren't for Daring Fireball, so I thank you for that, John, and I thank you as well for your longtime, continuing vocal support of the Mac platform.
Happy first anniversary to StopTheMadness and everyone who uses it. Here's hoping for many more anniversaries!
Love, Jeff