What is the "Work Offline" add-on and how can I use it?

This extension brings the "Work Offline" functionality in the Firefox browser to all other browsers. Unlike Firefox's default offline mode, this extension only prevents web pages from accessing the web so your installed extensions can still observe the web or push notifications. This way, although you are connected to the web, your privacy is guaranteed. The extension adds a toolbar button to your browser. When the color of the "x" is red, the offline mode is enabled hence no new page can be opened (you can confirm this by placing your mouse over the toolbar area to see the current online or offline mode). If the "x" is gray, the extension is not blocking any request, and you can simply browse the web as usual. When you are in offline mode, you can not browse any web page, and already opened pages cannot update themselves (except already connected WebSocket connections). For instance, if you have an open Gmail page, it cannot check for updates. However, if you have a Gmail extension, it still can update the counter.

By default, only net requests originated from tabs are being blocked. Is it possible to also block background requests (requests, for instance, from other extensions)?

As of version 0.2.0, you can right-click on the action button to block background requests too. If this option is checked, your browser does not allow any new net requests to be dispatched. You can uncheck this option anytime to allow background requests.

What is the meaning of the action button's icon?

Red is used when you are offline. Gray is used for online mode and blue is used for per-tab offline mode.

Does this extension affect my browser performance?

When the extension is active (offline mode), a network observer is installed which rejects all the page level requests. When the extension is disabled, there is no network observer hence the extension has no effect on your browser at all.

Does this extension keep its state when I reboot my computer? I want to make sure my browser is not connected when it gets opened.

Yes, the extension's enable and disable state is persistent across browser sessions. It means, if you are in the offline mode and close your browser, you will still be in the offline mode when your browser gets opened next time.

Can I open local web pages when offline mode is enabled?

Yes, this extension blocks all the requests from and to the Web. So you can still open local HTML files and work with them in the offline mode. Actually, it is safer to enable the offline mode when you are opening an unknown local HTML file to make sure it has no access to send stats to an external server.

Is it possible to make a single tab work in the offline mode?

As of version 0.1.2, there is a new item in the right-click context menu over the page action to toggle the offline mode for the active tab. If the tab is in the offline mode while the extension is globally in the online mode, only this single tab cannot access the internet. To remove the blockage, right-click one more time and press the toggle item again.

Does this extension dispatch "online" and "offline" events when the online status changes?

Yes, the extension sends "online" event when the offline mode is disabled only if the browser is not set to the offline mode (in Firefox you can set your browser to the offline mode). Also, it sends an "offline" event when the toolbar button is active or a single tab is switched to the offline mode. Note that in the offline mode navigator.onLine property is also set to false so that the JavaScript code of the page can check the online or offline status later.