Better Bogleheads

A Chrome extension that supercharges the Bogleheads.org forum with visual improvements and filtering options.

Features

• Unread Badge - Shows the count of unread topics on the extension icon. Badge color changes based on count: green (1-20), yellow (21-60), or red (61+)
• Zebra Striping - Alternating row colors for easier reading (customizable color)
• Hide Read Topics - Automatically tracks topics you've clicked and can hide them. Topics reappear when new replies are posted.
• Highlight Hot Topics - Highlight topics with many replies (customizable threshold and color)
• Watch Posters - Highlight topics where a watched poster is the author or last poster (add via side panel or right-click a profile link)
• Hide Old Topics - Filter out topics older than a specified number of days
• Adjustable Font Size - Increase or decrease the topic list font size (50% - 200%)
• Mark as Read (Right-Click) - Right-click any topic row to mark it as read without opening it
• Keyboard Shortcuts - Quick access from any Bogleheads page (see below)
• Pointer Cursor - Optional pointer cursor when hovering over topic rows
• Time Tracking - Tracks time spent on the site with today's time, all-time total, and a 30-day sparkline graph
• Export/Import Settings - Download your settings as a JSON file or restore them from a previous export

All settings are saved and persist across sessions.

Side Panel

The extension uses Chrome's side panel for all controls. The panel automatically opens when you visit Bogleheads.org and slides out from the right side of the browser. You can also click the extension icon to toggle it. All settings in the panel apply immediately. Hover over any setting to see a tooltip explaining what it does.

Omnibox Commands

Type bh in Chrome's address bar, press Tab, then use these shortcuts:

• new - Go to active topics
• hot / hot off - Toggle hot topic highlighting
• zebra / zebra off - Toggle zebra striping
• font inc / font dec - Adjust font size
• reset - Clear read history
• #12345 - Go to topic by ID
• user:alice - Search posts by user
• "search term" - Search the forum

Keyboard Shortcuts

Use these shortcuts from any Bogleheads page:

• Alt+B - Toggle side panel
• Alt+Shift+H - Toggle hide read topics
• Alt+Shift+N - Navigate to active topics
• Alt+Shift+R - Mark current topic as read

Reassign shortcuts at chrome://extensions/shortcuts.

Installation (from repo)

1. Download or clone this repository
2. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
3. Enable "Developer mode" (toggle in top right)
4. Click "Load unpacked"
5. Select the extension folder

Files

• manifest.json - Extension configuration (Manifest V3)
• content.js - Applies enhancements to forum pages
• background.js - Service worker for side panel, context menus, omnibox, and badge
• sidepanel.html - Settings panel UI
• sidepanel.js - Settings panel logic
• sidepanel.css - Settings panel styling
• icons/ - Extension icons

Usage

1. Navigate to https://bogleheads.org/
2. Click the extension icon in the Chrome toolbar to open the side panel
3. Adjust settings as desired - changes apply immediately

Permissions

• storage - To save your preferences
• sidePanel - To display settings in Chrome's side panel
• contextMenus - To provide right-click "Mark Topic as Read"
• scripting - To re-inject content script after extension updates
• Host permission - Only runs on bogleheads.org

License(s)

• MIT License - Feel free to modify and distribute
• Bogleheads® is a registered service mark of The John C. Bogle Center for Financial Literacy