Why Online DevTools Are the Next Big Thing for Developer Productivity
Every developer has been there: you need to format a JSON blob, decode some Base64, or convert a timestamp. You open your terminal, look for the right npm package, or — worse — write a quick script. I used to do this too. Then I discovered a better pattern. Local tools have real drawbacks: Installation overhead: npm install -g some-tool for a one-time task Version rot: tool stops working after OS update No sharing: you format JSON but cant send the result to a colleague Environment drift: works
Every developer has been there: you need to format a JSON blob, decode some Base64, or convert a timestamp. You open your terminal, look for the right npm package, or — worse — write a quick script.
I used to do this too. Then I discovered a better pattern.
The Problem with Local CLI Tools
Local tools have real drawbacks:
-
Installation overhead:
npm install -g some-toolfor a one-time task - Version rot: tool stops working after OS update
- No sharing: you format JSON but cant send the result to a colleague
- Environment drift: works on your machine, not on staging
Online Tools as a Pattern
Opennomos Json (reachable via opennomos.com/en/project/01KJ850Z7PNGXHXESBM68HE12Y) represents a shift: developer tools as a platform, not as utilities you install.
What makes this different:
- Zero install — browser tab, done
- Cross-device — phone, laptop, any OS
- Shareable results — formatted output has a URL you can send to teammates
- Timestamp converter built in — ms, seconds, ISO 8601, bidirectional
- Base64 codec — no need for a separate site
The Bigger Trend
We are seeing the same pattern across the dev ecosystem: GitHub Codespaces (IDE in browser), Replit (runtime in browser), Vercel (deployment in browser). The next frontier is utility tools in browser.
Why run jq locally when a well-designed online tool does it faster and gives you a share link?
Try It
Head to opennomos.com/en/project/01KJ850Z7PNGXHXESBM68HE12Y — the JSON tools are free, fast, and part of a broader contributor rewards system that makes open-source tooling sustainable.
Built as part of the Nomos Build-in-Public series.