Extension
Software typically traps users in two modes: one is completely preset, where you can only follow the designer’s script; the other is extensible, like VSCode or browsers, but extension development is dauntingly complex. Platform software divides people into developers and users: developers rack their brains to write plugins, while users passively install them. This division seems reasonable but artificially creates a barrier. Platforms want plugins to be reused to flourish the ecosystem, but for ordinary users, the threshold is too high.
Imagine you’re using software and have a flash of inspiration to improve something. In the traditional mode, you first need to transform into a “developer”: learn APIs, set up environments, write code, package, and publish. This path is long and painful, with most good ideas dying before they take shape. Greasemonkey scripts are an exception - they make browser extensions lightweight, like “extensions within extensions,” but still not intuitive enough.
Eidos attempts a new exploration. Extensions are no longer add-ons but part of the software’s DNA. You can write code directly inside and see effects in real time. When friction disappears, magical things happen: users start thinking like creators. They no longer passively accept but actively solve their own problems and customize their own tools.
AI makes all this even simpler. The threshold for creating tools has never been so low.
Eidos has two types of extensions: Script handles data logic, and Block handles interface interactions.