I just wanted to compress a confidential document. Instead I built 60 client-side file tools.
javascript
dev.to
It started with a small frustration. I needed to compress a few PDFs that contained personal information — bank statements, passport scans, the kind of thing you don't want sitting on a stranger's server. I opened the first "free PDF compressor" Google gave me. It uploaded my files. The progress bar was reassuring. The privacy policy was 8,000 words and reserved the right to "use uploaded content for service improvement." I closed the tab. Tried another. Same pattern. Tried a third. Same. Fin