Posts in category "software"

I used to use Yahoo Bookmarks which maintains a list of Web sites that I could access from any computer. This was a nice idea but I found I didnt use (or maintain) the bookmarks regularly and the links gradually fell into a state of disrepair. For my most frequently accessed Web sites, I would simply type the start of the address into the browser and simply let auto-complete do its work which was quicker.

A couple of weeks ago, Yahoo launched My Web which overhauled the bookmarks functionality and added the ability to save a copy of the Web page so that the referenced content was preserved in the event that the Web site was subsequently moved or deleted. However, My Web still uses a hierarchical system of folders to store the bookmarks. For example, the Manchester United home page would typically be stored in a folder named 'Sport-Football-Manchester United'.

Then I discovered social bookmarking (Furl, del.ico.us, spurl) which also saves the state of the Web page and maintains a personal, searchable archive (just like My Web). However, the key difference with Furl (et al) is that all Web pages for all users are stored on a central server. For any Web page, Furl can then quickly display similar, related, associated pages which have also been stored by different Furl users. This is what those Web 2.0 people call 'social bookmarking'.

Another difference is that Furl'ed pages does not use a hierarchical structure. Instead, stored pages are simply associated with various tags. So, in the earlier example, the Manchester United home page might be tagged as 'Sport', 'Football' and 'Manchester'. Note that, unlike My Web, the bookmarked Furl page can be associated with multiple categories. Tagging is the key to effective searching with Furl.

This feature is really useful. For example, I am currently interested in using Microsoft OneNote as a single repository to store information, emails, jottings, to do lists, articles, and even Outlook notes. OneNote has a couple of disadvantages; it uses a proprietary format and is a commercial product. So I searched SourceForge and Freshmeat for an OpenSource alternative without much success. Then I discovered KeyNote which looked promising but wasn't much different from using outline mode in Emacs.

Then I stumbled across EverNote and, using Furl, immediately got directed towards some more interesting Web based organiser applications like BackPack, JotSpot and possibly even TiddlyWiki all of which immediately get furled.

Another subtle way that Furl affected my usage was that previously I might stumble across a Web site of interest but could not be bothered to file it as (subconsciously) I didn't want to clutter up my nicely organised bookmarks. With Furl, I tended to add the Web site regardless and simply tag the page as 'Of interest'.

Another possible use for Furl is to capture ideas for blogs. When you see a Web site of interest, simply tag it as 'Ideas for Blog' together with a short comment.

Well I was finally forced to join the masses and download Firefox and ditch Internet Explorer. Yes - my nickname is Johnny Come Lately.

I had been aware of the Firefox browser for a while but my previous experience was with a very early version of Mozilla that had a few problems with a couple of the Web sites I was using at the time.

The final straw came that pushed me over the edge was when my children downloaded some invasive spyware that commandeered the Web browser and implanted a 'Web Search' toolbar. As you can not de-configure this toolbar without completely removing the product, I found myself uninstalling it, my kids would reinstall it for some whizzy colourful cursors. Repeat ad-infinitum. Life is simply too short.

The immediate benefit of Firefox is the tabbed browsing which lets you keep multiple Web sites open and visible at the same time. After you have used this feature for a while, it is indispensable and you wonder how you ever lived without it.

Then I experimented with RSS feeds from the BBC and elsewhere. Instead of having to periodically check a range of Web sites for any new content, I wanted automatic notification of when new content was available. However, while the 'Live bookmarks' feature in Firefox was pretty good, I really wanted something like a pseudo newsgroup that would list new articles on a Website just like articles in a newsgroup. So, I downloaded Thunderbird which seamlessly and painlessly converted all my email messages and contacts from Outlook Express and I was finished.

I have been using Firefox for a week now and so far, the only Web sites that I have encountered problems with is Sony's SonicStage download page (which insists on Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0) and Blueyonder's selfcare home page (which is gloriously blank). However, this probably says more about the authors of these Web sites rather than any deficiencies in Firefox.