Do you use Firefox? Do you use del.icio.us? Have you installed the new del.icio.us bookmarks manager for Firefox? I am not talking about the original extension that merely added two little buttons near the address bar. I'm talking about a new extension that largely (but not completely) replaces your current Firefox bookmarks system. A few months back, a few of my pals said they didn't know what del.icio.us was really for. They'd bookmark something and never go back there again. To people who signed up for del.icio.us and said, "okay, what now?" the new Firefox extension will seem like a revelation. This simple little add on blows up your archaic browser-based bookmarks (essentially unchanged since 1995), and delivers a pimped-out, 21st century Internet engine.
I should preface this by saying this review is kinda for people who already know what del.icio.us is. If you don't, read this first, then continue.
Okay? First, del.icio.us makes the old bookmarklet a part of your browser. This becomes the default interface for bookmarking a site in Firefox. It looks similar to the java bookmarklet, but it does something extra. It saves your bookmark on the internet AND in your browser. This interface allows you to tag your bookmark (so you can find it later), and decide whether you want to share it or keep it private. If you choose, you can also share it with people in your del.icio.us network.
This is a major improvement over Firefox's default display. Your new bookmarks toolbar is constantly changing. It's either going to show your most recent additions, or it's going to adapt to your changing Internet habits. Remember, if you're surfing sites you don't want others to see, simply edit that bookmark so that it's private.
If you choose not to make it private, it can be seen by other people. Below, you can see how your bookmarks look on the site. A private bookmark will have a red message next to it that says "not shared."
If you edit a bookmark on the del.icio.us site, your changes will be syncronized with your browser. So no matter where you make your changes, you only have to do it once.
Finally, the whole point of del.icio.us is that it enables you to save many more bookmarks than will fit in your toolbar and access them from any computer. If you're on a computer at work, simply access the del.icio.us Web site and search for it, either using your tags or a text search. You can do the same thing from inside your browser on your main computer. Press ctrl+B and start typing. The search engine will find both tags and bookmarks using the text you've entered.
Comments
Great!! I just recently did an identity check for myself and realized I should add myself to the deli.cio.us community... Cant wait to see how well this works with all the bookmarks I got lying all over my work and home pc not including the internet! Phew, so thanks!