I’ve reached the stage where I need a tool to help me manage my bookmarks. Posting all the links I find to a private MT weblog isn’t the best solution, as I need hierachical folders and a better search.
I’ve started looking at desktop solutions. I only need the tool to work on Windows. Features I’m looking for:
* The ability to assign bookmarks to multiple categories
* A decent search tool
* A field allowing me to comment on the link.
* A web export option. So that
## I can still see my bookmarks when using a University terminal
## I can share them with others.
Looking at the last two points, maybe a web based solution would suit me better. I’d forgotten about University.
I’d like to be able to make some links public as I post them - I like the comments I get in this weblog on some of the entries, as they point me to unknown useful solutions.
With regard to desktop tools, I’m currently trying:
# “Powermarks”:http://www.kaylon.com/power.html - works well, but _no categories/folders_
# “Compass”:http://www.softgauge.com/compass/ - quite nice, but hasn’t been updated for 2 years and doesn’t make any mention of Mozilla. Also didn’t auto-detect my Opera hotlist (it didn’t know where Windows XP stores it), unlike Powermarks.
The other thing I hate is having to enter keywords so i can find it later. Here’s a few ideas:
* Get the keywords from the description I add (most tools do), but use a stemmer so that if I search for the singular or pluaral they will both match.
* Use something like “Pile”:http://pile.codewhore.org to link together related bookmarks. Maybe this could pick up relations I’d miss by searching.
* How about analysing the web page I’m bookmarking and building an index of the words it contains? This is probably difficult to make relevant (impossible?) due to the way authors ramble on about unrelated stuff on the same page. So probably not a good idea.
* Could AI be used? I know I’m rather star-struck by the Bayesian classification of email, but surely there’s a similar technique for information management?
I know I keep on banging on about Knowledge management tools (such as in “[most] Email clients are obsolete”:http://peter.mapledesign.co.uk/weblog/archives/most_email_clients_are_obsolete.html), but I can’t be the only one experiencing problems, so someone out there must either know of a solution, or be writing one 
24 comments ↓
Why don’t you take a wiki?
I use one since a feew weeks for all my links and information to CSS an Webdesign, and I made good experience with it:
- always and everywhere availible and editable
- search
- by use of h1-h3 as headings very clearly arranged
HTH
I’ll keep checking this blog entry since I’m in need for the same kind of tool.
I don’t really think a wiki will do it .. maybe because it’s not fast enough in the sense that it would need some associated tools to be able to post to the wiki as easily as to a blog (using a bookmarklet for example).
ps: The link to my blog is wrong. The correct link is : http://blog.telio.be for the web blog and http://blog.telio.be/index.rdf for the RDF feed
_Beate:_ I thought of a wiki, but none provide a browser import/export feature.
_Pierre:_ Let’s answer the important question first
The link to your blog is wrong because that is where “blo.gs”:http://blo.gs points to. You need to update your listing with them.
As to tools - the best two I’ve found in an afternoon’s surfing are:
# “Booby”:http://www.nauta.be/booby/ and
# “Active PHP Bookmarks”:http://www.lbstone.com/apb/
Hotscripts as usual has a “good listing”:http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Bookmark_Management/index.html of available scripts, but doesn’t show them all. Booby links to quite a few others as well.
I’m not sure if this is appropriate but anyway, <selfplug>you may be interested in ["disposable bookmarks":http://zlog.co.uk/archives/2003/09/disposable] a php/mysql/bookmarklets script I wrote for this exact thing.</selfplug>
_zlog:_ anything’s appropriate if it might help me find a solution
I had a look at your script, but it seems to be much simpler than what I’m after, which is a full-featured bookmark manager, with import from/export to browser capabilities, the ability to assign a bookmark to multiple categories, and… well, something else that’s still only an idea in my little mind
My Bookmark Manager has all the features you mentioned. You can find it here: http://www.mybookmarkmanager.com
I find the RSS feeds feature useful. And it has the best editor interface of all the online bookmark managers I’ve tested.
Try ‘bookmark4u’ at http://bookmark4u.sourceforge.net
It’s free (GPL) software, and has lots of features, heirarchical folders, import from Netscape/Mozilla (and IE, if you use the IE/Netscape converter), and more.
I’ve used it for over a year now, and am quite happy with it.
i’ve been looking for something with multiple categories for some time. Something that worked along the lines of mind mapping software like Ygnius. If i see anything i’ll try to remember to post it.
i neglected to mention that i am more interested in a Table of Contents presentation for eventual HTML output for browsing around than i am just a keyword/index solution (though i want that also.)
Sorry to fill up your page like this, but i just came across this site, it claims unlimited categories per bookmark. i haven’t used it yet but am about to play with the demo.
http://www.cornerstone.m6.net/csb/features.html
Just found this entry via Google. Have you choose a tool? I’m currently searching for one too.
No, I’ve still not found a tool I like.
I found your blog googling for the same kind of software, on tucows (http://www.tucows.com/bookmark95_pop.html) you get quite a list, of which i think Linkman($29) looks good (http://www.outertech.com/index.php?_charisma_page=product&id=5), and i also liked some features of SurfGem (http://www.gemx.com/bookmarkhit.php) as the thumb/fullsize picture saving of the webpages…
Let me know if you find any other
Could I perhaps suggest my own program, Bookmark Buddy?
It implements one of the features you require very neatly: it lets you file a bookmark in any number of places. The program implements a form of aliasing that is most similar to unix ‘hard’ links: there is in effect no ‘master’ bookmark, just multiple instances of the same one, with the same metadata. If you delete an instance, you won’t end up with an orphan.
Bookmark Buddy implements a very fast full-text search facility, that will search bookmark titles, keywords and notes/descriptions. You can search through the URLs or select ‘whole word’ or ‘case sensitive’ matching in the advanced search form. You can also filter your bookmarks by date, rating and site status.
There are import and export facilities. You can export as a Netscape bookmark file (which is actually a web page). I’m working on a template-based export facility. You can also copy selections of bookmarks as text or html links, even as an html table, for pasting in an e-mail or web page.
I use the program myself (of course) to manage nearly 5,000 bookmarks.
Please take a look if it sounds of interest:
http://www.bookmarkbuddy.net/
Regards,
Edward Leigh
My needs are slightly different but I think http://mozwho.mozdev.org looks fairly promising. It’s for Mozilla only but that’s fine for me at the moment as I’m using Mozilla anyway (though I’d generally prefer a browser-independent solution).
Have a look at the associated blog, as well; it’s very focused (not very bloggy really!) and it’s also incidentally what pointed me to this page.
Following on from my earlier post, I have just released an update (v3.2) to Bookmark Buddy with a new template-based export facility, so it is now possible to export to a printable document, web page, spreadsheet and most browser formats. The import facility is improved too, automatically locating bookmark files for Opera, Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox and MSN.
Full details, with screenshots, here:
“www.bookmarkbuddy.net/about.shtml”:www.bookmarkbuddy.net/about.shtml
I have a couple of suggestions (assuming this article isn’t too dated to be of interest). URLBase 5 is a multi-platform database-driven program that seems to have the feaures you were seeking. Like Powermarks, it uses an external database to manipulate the data, but unlike that program it has full support for categories/folders (that was also my major complaint regarding Powermarks). It lets you export the data to the browser of your choice, and also exports in html format. Browser integration is handled by an expanding menu in the system tray, a feature which is enhanced by the use “libraries,” which can be either literal, figurative, or a combination thereof. It supports bookmarks in multiple categories through the use of “aliases” which are really shortcuts to shortcuts.
I like the program, although the demo version makes it difficult to fully evaluate; a trial would be better. There is a free edition. My only minor complaints so far is that there does not appear to be support for opening pages in a new tab (when using Mozilla). It does support Mozilla’s “groupmark” feature. While not visually stunning, it is pleasant, and aesthetics are essential. My second suggestion is to give SPURL.NET a try, an online bookmark/resource-sharing service (free), with a good privacy policy. Hope this helps.
Another possibility is ol’Bookmarks on Source Forge.
Scott
r pumer at po box (dot) com
I’ve tried so many bookmark managers I’ve lost count. Here’s one that I’ve been using for about six months.
http://www.hyperlinkomatic.com/
Thanks for the blog/links.
Here are the ones I find interesting (most have been mentioned above)
(1) Online-bookmarks, at: http://www.frech.ch/online-bookmarks/index.php?style=shock
(2) Ol’ bookmarks at:
http://olbookmarks.sourceforge.net/index.php
(3) Active PHP Bookmarks, at:
http://freshmeat.net/projects/apb/
(4) Bookmarks4u, at:
http://bookmark4u.sourceforge.net/
(5) sitebar.org
(6) Firefox extensions: Bookmark Synchronizer
(7) Thomer’s bookmark manager: http://thomer.com/tbm/
I’m leaning towards online-bookmarks right now as it seems to do mostly what I want (bookmarks, import, export, search and not much else) and works with even konqueror.
What would be nice is a (6) combined with import/export and automatic sorting by category as well as duplicate removal. (7) would work well to produce bookmark files from a master. What is needed is the other half (the import, sort, resolve and categorize to master TBM file).
It is easiest to just save a bookmark in whatever browser you are using (at home, work or school), and then later synchronize the file with a master store — one that keeps new additions, so you can add bookmarks at home, synchronize, go to work, synchronize and have all the bookmarks you had at home.
These bookmark sites are nice, but they are one or more extra steps to adding bookmarks. Access is easy enough after bookmarks are added, but adding is a pain.
Hi, I am also searching for a new bookmark manager. I am using now MyPIP (http://www.mypip.com/home/). But I like to find someting who looks better.
I would like to suggest you a brand-new *portable* bookmark manager called “Bookmark Base”. It supports all main modern browsers (IE, FF, Opera) and it can check your bookmarks for validity.
I have used Compass for many years but now find its lack of updates mean I need something else.
Have you found something yet?
The Firefox bookmark manager is ok, and I use the ability to save bookmarks on the run to the bookmarks toolbar very useful. Too useful unfortunately. Firefox is cumbersum, to organise, sort and search. This is my main gripe.
I use Foxmarks to synchronise my bookmarks online between my different computers and this works very well.
What I need is a program that has the organising and searching capeabilities of Compass which can interface with Firefox and IE and we would be getting close to a decent Bookmark manager.
I have tried many, many programs and still not found one.
Are you still looking or given up?
You can try the LinkCollector (bookmarks manager). Very useful program for IE, Firefox, Opera.
http://www.vscsoftware.com
Screenshot:
http://www.vscsoftware.com/Images/screenshot/PortableLinkCollector.jpg
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