This rapid expansion of web resources poses some new problems for all of us. How could you remember, after a long search, the address of that crucial web page? How will you get back to the page without repeating a tedious web search through hundreds and thousands of pages?
The answer is obvious, you need a program that allows you to easily create and manage a database of web resources. Of course, this database must be fast, intuitive and comfortable to use.
One way to solve this problem is to use your web browser’s bookmarking feature. Bookmarks are a popular term for lists of web page links stored in web browsers, although they are called “Favorites” in Internet Explorer. These web browser bookmarking systems have some severe limitations. For example, each bookmark list will only be compatible with a specific web browser. If you use several different web browsers, you will need to manage the bookmarking system in each one. Web browser bookmark lists can become cumbersome to use when your bookmark list grows beyond a few items. Important features missing from web browser bookmarking systems include:
– Powerful search functions;
– Synchronization of bookmarks between different computers;
– Automatic detection and removal of duplicate bookmarks;
– Check the availability of bookmarked web pages.
Specialized programs and web services that store and organize bookmarks are already available and offer a comprehensive solution to these problems. They are called bookmark managers or bookmark organizers (both terms have the same meaning in this article). The difference between online (web-based) bookmark managers and stand-alone bookmark managers is in the location of the stored bookmark database and the way the database is accessed. Web services called “online bookmark managers” store user’s bookmarks on their remote servers and their bookmarks can be accessed from any browser. A stand-alone bookmark organizer is simply a program that runs on your local computer. It stores the bookmarks database on a hard drive and allows access through its own built-in interface.
Here are some examples of web-based bookmark managers:
iKeepBookmarks.com – http://www.ikeepbookmarks.com
LinkaGoGo – http://www.linkagogo.com
Murl – http://murl.com
You can find more links to online bookmark managers here:
http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/On_the_Web/Web_Applications/Bookmark_Managers/
Bookmark management software can be found here:
Link Commander – http://www.resortlabs.com/bookmark-manager/linkcommander.php
Linkman – http://www.outertech.com/index.php?_charisma_page=product&id=5
Power Brands – http://www.kaylon.com/power.html
Any software catalog will contain many links to bookmark managers. For example: http://www.snapfiles.com/shareware/misctools/swurlorg.html
Offline and online bookmark managers have relative advantages and disadvantages due to their different storage methods and database access.
An online bookmark manager does not depend on any particular computer. If you have an Internet connection you can access your favorites from any computer in the world. You don’t need to sync bookmarks on your home/work PC or laptop because they will all access the same bookmark database. With an online bookmark manager you can access your bookmarks even when you are in an internet cafe! Another advantage is that most of them are free. However, they will cost you time, because you access your bookmarks through an Internet connection. More importantly, most web interfaces aren’t as convenient as software-based bookmark managers and don’t have as many useful features. For example, they cannot find or remove duplicate items from the database. Here are some of the other potential downsides of using online bookmark managers:
1) You risk losing all your bookmarks if for some reason the web service shuts down.
2) There is a danger of unauthorized access to your private bookmarks because your bookmark manager server may not be secure from hackers.
The advantages and disadvantages of offline bookmark managers are almost exactly opposite to those of online bookmark managers and will be discussed below.
Any offline bookmark manager is linked to the computer it is installed on. It stores your bookmarks in a database (usually in its own proprietary format) on one of the hard drives. To use your bookmarks on multiple computers, you’ll need to install the program on each computer and find a way to sync the bookmark databases. Most bookmark organizers available today have a database synchronization feature. In addition, there are now devices with high data transfer speeds (for example, flash drives) that can store a separate bookmark database and allow it to be shared between multiple computers.
Another disadvantage of bookmark management software is the price. There are some free programs out there, but they don’t have a lot of features, and tech support is often weak or unavailable. However, programs that require payment are inexpensive, usually costing between $20 and $40. User licenses for such programs will typically allow you to install the programs on all of your computers.
In my opinion, the disadvantages of standalone bookmark managers are minimal compared to their advantages. The location of both the program and the database on the same computer guarantees you quick access to your bookmarks and high security against hacker attacks. The convenience of the program interface and the number of useful functions are limited only by the power of the computer and the skills of the developers.
So how should you organize your bookmarks? Should I use an offline or online bookmark manager? I don’t think there is a definitive answer. It all depends on your preferences and work habits. If mobility is your priority, if you travel frequently and want to access your bookmarks no matter where you are and from any computer, then you should consider an online bookmark manager. If speed, ease of use, security, and functionality are what matter most to you, then an offline bookmark manager might be a better option.
