North Point Ministries Takes Video Streaming to New Level
Finding Alternatives to Delicious
Delicious, an excellent bookmarking service currently owned by Yahoo!, is an important part of my research process. While in the collecting phase, I use Delicious to tag interesting websites and documents that I need to go back and review at a later date. This allows me to use either Google or Google Scholar to rapidly search and tag documents without getting to engrossed in the details of individual articles.
To illustrate how powerful Delicious tags can be, here are a few lists I have created over the last couple of years as I researched various topics:
- Faculty Barriers to the Adoption of Distance Learning
- Church Ministries and Distance Learning
- Emerging Instructional Technologies
- Joomla Tips, Sites, Resources
- Switching from Windows to Mac Tips & Resources
- Model Churches
- Moodle Tips, Sites, Resources
- Review of “The Shack”
Adding sites to Delicious is a simple keystroke in Firefox [Ctrl-D]. The user interface allows you to quickly tag the page, make a note about its significance (or copy a paragraph from the page to jog your memory), even share your bookmark via Twitter.
Unfortunately, Yahoo announced earlier this month their intention to sell Delicious. [The original buzz on the blogosphere was that Delicious was simply going to go away. Fortunately, this proved to be a false rumor.]
Alternatives to Delicious
Still, this realization that a critical part of my workflow is facing an uncertain future led me on a quest for a potential replacement. Here are the prospects as of today:
- Diigo. Diigo is a mature social bookmarking, highlighting, note-taking, collaboration site that performs many of the same functions as Delicious. Seizing on the opportunity to capture new users looking for a replacement for Delicious, Diigo wisely provides a “Transition from Delicious to Diigo – Instruction & FAQ” page. Diigo is free.
- Evernote. I am a big fan of Evernote and use this application on Windows, Mac OS, iPad, and Android platforms. Evernote is a great archive for all of your digital documents. It is the critical part of my paperless workflow. As much as I like Evernote, I don’t see it as a viable replacement for Delicious. One of the best features of Delicious is its simplicity, and in my opinion, Evernote would add levels of complexity that would defeat the purpose of rapid collection of online resources. Like Diigo, Evernote provides a simple process on their blog to make the transition from Delicious to Evernote. Evernote has both a paid and free version, and the free version is more than adequate for my needs.
- Google Bookmarks. With Google sitting as king of the hill when it comes to search engines, it only makes sense that Google Bookmarks would be a viable alternative to Delicious. Tagging sites with Google Bookmarks can be as simple as clicking on the little star next to your search results. Google Bookmarks allows users to create and share lists, and plays well with other Google services like Google Maps, Gmail, Docs, etc.. Unfortunately, Google doesn’t provide instructions on making the transition from Delicious, although there are several recent articles on the web. Google Bookmarks is free.
- Historious. I’m not familiar with Historious, but it appears to offer many of the features available through Delicious. Unfortunately (for me) this service is not free, and that knocks it out of contention. (You can get a free account that allows up to 300 bookmarks. The paid account is $19.95 per year and gives unlimited access to the service.)
- Pinboard. The final contender in today’s roundup of Delicious replacements is Pinboard. As with Historious, I am not personally familiar with Pinboard, although it does receive some decent reviews. Pinboard provides a side-by-side comparison with Delicious if you need some help making a decision. Like Historious, there is a charge to use this service, so that knocks it out of contention for me.
I will update you on the final results of my search to find a good alternative to Delicious. Do you have recommendations as alternatives to Delicious?
Times (and Technology) Are Changing
Glance through the last few entries, and you will see I have not posted on a regular basis for quite some time.
There is a reason for this.
The last two years I have been CONSUMED with graduate school. Starting in May 2008, I have taken classes continuously. The longest break has been over the Christmas holiday when we were given a month off.
Fortunately, the end is in sight. I have a literature review to write and an ePortfolio to put together, and I will be finished. I hope to finish both projects this summer. Meanwhile, I hope to become more consistent in writing for this blog.
For anyone looking to enhance their teaching with technology, I would highly recommend the Instructional Technology program at the University of Northern Iowa. You can learn more about it by visiting the website at http://www.uni.edu/itech. With the exception of two on-campus classes during the summer of 2008, the entire program can be completed via distance learning. (I live in Central Iowa, and UNI is located in Cedar Falls, approximately two hours north.)
I am amazed at how rapidly technology continues to change. Looking back two years ago to our first class-Emerging Instructional Technology—I can already see incredible changes.
- Two years ago “netbooks” were still in their infancy, and no one even dreamed of an iPad (except for the engineers at Apple.)
- Social media has really come into its own as a viable method of communicating, marketing, instructing, and connecting.
- “The Cloud” has become the computing platform of choice. Even Microsoft Office, the symbol of desktop dominance now has a cloud component.
Yes, Millie, things are changing!
Hang-on for the ride the next few years as we continue to see rapid development of personal computing devices. This summer the wireless companies will begin to introduce 4G access across the USA, and Google will introduce their “Google TV” later this year. There is an Android Slate on the horizon and a windows-based slate.
Is it All Good?
The challenge for those of us on the consuming end of all this new stuff is what in the world are we going to do with it? Is it possible to become numb to all of the techno whiz that surrounds us on a daily basis? Is it possible for the technology to become more of a distraction than enhancement?
What do you think?
KCCI: Iowa House Could Debate Text Messaging Ban
KCCI is reporting that Iowa may consider legislation to ban texting while driving. According to the story, “A new survey released by Nationwide Insurance shows 8 in 10 Americans would like a ban on the practice of text messaging while driving.”
If legislation is passed, Iowa would become one of 15 states and the District of Columbia that currently ban texting while driving.
What do you think? Does Iowa need a ban on texting while driving? (If you have your doubts, watch this video.)
Study: Texts while driving even more dangerous
From MSNBC.com
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Texting while driving increases the risk of a crash much more than previous studies have concluded with motorists taking their eyes off the road longer than they do when talking or listening on their cell phones, a safety research institute said Monday.
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute used cameras to continuously observe light vehicle drivers and truckers for more than 6 million miles. It found that when drivers of heavy trucks texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.
Dialing a cell phone and using or reaching for an electronic device increased risk of collision about 6 times in cars and trucks.