What Are Bookmark Sites?

What are bookmark sites? A simple explanation follows on a new trend on the Web.

As you surf the Web, you might come across exceptionally good pages. You would want to refer to that page again, either to use the information provided in that page or simply just to read it again. You would then "bookmark" the page. Until recently, such bookmarking was done by marking the page using your browser's bookmark facility (such as Add to Favorites).

Then specialized bookmark sites began to appear on the Web. del.icio.us was a pioneer that was followed by other sites like furl and several others. You become a member of a bookmark site and then add the Web pages that you like to your member page.

When the number of pages increase beyond a certain limit, you might begin to classify the pages into easily remembered categories.

Advantages of Web-based Bookmarks

Whereas bookmarks on your browser (that resides on your computer) could be accessed only when your computer is available, bookmarks on the Web could be accessed from anywhere in the world, provided you have an Internet connection.

Bookmarks on the Web would not be deleted accidentally or because of a computer crash. Whatever happens to your browser or computer, your bookmarks would still be available for reference.

Another BIG advantage that developed in the course of Web-bookmarking was that you could make your bookmarks Public (or Private). If you want to tell the public to look up a paricularly good Web page, you could mark that bookmark as Public. Anybody logging to that bookmark site would then be able to see your bookmark (and read your comments about it).

Communities developed on the Web with their members sharing common interests, and helping each other by telling about the good sites and pages that dealt with their interest.

This phenomenon came to be known as Social Bookmarking.

How Do You Social Bookmark?

There are a number of social bookmarking sites. You select one of these and then create an account with them. Account is created by registering with a user id and password, and a valid email address.

Some of the sites might send you an email and ask to confirm your registration, before activating your account.

Once you have an active account, log in and become familiar with the way that particular site works. Social bookmarking sites differ in the ways they work.

Now start adding pages that you like to your account with the bookmark site. You can tag these bookmarks as Public or Private. Public bookmarks can be seen by others while Private bookmarks are for your own use. You could also tag the bookmarks with keywords that would help you find that page again, and also add a description.

By going to the bookmarks of other members with similar interests as you, you could come across good sites that cater to your interests. These pages have already been reviewed by others and hence is likely to be useful.

That is social bookmarking in essence.

Click button below to add Kerala-Green-Hills.com to your favorite social bookmark site:
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All the photographs and content of this Web site are Copyright © T. Gopinathan.

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