I figured it was time for a personal Internet intervention after I spent two hours sifting through my unruly live bookmarks folder only to discover that article on Flip Video Cameras was lost forever amidst the piles of digital clutter I’ve collected. I read so much online I can’t keep Pink is the New Blog separate from my Facebook page or my online news clips. It all seems to blend into one staggering mound of info requiring a pitchfork search just to unearth a simple article or blog entry.
Life is tough, but it doesn’t have to be. They may not have invented the skull-embedded online consumption microchip just yet, but MGH’s two-hour Internet Intervention can help put the universe back in order until they do.
Try these easy organizational steps to improve your online efficiency and change your life.
STEP ONE: Bookmarking self-improvement with Del.icio.us
Del.icio.us is called a social bookmarking tool because all of your bookmarks can be shared with others since they live on the net instead of in your browser window. Just because it can do a lot doesn’t mean it’s complicated to use. Aside from sharing bookmarks, Del.icio.us helps you organize all of your favorite links as a centralized, easy-to-identify bookmark list that can be accessed from anywhere (not just your local desktop). You get to tag each bookmark with key terms that are personally intuitive making it easier to sift through your piles of bookmarks when you need something.
HOW TO USE Del.icio.us (in our words):
- Register and download Del.icio.us to your browser.
- Build your own profile.
- Install the Del.icio.us tagging buttons onto your browser window.
- Surf online. Anything you’d like to tag can be added to your bookmarks list by simply clicking on the TAG icon in your toolbar.
- Manage all of your bookmarks and blog subscriptions by clicking on the Del.icio.us TAG symbol in your tool bar.
Click here for the official getting-started guide: http://del.icio.us/help/getstarted.
STEP TWO: Blog better with Google Reader and Technorati
If you have more than three blogs you read regularly, you’ll love some Google Reader action. Easy to set up and even more user-friendly than you’d imagine, Google Reader allows you to get RSS subscriptions, organize those blogs into readable files, and scan through daily updates on your igoogle home page without ever having to navigate around the web. Try it immediately, you’ll thank us later.
HOW TO USE GOOGLE READER (in our words):
- Register or log onto your Google account.
- Click on Google Reader to being adding favorite blogs.
- Visit daily to scan your favorite blogs, and add more anytime you like.
If you are always searching for new blogs to read and review, use Technorati. It will allow you to claim your own blog, search others and keep blogs on your watchlist. Click here to sign up now.
STEP THREE: Discover new sites without searching using StumbleUpon
We are completely addicted to StumbleUpon’s unique I-know-what-you-like automated web search tool. StumbleUpon will generate unlimited sites for you to review and give thumbs-up or thumbs-down ratings based on your preferences. You can find everything from cool, new online tools to travel or entertainment sites that will knock your socks off. It’s a great way to get ideas, uncover new informational resources and broaden your online, savvy without exerting yourself. It’s one of the most incredibly inspiring tools online and it’s free!
HOW TO USE STUMBLEUPON (in our words):
- Sign up.
- Install the convenient button into your browser’s toolbar.
- Click the stumble button to get a new site pre-selected for you.
- Rate it, bookmark it into del.icio.us or keep moving.
- Find yourself spending an entire lunch break sifting through sites you’ve never heard of
- Share them with other users.
Click here for the official getting-started guide: http://www.stumbleupon.com/sign_up.php.
STEP FOUR: Get your online world under control with MashableWhat the heck doesn’t Mashable do? It’s an online social networking news site with an incredibly insightful blog, a social networking platform that supports friends from every other community, a resource for MySpace applications and layouts, a place to cross-link to your own blog/website, a marketplace, and a way to keep all your networks organized from one central location. You can’t find a cooler place to organize your life and get the most up-to-date social network news.
HOW TO USE MASHABLE (in our words):
- Build a profile.
- Import all your current blogs, social networking pages, news and bookmarking links, etc.
- Make friends or do whatever the heck you want.
- Use the Infinite options that now await you.
Your Internet Intervention is now complete.
Remember, there are so many more options these tools can offer but MGH recommends walking before you fly. Get organized first, load up on content from there.
