Saturday, February 11, 2012

It's like turning your browser into a refrigerator... in a good way.

Here is how I keep track of books and stories and things I want to remember that I read online:

Step 1: Read about something online, think “I would like to buy that thing, but cannot do so right now because I am at work, and theoretically working.”

(Yes, I think in a very formal way. Manners are important and if your private self starts taking advantage of you, all is lost.)

Step 2: Cut and past the URL of the thing I want into an email.

Step 3: Email that URL to myself.

Step 4: Get 100 other emails that day.

Step 5: Stumble across the old email six months later, think “Who emailed THIS to ME? ME? I did this? I’m a spammer!”

Step 6: Turn myself in for the good of the country.

Frankly, I can’t keep doing hard time in jail everytime someone posts a book I’d like to read, but what else could I do? I’m a true patriot.

NOW, though! Ah, now! I have a new thing I can do that will put those days in federal anti-spamming prison behind me. (They put spammers in prison in Cincinnati.  THE HORRORS!) Now, I have clipix.

Clipix is this great new site that lets me organize all those things I see online and keep them handy – plus share them with other people.  All I had to do was sign up using my Twitter account (you can use Facebook, too); it was literally a two-click process.  Then I had the button to drag to my browser bar, and after that, I was free to surf the web and take reminders with just another click or two.

So this morning, for example, I headed over to Martian Lit to see what was new there, and found “And Still Your Fingers On Your Lips,” a short story I wanted to download tonight and read.

So I clicked “Clip” and a window opened:

Clips Martian Lit

Asking me which clipboard I’d like to add this to. I put it in books to read, and headed off to surf other stuff, knowing later on tonight I’d be able to quickly find it when I needed it.

Everything and anything can be clipped, which is great: I can have reminders for CDs I want, blog posts I liked and want to mention on my own blog, news stories to share… and that’s the even neater part of Clipix: They have something called “Syncboards,” which lets you and your friends or family “clip collaboratively,” meaning you can add a clip to the clipboard and everyone sees it – or anything THEY add, you can see.

So a group of bloggers, for example, could slip a blogfest article or post to vote on or run. A family could put the gifts they want on a Syncboard.  It’s a way to instantly share with a select group of people something you liked on the Internet.

board

And they have “Multiboards,” which groups your clipboards so you can have all your blog clippings in one article.

What’s really interesting is the part for publishers: If you put a clipboard link on your blog or website, people will be more likely to clip the articles they like and they’ll be more likely to share or come back, because it’s SO EASY.

I signed up for this and I love it. You should to: think: what would I use Clipix for? If I’ve missed a use, tell me in the comments.  Want to know more? Like them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clipix/252550344792744) or follow them on @clipix on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/clipix). They’ve even got an iPhone app so you can clip while you’re doing other stuff!

In fact, I would clip THIS POST. (I’d clip ALL my posts, if I were you, but start with this one.)

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2 comments:

stephen Hayes said...

Briane:

So sorry to hear that you're in the hospital. I hope it's nothing serious, but if it is I hope you know you have lots of fans out here sending you their best for a speedy recovery. Take care and come back soon.

Stephen Hayes (aka Chubby Chatterbox)

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said...

Briane, I'm so sorry to hear that you have not been feeling well. I hope that you have the best care and that your family is close to you during this difficult time.

Please get better soon. You are definitely one of the people I love to tease because I like you so much :)