cool tools for library webmasters - internet librarian 2008
DESCRIPTION
Cool tools (almost all free) for everyone to use including web designers, content creators, etc. Several tools focus on security backup.TRANSCRIPT
Cool Tools for Library Webmasters
Internet LibrarianOctober 20, 2008
Darlene FichterData LibrarianUniversity of Saskatchewan
Frank Cervone, Director Library, Information, and Media StudiesChicago State University
Let’s take a look at where we’re heading today.
We’ll explore new free and inexpensive tools.
Briefly mention some of our all time favourite tools.
There will be tools for everyone.
Let’s get visual.
VisCheck
• A computer simulation of the entire process of human vision
• Way of showing what things look like to someone who is color blind
• Online serviceo Image fileso Web pages
• Downloadable o Windows and Mac
www.vischeck.com/vischeck
Tritanope
Protanope
Deuteranope
Full color
Full spectrum
Red/green deficiency
Blue/yellow deficiency
Thumbalizer
www.thumbalizr.com
ImageFlow
194.95.111.244/~countzero/scripts/_myImageFlow/
Generate a color palette from an image.www.degraeve.com/color-palette/
Create graphs as widgets. widgenie.com
Add sounds.freesound.org
Call Graph – free Skype call recorder.
callgraph.in
Let’s look at productivity and security tools.
Freemind
freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Firefox tools
• SafeCache• SafeHistory• FoxMarks• FEBE
SafeCache
• Protects your privacy• Defends against cache-based tracking techniques • Embedded content is cached
o Segments the cache according to the domain of the originating page.
• Enable/disable in the Privacy pane of the Options menu.
• Learn more about Protecting Browser State using Same Origin policy (paper)
www.safecache.com
SafeHistory
• Protects your privacy by defending against visited-link-based tracking techniques.
• It allows offsite visited links to be marked only if the browser's history database contains a record of the link being followed from the current site.
• Enable/disable SafeHistory in the Privacy pane of the Options menu
www.safehistory.com
FoxMarks
• Automatically synchronizes bookmarks• Access your bookmarks anytime at
my.foxmarks.com. • Works in the background to keep your
bookmarks up-to-date on all your computers
www.foxmarks.com
mysteryuser
FEBE
• Firefox Environment Backup Extension• Quickly and easily backup your Firefox
extensions• Easily synchronize your office and home
browsers • May specify user defined items
o Backup virtually any data on your computer
customsoftwareconsult.com/extensions/febe/febe.html
LinkBunch
• Lets you put multiple links into one small link
• Firefox extension creates a bunch from all your open tabs
• Twitter bot in the workso Isn’t finished yet
linkbun.ch
DocSyncer
• Automatically finds and syncs your document files to Google Docs o This means everything
• “Users are even reporting that launching a document directly from their desktop using DocSyncer is FASTER than launching the document natively in Microsoft Office!”o Yeah…right
www.docsyncer.com
Encrypt your USB stick.http://www.truecrypt.org/
File Hamster
www.mogware.com/FileHamster
• Real-time backup and archiving of your files while you work
• Monitors files or directorieso Automatically creates incremental backups o Store notes about the changes that have been made
Syncback Freeware
• Backup all files anytime with a single click• Scheduler to automate backups• Versioning• Synchronization• Incremental backups • Machine to machine via ftp
o Encryptiono Compression
www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html
FreeUndelete
www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/
Usability
Browsershots
• Creates screenshots in different browsers
• Open source, online service • How it works:
o Submit your web addresso Added to the job queueo Distributed computers open the website in their
browsero They create screenshots and upload them to the
browsershots server
browsershots.org
Feng GUI
www.feng-gui.com
• Automatic alternative to eye-tracking• Creates heatmaps based on an algorithm
that predicts what a real human would be most likely to look at
www.fenggui.com
© 2006-2008 Feng-GUI - Feng Shui for graphic user interfaces.™
google.com
flickr.com
useit.com
Create a favicon forbrowser address bars, favourites and tabs.
www.html-kit.com/favicon/
Improve your site and manage site feedback. www.suggestionbox.com
More fun tools
DamnIT
damnit.jupiterit.com
• Sign up for DamnIT• Include damnit.js• An error happens• Optional description• You get an email
Careful with that URL!
.htaccess password generator
tools.dynamicdrive.com/password/
Cropper in C#
blogs.geekdojo.net/brian/articles/Cropper.aspx
Steal from the best.
LGR Blog Webmaster Blog. The Five Best Website Templates
Save time with a website template.
• Open Source Web Design> 2000 layouts
• Open Web Design > 2100 layouts
• themesBase.com > 1000 for Joomla and Mambo plus other CMS website layouts,
• FreeCSSTemplates.org > 100 layouts
• Free Layouts < 100 templates
Design 404 Pageswww.zug.com/mp3/nothere.htm
Find even more tools.
Browse links to past presentationshttp://library2.usask.ca/~fichter/cool_tools/
A sample of the all time best tools
– Firefox• Firefox Web Developer Extension
– Image Editors– Gimp – Picnik – Photoshop Express
– Meebo Me Widget– MailBigFile
More all time winners
– Primo PDF– Drupal– Google Analytics– Yahoo Pattern Library – Surveys
• SurveyMonkey• Poll Daddy• QuestionPro
Photo Credits – Creative Commons
• Roadmap by Brain farts• Chick by ap.• Pig Ribbon by brandichu123 • Laptops by Irregular Shed• Cosplay (red hair) by colodio• Wrench Wench by Tojosan• Capitol Place Shower Instructions by ATIS547• Japanese Tea Flavoured Ice Cream by timtak• Toolbox Full by Austin ampersand Zak
Questions?
Darlene FichterData LibrarianUniversity of [email protected]
Frank Cervone, DirectorLibrary, Information, and Media Studies
Chicago State [email protected]