libraryland

I’m using the term “software” loosely here - many of these links are simply sites that allow you to share information, or offer a cool utility, without requiring a software download. This will most likely be a hodge-podge of “fun,” and useful, “stuff.”

Flickr
My all-time favorite photo sharing and storage site! There are tons of sites similar to this, and I’ve tried a lot of them, but this my top pick for sharing and storing your digital pics - and the “community” aspect is tremendous. I never new that so many librarians were into photography! There is free basic service, and expanded storage for a mere 25 bucks per YEAR. There’s some amazing artistic work here as well.

All Consuming
All Consuming started off as an adendum to “43 Things,” but has quickly grown into its own. It’s what I use to list (and review) the books I am reading in the sidebar of my library and personal blogs. Fun.

Library Thing
Cool. So cool. Catalogue your books here. I have vowed to spend one whole rainy day playing with this. Cool.

Spurl
What!? You Spurl instead of using del.icio.us? Infidel!
OK, I admit it - I love, and use, Spurl. I tried the most popular bookmark manager/tagger out there, but I just didn’t like it. I am a fan of folders, and Spurl’s got ‘em.

del.icio.us
The most popular bookmark manager/tagger out there. Everyone loves it (except me). Everyone I know uses it. It’s all good.

Metafilter.com
A “community weblog” that allows registered users to post to the blog, ask questions, and more. Some VERY interesting stuff here, from serious to silly.

Vimeo
There’s Flickr for your photos, and now Vimeo for your video clips. User-friendly, fun, free.

Skype
I cannot say enough good things about Skype. As a life-long phone addict, this is the best thing to happen to me since voice mail. This VOIP program is easy to use, FREE to download, FREE to use (with other Skypers - or CHEAP when calling regular phones), and provides excellent sound quality. If you are not into the headset thing, it works with Bluetooth headsets or many of the VOIP corded and cordless phones available. Awesome…

Pandora
Want to find new music to listen to? Want to try out a different internet “radio” station? Then check out Pandora. Pandora uses the information from the Music Genome Project to create radio “stations” just for you based on the names of artists or songs that you stipulate. You can share your stations, rate the songs played on your station (to better “tune” the music they send you), check out the Top 20 stations…. Lots of fun!

You Tube
Another site for uploading your video clips. Seems to be very popular right now, with tons of clips ranging from nearly professional to absolutely evil. I still prefer the ease of Vimeo, but this looks like a great place to just browse.

Ning
Ning is just too much fun - it’s one of those places where you could spend hours checking out - and using - all of the social software applications. In a nutshell, Ning offers hundreds of social apps of all kinds for you to either use as-is, or “clone” for your own “personal” group. Huh? Go check it out - it’s great fun.

Odeo
A podcast addict’s dream, Odeo has over a million files (mostly podcasts) for your perusal. It is a social site, so you can browse other people’s favorites and make some new friends. Have fun!

Yedda
People have questions. People have answers. May not be the right answers, but, hey, you never know! I think sites like this have the potential to hold hidden gems of great information. You’re smart - add to the greatness!

Qumana
One of the latest entries in the personal blog editor field. Qumana is free, has WYSIWYG capabilities, and has the cool feature of adding tags directly to Technorati (or your blog), if you are so inclined. Qumana was a breeze to set up and use, and did what it said it would do. So, cool - it’s free!

A List of Social Bookmarking Apps
Here’s a list of the social bookmarking apps I have checked out - there’s sure to be one here for you!
del.icio.us - Easily the most widely used. One of the first to “tag.”
Spurl - My favorite. Not overly popular. Old-school organizing plus tagging and searching.
digg
BlogMarks.net
reddit
scuttle
Smarking.com
simpy
netvouz
Furl - One of the more popular ones
shadows
Backflip -Another oldie. Yahoo stylings.
Connotea - Designed for “business” - looks business-y, works like the others
Wists - Called “social shopping,” this is like a wish list on steroids. Love it.

Zoom Clouds
Want a tag cloud on your blog? Your blogging softeware doesn’t tag? Welcome to Zoom Clouds. Zoom Clouds will add a tag cloud to your blog quickly and easily - and you can customize it to match your style. Pair it with Qumana and customize your tags.

Meebo
If you use many IM programs and want the convenience of a browser-run platform, check out Meebo. Want a nifty IM widget for your blog or site? Check out Meebo.

Blummy
Consolidate all those widgets in your bookmarking toolbar in one tab! Pretty easy to use, conveniet result, and free!