Cool Tools for Library Webmasters Internet Librarian October 20, 2008 Darlene Fichter Data Librarian University of Saskatchewan Frank Cervone, Director Library, Information, and Media Studies Chicago 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 service Image files Web pages Downloadable Windows and Mac www.vischeck.com/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 service

Image files

Web pages

Downloadable

Windows and Mac

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

SafeHistory

FoxMarks

FEBE

SafeCache Protects your privacy Defends against cache-based tracking techniques Embedded content is cached 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

Protects your privacy

Defends against cache-based tracking techniques

Embedded content is cached

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 )

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

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

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

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

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 Backup virtually any data on your computer customsoftwareconsult.com/extensions/febe/febe.html

Firefox Environment Backup Extension

Quickly and easily backup your Firefox extensions

Easily synchronize your office and home browsers

May specify user defined items

Backup virtually any data on your computer

LinkBunch Lets you put multiple links into one small link Firefox extension creates a bunch from all your open tabs Twitter bot in the works Isn’t finished yet linkbun.ch

Lets you put multiple links into one small link

Firefox extension creates a bunch from all your open tabs

Twitter bot in the works

Isn’t finished yet

DocSyncer Automatically finds and syncs your document files to Google Docs 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!” Yeah…right www.docsyncer.com

Automatically finds and syncs your document files to Google Docs

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!”

Yeah…right

Encrypt your USB stick. http://www.truecrypt.org/

File Hamster Real-time backup and archiving of your files while you work Monitors files or directories Automatically creates incremental backups Store notes about the changes that have been made www.mogware.com/FileHamster

Real-time backup and archiving of your files while you work

Monitors files or directories

Automatically creates incremental backups

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 Encryption Compression www.2brightsparks.com/downloads.html

Backup all files anytime with a single click

Scheduler to automate backups

Versioning

Synchronization

Incremental backups

Machine to machine via ftp

Encryption

Compression

FreeUndelete www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/

Usability

Browsershots Creates screenshots in different browsers Open source, online service How it works: Submit your web address Added to the job queue Distributed computers open the website in their browser They create screenshots and upload them to the browsershots server browsershots.org

Creates screenshots in different browsers

Open source, online service

How it works:

Submit your web address

Added to the job queue

Distributed computers open the website in their browser

They create screenshots and upload them to the browsershots server

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

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 for browser 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!

Sign up for DamnIT

Include damnit.js

An error happens

Optional description

You get an email

. 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

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 Pages www.zug.com/mp3/nothere.htm

Find even more tools. Browse links to past presentations http://library2.usask.ca/~fichter/cool_tools/

Browse links to past presentations

http://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

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

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

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 Fichter Data Librarian University of Saskatchewan [email_address] Frank Cervone, Director Library, Information, and Media Studies Chicago State University [email_address]