Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Saving And Sharing The Web---Quickly

As I have frequently in the past I look to the "best" lists for new web 2.0 applications to explore each week.  In his The Best Web 2.0 Applications for Education in 2012 educator and blogger at Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day..., Larry Ferlazzo lists a service for organizing, saving and sharing information discovered on the Internet.  This service could be compared to Dragdis (and other similar applications listed in that review).

Quicklinkr can be used without registration and is free.  There are no Terms of Service guidelines only a Privacy Policy.  When accessing the home page on the left is a column of choices. Each are self-explanatory.  The Tumblr provides you with updates to the service and suggestions for use.

Quicklinkr allows you to collect all types of information, websites, links, images, podcasts, and videos, on any device.  It is billed as being easy peasey, lemon squeezy.  I began by selecting the pink Get Started button in the center of the initial page.

A window pops up advising you cookies are used and asks you to review the Privacy Policy.  If you are satisfied click the Yes, Get Started Already! button.  On a new screen your initial Quickboard appears.  Anything with a URL can be added to your Quickboard.

On the left side you can choose to register this Quickboard and your folders are listed.  The first open (default) folder is Public.  At the top are two new small icons.  The first (on the left) allows you to change your grid size from small to medium to large.  The second provides for adding, renaming and deleting folders.  Registration is required for completing these actions.





To the far right of these icons is the space for adding a URL to create Quicklinks.  Beneath these choices a temporary URL link has been generated for this Quickboard.  As many Quicklinks as desired can be added.  For the purposes of making sub-folders, changing the Quickboard to private or making a custom URL, again, registration is necessary.



When clicking on the small down arrow located at the end of the temporary URL link, a drop down menu lists the options for sharing your Quickboard.  To add a Quicklink copy and paste or type in a URL, then click the Quicklink button. A thumbnail, snapshot, of the website will be visible in the grid.


When you mouse over the snapshot four small pink buttons are visible allowing for sharing of the individual Quicklink, adding a comment, changing the image (they will search for another one or you can add a URL link) or deleting the link.  You have to be registered to leave comments.  To register provide your first and last name, email address, a password and username.  A validation email will be sent with a code to enter in at the Quicklinkr website.  Once registered the Quicklinks can be ordered on the grid by date added, last viewed and most viewed. (The image on the right shows how this link can be shared.)










If registered, upon logging in you are taken to your profile page.  On the left you can toggle between home, user settings, logging out and noting folders.  The user settings are general settings (to stay logged in, allow anyone to add Quicklinks to your board and allow registered users to comment), profile (changing password), appearance (12 different wallpapers for the page) and tools (adding a bookmarklet to your browser toolbar for Quicklinkr).



With the American Library Association annual convention coming at the end of the month with the awards banquet, I decided to create a Quicklinkr to celebrate The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, the Newbery Medal winner for 2013.  Here is a snapshot of that grid and this is the link.


Quicklinkr is everything they claim to be and more.  My post is late this morning because I could not stop looking for items to add to my Quickboard; it's that easy to use.  Being able to create a board without registering would make this great for students under the age of 13 to incorporate into research.  All they would have to do is save the original URL link.  This application is definitely going into my virtual toolbox.  One more thing to note is the prompt response to email; it's fast and friendly.

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