Delicious

If you're not on Delcious yet, shame on you!  Are you still using the Favorites/Bookmarks on your computer?  You are missing out!  Three years ago, I was like you.  Limited...tied down to one computer...missing out on a great opportunity.  I had a great, disorganized list of websites on my home computer and on my work computer.  Sites were duplicated on both.  Sites were sometimes located only on my home computer or just on my work one.  If I was at home, the site I needed was invariably sitting on my work computer.  If I was at a conference, someone would ask me about a site, but of course, it was on my home computer so I would have to look it up on the internet.  So much time wasted!

And then...one miraculous day...I was introduced...to...Delicious!  How my world changed!

Now, ALL my websites are bookmarked in one place...on the web.  I can go to any computer and access them.  I have them somewhat organized (yes, I know. I need to take an hour and reorganize them all) by tags.  So no more will you see me scrambling to find a website I want.  It's all there.  I can tag from any computer (even if the buttons aren't installed).  I don't have to be on my own computer.  I can be on anybody's.

But that is NOT the coolest thing.  I can create a network of friends.  Through Delicious, I can send them websites I think they'll want to look at.  If they like it, they can click once and add it to their delicious account. 

But that is NOT the coolest thing, either!  When I tag a website, it shows me how many other people have tagged that website.  Pretty cool!  If lots of people have tagged it, then it's probably pretty good.

But that is NOT the coolest thing, either!  I can click on the link that tells me how many people have tagged it and see WHO has tagged it.  By doing that, I can see THEIR links as well (unless they made a link private, then nobody can see it but them.  Good to know) 



Why is that good?  Let's say, I'm researching some Pure Math 30 websites.  I tag one and discover that someone else has tagged the same website.  Well, there's a pretty good chance that if they tagged this website, they'll probably tag other Pure Math 30 related websites.  I can go explore what they think are decent sites.  They've done research that now benefits me!  Woohoo!  As well, they might be following someone who has focused on Pure Math 30 sites as well.  And so on and so on.  It's one big group!

I absolutely LOVE delicious and it's the first tool that I recommend anyone and everyone signs up for.

How have I used it?  Well, obviously, I have my own account.  I use this one account for my educational sites I use as well as my personal stamping sites.  Secondly, I like to create accounts for each of my classes so my students can access those links easily.  When I find a site for Pure Math 30, I'll send it through Delicious from my account to the Pure Math 30 account so my students see it as well.  Why don't I just give them my username?  They'd have to go through the tags to find what applies to them.  This way, it's one stop shopping.

My delcious account name is wdotcom.  Feel free to access it and peek around.
Promise to Myself:  Continue to spread the world about this amazing tool!