Five favorite web productivitiy tools

As we spend more time online and use the internet to stay in touch with family, friends, and customers (as the case may be), good web productivity tools get more important.

Here's my five favorite web productivity tools. They've saved me lots of time online, and hopefully you'll find some of them useful, too.

1. The Flock Browser : The thing I like about Flock is, you can have your social networks integrated into your browser. With one button, you can open a sidebar to view Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other updates without opening separate pages. Flock will also alert you to new email messages without having to open your webmail. You can set up auto blog posting, too. (I just pushed a button and a blog window came up so I don't have to log into blogger to post this.) Another bonus? Flock is based on Firefox, so most Firefox plug-ins will also work with Flock. One thing you might find annoying, sometimes Twitter feeds lag. So if you're a power Twitter user, you might be better off sticking with one of the desktop Twitter apps for that. Personally, it doesn't bother me to be a little bit behind, but some might find it bothersome.
   
2. Google Notebook : Do you keep a text editor open for jotting down quick notes or web addresses of things you want to write about later? Google Notebook integrates into your browser so you always have a scratch pad available. You can clip, copy, publish, share, and access your notebook from a mobile device. Plus you can set it up to open in a sidebar. Handy.
3. TinyURL : I love TinyURL. I first used it when I volunteered for the Internet Public Library. It shortens links, which makes them easier to send via IM, Twitter, and even email. You can add their toolbar button to your browser, so any time you want to send a shortened link to someone, just press the button and voila! No problem.
   
4. The TwitterBar : I personally find this very useful. All you have to do is type your Tweet in the address bar and push the little green button -- that's it! If you type your message in front of the URL it posts the link, as well. Nice when you just want to quickly share a link you find interesting, or a new blog post.
5. Delicious Bookmarks (browser Add-on) : I'm a hardcore delicious user, and this browser add-on (works with FF and Flock) opens a sidebar where I can search by tag, or I can use a search field to find links -- without having to visit the Delicious website. There's also a "Most Visited" section right in the toolbar, which I find extremely helpful. Or you can choose "Recently Bookmarked" to see the last five or so places you've been.

There's countless web productivity tools out there, these are just a few that I've tried. I picked them because they're the ones I find myself using on a daily basis. For more ideas you can also check out websites like LifeHacker, and feel free to share any tips or apps you find helpful!

Blogged with the Flock Browser