Can bookmarks make you more productive?

Admittedly, I’m more passionate about bookmarks than most but for good reason.

My bookmarks are my digital memory.

The story is told that a reporter once asked Einstein if he could have his phone number. Einstein picked up the phone directory, looked up his number, wrote it on a slip of paper, and handed it to the reporter. The dumbfounded reporter replied, “You are considered to be the smartest man in the world and you can’t remember your own phone number?”

Einstein replies, “Why should I memorize something when I know where to find it?”

Regardless if this anecdote is true I certainly subscribe to the logic.

Unclutter your mind.

I’m all for not having to remember tech tutorials or the tour company we used in NYC, bookmarks allow me to archive that knowledge. They are my digital library.

From Links to Library

Bookmarks are great, big deal, I’ll save my bookmarks in my browser. Problem solved, or is it?

Your browser enables you to save a link, place it in a folder, and possibly add a few tags (which you probably don’t use).

• Can you annotate a link?
• How about highlighting a portion of the page?
• Does it take a snapshot of the page?
• Will it create lists? Generate reports?
• How effectively can you search your bookmarks?

How much more useful and complete would your links become with these tools?

Hyperlinks are pieces of information, we need context. What was important about the link? What we need is a library that has information about the data we collecting.

Welcome to Diigo

Social bookmarking and a whole lot more.

Diigo V4: Research ~ annotate, archive, organize from diigobuzz on Vimeo.

As you can see Diigo is an amazing tool that can revolutionize how you research and archive the web.

Some examples from my library:

1. Interested in WordPress plugins?
   1. check out my Best WordPress Plugins list
   2. or see every WordPress plugin I have bookmarked
2. Firefox Extensions
   1. see my Essential Firefox Extensions list
   2. or see every Extension I have bookmarked
3. WordPress Themes list
4. Twitter apps and sites list

Using Diigo I’ve created both a complete archive and a “best of” list on any topic I choose. Can your bookmarks do that?

But wait there’s more… ( I couldn’t resist)

I can highlight text and images, add notes, and take page snapshots.

I can even join groups for link sharing and link discovery.

And before you ask, Diigo has you covered for importing and exporting. Diigo can import your current bookmarks from your browser or from Delicious and you can export your bookmarks to a file for local backup.

Sidebar: For those of you already using Delicious. Diigo will update your delicious account with any new links and associated tags so you have no reason not to switch.

How Diigo can make you more productive?

Diigo’s research tools make archiving a breeze so you will build a much more complete and useful reference system. An online database that you can search and share with ease.

The other benefit is that once again your browser bookmarks can be reserved for sites you frequent. Now when I type twitter in the address bar I don’t see the 50 twitter apps and articles that I have archived, I’m only offered the sites that I use. My browser is rescued from trying to be a library to being a browsing tool.

TakeAways

1. Bookmarking prevents us from having to remember.
2. Our bookmarks become a personal reference library
3. Diigo’s superior tools will help you create an amazing library.

Diigo rocks. Give it a try and make sure and add my Diigo profile to your network.

Link on friend.