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      MarkMate

      I’ve recently found myself using my GMail account to mail myself web site addresses from work to home. I don’t have a laptop or any other mobile device, I’m stuck on desktop computers at home and at work, and frankly, where ever else I go, like the library or a friend’s house. Especially between work and home, a lot of the same sites I find are useful. The ones I find while at work I can use at home, and vice versa.


      So instead of using GMail for bookmarks as well as e-mail, I made my own bookmark manager and called it MarkMate.


      MarkMate is quick and dirty right now because I needed it now. It may look familiar to you GMail users. I like GMail, so sue me. Actually, the one thing that GMail does really well is allow for multiple categorizations of messages. This is really where I saw the need for a bookmark manager; the interface and layout were just easy to copy to get it on-line and working.


      I have my bookmarks are organized in folders in my browser, but over time the labels lose a little meaning and I find myself unable to find what I really want. Since the browser doesn’t have a “Search bookmarks” feature (which would be nice), I’m left with the standard hierarchy of folders. This is good for lots of things, but I tend to over-catalog things because one day I’ll think in terms of “design” while on other days I think “logo,” and folders only let you put marks in one place, unless you want to bookmark them twice - which just seems silly.


      GMails method of labeling (which I mimicked), lets you quickly add and apply labels to multiple records at once with a handy dropdown menu. So fast and easy it was silly. This lets me create my many label names and cross-catalog to my heart’s content.


      So I spent the weekend working on the foundation for MarkMate and just got the finishing touches and a coat of paint to get it up and ready. It’s still very basic and not as full-featured as I want (like no search as of yet), but they will all come in the future as time permits.


      MarkMate can be used by anyone, just provide your common username and password and you’re good to go.


      But where’s the sharing, you ask?


      Plain and simple, I don’t care to share my bookmarks with anyone. MarkMate started as a solution for me and I figure if I want, others might to. Plus finding a good way to allow for sharing of bookmarks without having it turn into an advertisement bonanza was just too much for what I want to start. Maybe in the future.


      Nonetheless, MarkMate is available and ready for anyone to use. Please take a look and even try it out, you might find it handier than you expect.


      Upcoming features include:
      - Searching of bookmarks (really soon)
      - Maximum record list, which matters once you have gazillions of bookmarks
      - Better response messages. They are all very ghetto right now, but it works.
      - Some sort of toolbar, either web-based or browser extension (once I learn how)
      - A logo. There’s one on paper, just not in pixels


      If you try it and can think of things you expected but didn’t get, or would like to see, just reply here or send in mail using the Feedback link provided.

      This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 4th, 2005 at 12:00 am and is filed under All. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

      4 Comments

      1. Big G from October 8th, 2005 at 12:00 am

        Very nice… This is great! Do you plan to keep it around for a while? I think I’ll start using it quite a bit.

        A couple requests (if I may be so bold)…

        1) The addition of an “Add multiple URL” option that would let you add up to maybe 5 or 10 URLs at a time with one click of the submit button.

        2) Integration of a password manager function… I’ll email you some ideas I have for a password manager backend to keep it more secure.

        G+

      2. Brian from October 8th, 2005 at 12:00 am

        Yes, MarkMate should be there for quite some time - as I’m using it heavily already.

        I do plan on updates (as listed) eventually. Multiple URL adding shouldn’t be a problem, so in the next update I can add that feature.

        Mail me about your password manager idea, sounds like a good resource and one I could use. I just did some password consolidation and management the old way, on paper!

        Thanks for the feedback!!

      3. Lorkin from October 20th, 2005 at 12:00 am

        The only suggestion I have is to add importing capabilities. Its a pain to add your bookmarks from firefox one by one.

      4. Brian from October 20th, 2005 at 12:00 am

        That’s a good idea too, although you’d have to categorize the marks once they are imported.

        And it depends how the browser exports the bookmarks.

        Personally, I haven’t transferred my bookmarks from browser to MarkMate (except for a select few). I’ve just disciplined myself to only use MarkMate when I find new sites from now on.