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Many internet searchers use the bookmark feature in their browser to save sites they find so that they can return to them later. While bookmarking on your computer is handy, there may be times when you need to access your favorite sites from another computer. A few years ago a new type of bookmark feature evolved which can help in this situation that of social bookmarking. Social bookmarking is similar to traditional bookmarking of websites, but it has an added dimension in that it allows users to save bookmarks to a public website and tag them with keywords and phrases so that others with similar interests can search and access your bookmark. This saves a tremendous amount of time and allows teachers and others who want to share information with a group to do so easily. In this article, I will attempt to introduce you to some of the most popular ones and discuss some of their differences.

One of the most popular bookmarking sites is del.icio.us. This site includes a list of the most popular sites as well as the most recent pages added. The site adds two buttons to your browser so that you can see all the sites you have added and so that you can add additional sites. It is a basic site without bells and whistles. This simplicity is a key factor in explaining its popularity.

Furl is also a popular bookmarking site. It offers users 5 gigabytes of storage. Users of Furl can write comments in addition to being able to bookmark. The design leaves some things to be desired according to reviews by some users, but it remains very popular, perhaps because it saves a copy of the whole webpage when you bookmark it.

Ma.gnolia, on the other hand, has a reputation for being very well designed and easy to navigate. This site allows you to rank your bookmarks and it offers easy editing options.

Digg does not require users to add buttons making it appealing to some. It emphasizes technology and science articles, although it is beginning to branch out into other areas. Users have complained that the users are allowed too much leeway in adding information which may lead to misinformation, but it continues to be very popular.

My Web is another popular bookmarking site. One of the principal reasons for its popularity is the fact that it was purchased by Yahoo and has gained in popularity due to the fact that many internet searchers use Yahoo. Its main downfall at this point is that it has many things in the toolbar making it a bit overwhelming for users. Considering Yahoo's commitment to service to its users, however, it is quite probable that this will be addressed in the future.

Whatever site or sites you choose to use, social bookmarking is a tool that can enable you to access information from the website using the recommendations of others instead of traditional search engines. It also enables you to share all the great information that you find with others in a format that is easy to manage and access.

Learn more about this author, Lee Ann Doskocil.
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