Slashdot Bookmarks

Recently we've added a new bookmark function that logged in users can use to maintain public lists of URLs for tagging and sharing with the world. You can read the bookmark faq to answer a few specific questions, check out the global bookmark lists that can be tagged, journaled over, or submitted as stories. Read on for notes on what we're planning for this.

The idea is that URLs are bookmarked, either using the javascript bookmarklett thingee or by directly visiting the bookmarks page. But when you are DONE bookmarking and tagging your URL, you can then write a journal or story submission about them. On a related note, journals are now directly submittable to Slashdot editors as well.

We plan to add RSS exporting as well as a few other features, but mostly what we're going to try to do is figure out ways to mine bookmarks for stories. You can best help by tagging bookmarks on the global bookmarks pages. This is all very experimental, so your help is appreciated.

Now as always on Slashdot we appreciate your feedback and bug reports. You can do this the slashdot SF project page. Or even better you could visit the site and consider submitting patches. Ideas are never in short supply here- time to code them all ALWAYS is. Join the mailing list! Or just start bookmarking and tagging stuff. Lastly, thanks to Tim Vroom who put all of this together.

update to clarify a point for the readers- this system is primarily an extension of our submission bin. You are welcome to bookmark & tag for your own pleasure, but our intent is that this system eventually be used to help us find content for the mainpage. So of course the functionality has overlap with other sites. No huge shock there. But our intentions is to use user bookmarks & tags as another input channel for editors picking stories for the audience.

Re:Great New Idea!

[pHatidic]

Exactly, all this is doing is splitting the online bookmarks sharing market into even smaller and smaller silos, subtracting value from end users. Why doesn't Slashdot just work out a deal with del.icio.us so that Slashdotters can mark the fact that they have a Slashdot account in their del.icio.us preferences, and then have those bookmarks be minable by the Slashdot editors. That way it would be easier for the Slashdot editors, better for del.icio.us, and would actually add value to the Internet instead of further splintering the market.

Re:Great New Idea!

[caluml]

diggdot.us [diggdot.us]

To CmdrTaco

[quokkapox]

It's nice that you're adding features, but could you repeal the permanent mod point bans on some of us? There are people here who read and contribute and would like to moderate but never get a chance. I don't want to create another userid and wait another six months until it "matures".

Just give us back our occasional mod points, and maybe explain what we did wrong which caused them to be taken away in the first place.

And also, could you please add a place where we can discuss this very sort of thing and not be modded offtopic?

This site depends on its users. I'm a user. You're supposed to listen to me.

Not just big!

[CupBeEmpty]

The point is that it is targeted not just large. I feel like people who take the time to delve into /. tend not to be the same kind of people that just spew moronic crap on Digg and the like. The best part about /. is the community that keeps it as good as it is. If you go to a /. tagged bookmark site you have a better idea of what you are going to get.

Re:Suggestion

[quokkapox]

Digg is getting better fast. They implemented barebones threaded discussion not long ago and I'll eat my hat if they don't add adjectives to moderation fairly soon. They've got problems (more dupes than slashdot, for one), but they're moving fast.

Usefullness/Feature Request...

[dcowart]

Hi Slashdot Editors & Mods, I like the idea that tags give a way to codify information based on small words with commonly accepted meanings. My Feature request would be that clicking on a tag didn't edit the tag, but brought up a list of global bookmarks or articles with that tag. So let me click on the 'anime' tag and get a list of people's 'anime' tagged bookmarks. I want the tags to be a search feature. I think this would make the tags even more usefull.

Also, how are "Popular" bookmarks figured out? By the number of people bookmarking the same site, or by the number of people following the link?

--Donald