Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Hello Zaadzsters!

Wouldn't it be great if we had a tool to collect all our favorite Zaadz content, such as blogs, pods, threads, discussions, profiles, books, events, business listings, and even content outside of Zaadz? Wonder no more!

It's my pleasure to introduce to you the coolest new Zaadz feature, Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks). Simpy put: zBookmarks is a social bookmarking tool specifically created for the Zaadz Community.

Currently, zBookmarks is on alpha, meaning that it's live and you can start using it but it's still a work in progress.  There are lots of improvements to come (like group lists, and more collaborative features), but for now, feel free to use it and start adding your favorite content from within and outside of Zaadz.

Here's how to get started:

1) If you use popular social bookmarking services like del.icio.us or ma.golia, you can import your existing bookmarks into zBookmarks.

See: HOW TO: Import Your Bookmarks Into zBookmarks

2) Install the zBookmark widget on your browsers (e.g. IE or Firefox) by dragging the link to your browser toolbar.

3) Start bookmarking and tagging web pages by clicking zBookmark on your tool bar whenever you are browsing a page. A pop-up window will open. Then make sure to fill in the title and description fields, and tag your entries, separating multiple tags with a comma (,).

Note: Obsessive-compulsive tagging is healthy :)

4) You can access your bookmarks by clicking on the nursery -> bookmarks tab on the navigation menu, or via your Zaadz URL:

http://<your-zaadz-user-id>.zaadz.com/bookmarks

I can tell you all the cool stuff you can do with zBookmarks, but I'd rather show you some examples.

I've been test-driving zBookmarks for a couple of weeks now. I've imported all my del.icio.us and ma.gnolia bookmarks and added new content. Here are some of my favorites.

My Growing List of Favorite Zaadz Blog Entries

http://coolmel.zaadz.com/bookmarks/tagged/zblogs

My Growing List of Favorite Zaadz Pod Entries

http://coolmel.zaadz.com/bookmarks/tagged/zpods

My Growing List of Favorite Blogs Within and Outside of Zaadz

http://coolmel.zaadz.com/bookmarks/tagged/kosmicbloggers

Global Zaadz Bookmarks tagged with “Social Enterprise”

http://bookmarks.zaadz.com/tagged/social+enterprise/

You get the idea. So go ahead, start using zBookmarks right away!

NOTE:  Since zBookmarks is still on alpha, we expect bugs creeping out. So post those bugs on the zPod:Zaadz Support:Zaadz Bookmarks discussion board. We'd also love to hear your ideas and suggestions to make zBookmarks more awesome. So post your suggestions and ideas on zPod:Thinktank:Zaadz Bookmarks.

P.S. If you enjoy using zBookmarks, give Ryan a big hug. He's the Wizard behind the magic :)

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Thanks C4 and Ryan! This is amazing.

Namaste,

Nicole

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Awesome! This was one major thing missing from Zaadz, and now we have it!

If it's not in the works already, I suggest putting a list in the Pods that any member can add to. That way we can share pod-related links without pasting them into posts.

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

cool idea. please elaborate on that and post the idea on zPod:Thinktank:zBookmarks so we don't lose it :)

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Hi Guys:

I am not sure how to do this. How do I drag the link to my links toolbar in IE? I tried grabbing the hyperlinked text you highlighted but I can get it to work?

Thanks,

Judie

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

hi judie. follow this link, and see if the instructions help :)

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Here's how to do it on IE 7:

First, make sure your “Links” toolbar is turned on!!  Right click on the toolbar “area” and make sure there is a check mark next to “links.” 

Then, right-click on the “Zaadz Bookmark” link.  Click “Add to Favorites.”  Create in folder, “Links.”

Let me know if you have any troubles with this!

Peace, yo!
~M

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Word Holmes, sup?

A very elegant solution. Not many users will need it now, but it's good to be prepared for the upcoming release.

S

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

you da ~man! :)

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Sean I'm glad you like it :)

That is indeed part of the vision. In fact I would like to do the same for books,blogs and perhaps more (quotes,photos, whatever else). A setting for Pod admins as to who can add - admins or members - would be a must too.

It might not come right away, but it will come.  That there is an interest expressed makes it all the more likely it will happen earlier rather than later.

There are so many possiblities of what can and should be done next with bookmarks and other projects, it's often hard to prioritize.  Suggestions like this really help.

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Yippeee - aggregation!  :)

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Hi there,

I followed the instructions and I have the zBookmark widget visible on my Firefox toolbar, but when I click on it, my browser opens the support page. I don't see anything to complete.

God bless,

Stuart.

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

I'm using IE7 Beta 2 (XP MCE), and I experienced similar problems, and my case may be a bit trickier because I am using a beta product. I did get it to work with a little tweaking…

I had no way of dragging a “link” (as the text instructs) onto my favorites, and when I clicked on the link it took me to a page that wanted to bookmark my bookmarks. I tried dragging the “favicon” (the little zaadz logo in the left side of the address bar) onto the links bar, but then when i tried to bookmark the pods page, it was still trying to bookmark the bookmarks - because the link I captured was a static link for that one particular action.

My workaround was to:
+ right click on the link  Zaadz Bookmark (contained in the text: Drag the link Zaadz Bookmark to your browsers links toolbar) on the unused bookmarks page. If you've managed to add one bookmark, albeit a faulty one, the instructions are gone. Delete all bookmarks and start over.
+ once you've right clicked on the link, select “copy shortcut”.
+ right click on the zaadz bookmark link from the toolbar
+ under properties, replace the static link with the javascript code you copied from the link in the second step above. The browser may protest as you try to “OK” out of the dialog.
+ Now, it should work as described.

I'll give this a whirl in Firefox (and let's check Opera too)…

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

sweet. thanks for this instruction ;)

i'm re-directing to zPod:Support page for details on Firefox :)

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

strategistn said: “I followed the instructions and I have the zBookmark widget visible on my Firefox toolbar, but when I click on it, my browser opens the support page. I don't see anything to complete.”

hi, not sure how you dragged the link. it's possible that you've accidentally dragged the link of the support URL. please try again and let me know what happens.

http://bookmarks.zaadz.com/support

alternatively you can manually add bookmarks via this URL. change the <your-zaadz-id> with your id.

http://<your-zaadz-id>.zaadz.com/bookmarks/add_bookmark

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

RE: adding zBookmark widget  -

firefox worked like a breeze -

IE? so far, the hoops to jump through are hardly worth it - anyone else having difficulty?

will report back later to all you cool people!

Peace -
Bobbo

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Alive and Evolving!!

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

This is the best invention since ice cream!

Kindest regards,

Luella May
http://thecorner4women.com
http://dipetanesoutheast.com (under construction)

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Good good - time to recreate KosmicBlogger…

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

you mean this:

http://bookmarks.zaadz.com/tagged/kosmicbloggers

or, this?

http://ma.gnolia.com/groups/KosmicBloggers

instead of re-creating, i'm all for marrying.

more on this soon.

~C

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Big hugs C4 and Ryan. Followed your instructions and voila! Just made my first bookmark from the web. 

Many thanks for yet another new learning and cool  stuff for me at zaadz.

Can't wait for coming attractions!

Elated Mila

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

I GET IT!!!!!!! I GET IT!!!!! I am jumping up and down for joy!!!!!

I finally understand (?) this Bookmarking process, and also now understand what was confusing me about it.

May I please now offer the following as my present understanding of it all

THE “FOR DUMMIES” VERSION OF ZAADZ BOOKMARKS (especially the setting-up process.)

Here is what was confusing. There are two links with the same name and they do ENTIRELY different things. One is zBookmarks (http://bookmarks.zaadz.com) which links into the pool or library of existing zBookmarks, just like Quotes goes to the pool of Quotes, and Pods goes to the list of Pods, and Books goes to the library or pool of books. That is the ordinary kind of link we are all used to.

However, in the instructions for activating or installing the zBookmarking capability for each of us is ANOTHER link called “zBookmarks” which is entirely different. That is the one we are supposed to drag or somehow get into our own computer's browser's sub-list  entitled Links within the Favorites/Bookmarks list. (Not just put it in as a Favorite but put it into the list of Links in the Favorites or Bookmarks list, I am not fully clear about the difference but there does seem to be a difference.) (The specifics of that process seem to vary greatly among different browsers and I have nothing to contribute to THAT education!!!)

WHAT THAT LINK DOES is act like a gatekeeper to the zBookmarks library. It is actually a link TO a widget  within Zaadz  which enables the web page we are on to become a zBookmark. After that link has been established, according to ~C4's directions above, it can be seen by me all the time, or at least I know where it is all the time and could click on it whenever I wish to.

The thing to understand is that is NOT a link to the zBookmarks library as such, the whole big list. It is a link to the process of entering a webpage INTO the library.

Here is how I imagine the process taking place. I am on a cool webpage. I click on my browser-displayed Link called zBookmarks. It takes me from the cool webpage to the Zaadz gatekeeper/widget, who says,

Oh, I see you are on X webpage, and you want to add it to our library. Very well, please fill out this form I am showing you–I have already entered the URL for you–describing what's so great about this page, and when you do that and add some tags, and click on Add [or whatever the button says] I will be glad to add it to our pool and also to your own personal list of zBookmarks.” So you duly fill out the form for the gatekeeper, and hand it to him by clicking Add, and he then shows you how it now looks as a duly admitted member of the whole zBookmarks list, over 100, 000 of them so far. You will see yours and the other latest ones.

Then you are done, and you can browse more in the library, or go back to the cool web page.

May this be of significant help to any other DUMMY who is boggled by the process. And as always I invite any corrections, additions, or changes to the above, especially corrections.

P.S. Forgive me I am going to cross post this as a separate thread with a new title, for greater visibility to Newbies.

Made my day!!!! Blessings, OM Bastet

Re: Zaadz Bookmarks (zBookmarks) is Alive!

Hee hee - I totally understand the excitement of figuring it out.  It's a tool I don't use enough.  Thanks for the reminder.
Blessings, David