Apr 21, 2011

In Search For Ultimate Blogging Tools: Writing Simplified Now!

Why should you use desktop blogging editors? Well, have you ever lost a post because of your internet connection? Maybe you accidentally closed the browser you were using and all your work just disappeared? Even with autosave options and occasional prompts before closing windows, occasionally content gets lost. For me the only option to avoid this is to use a desktop blogging editor. Using a desktop editor greatly reduces the chance that you will lose your work. However in this article I will showcase everything – not only desktop blogging software, but also online websites, innovative curation/blogging solutions and simplified apps for distraction free writing.

In Search For Ultimate Blogging Tools: Writing Simplified Now!
Google Docs could be a great online alternative and you don’t have to worry about any loss of content because of its regular autosave feature, but if you want any more advanced features since Google Docs is merely a text editor, then you’ll want to consider other options. The major drawback besides a lack of customization is that you don’t have access to your documents if you don’t have an internet connection. If you want to share documents between several users however then Google Docs is great. See this intro video for more information about how to use it:
Before I start my review and share the experiences I’ve had with these editors. Keep in mind that I am a full-time blogger and looking for the most efficient blogging possible. I crop and create images on my own, if I need to do some code editing I do it manually, I enjoy fast writing and WYSIWYG possibilities to create a finished article as quickly as possible. The articles I write are usually quite long and in depth. If your blog is just going to be a place where you share pictures, quick updates about your life and things you find interesting online, your preferences might look much different than mine. However I tried to be as objective as possible and picked out a few blogging editors to feature here which I think are worth taking a look at. Enjoy!

Blogo (Mac)

Price: $25 ( has 21-day trial)
blogo-desktop-editor-mac.jpg
Easily publish text, images, videos, slideshows and more. With a simple, intuitive interface and support for WordPress, Blogger, Typepad, Typo, Drupal, Joomla, and Expression Engine, Blogo is the best way to maintain your blog and spread the word with Twitter, Ping.fm and other supported services.
I tried to blog through Blogo for a while, there are definitely some pros, but also several cons which made writing not as efficient. It’s easy and fast to set up and get going with, just add your blog address, login, password and you’re set. Recommended customization is image size, just head to the preferences and add max image width and height limit.
Image Editing and uploading – Blogo has a built-in image editor which let’s you crop and resize images so you save yourself the hassle of finding another image editor. If your needs are basic, then this editor will be more than enough.Uploading images is very easy, when you’re finished just click a button to upload images automatically to your server, which is a great time saver in comparison to always doing it manually through your blogs dashboard.

What I liked:

  • Option to enter full screen mode to avoid distractions
  • Easy image, video,audio and quote add an upload
  • Live preview screen to see how post would look like published
  • Handy web browser bookmarklet
  • Intelligent microblogging – you can follow your friends, search on Twitter and share posts with Ping.fm
  • Word and character count
  • If you need to copy and use some text from other sites, there is a good option to Remove Formatting, handy.

What I disliked:

  • Limited advanced customization options
  • For me the screen size for body text was too small, but I had no resizing modification options
  • Blogo assumed I needed my images aligned with text,which would be handy if I would used small images. Since I used pretty big images this auto feature created more problems for me than it was helpful, but maybe that’s just me
  • I didn’t like the default CSS styling Blogo had, but there is no option to change font size, background color and line heights.

Summary

I liked the main window of the Blogo post editor, where all the main features are just a click away. The big downside was the tiny body text field and not being able to customize anything. For the people who want a smart desktop blog editor that does most of the hard work for you, Blogo is a good pick. However if you are picky and really want control over the entire blogging process maybe you need to look for something else.

MarsEdit (Mac)

Price: $39.95 (has 30 day trial)
marsedit-desktop-blogging-editor.jpg
MarsEdit is a really powerful and feature rich editor, which works with WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Squarespace, TypePad, Movable Type and dozens more through standard MetaWeblog and AtomPub interfaces. If you use iPhoto, Aperture, Lightroom or Flickr libraries, you’ll love MarsEdit, because you’ll be able to insert images into blog post with the click of a button!
If you use any coding editor, then you’ll also enjoy MarsEdit’s integration with BBEdit, SubEthaEdit, TextMate, TextWrangler, and any editor that supports that ODBEditor suite.
While writing a blog post I enjoyed it’s clean layout, though sometimes I missed having some of the one click features you get with a WYSIWYG editor. To keep things minimal and clean MarsEdit put all the formatting options in a dropdown menu. I think it depends on your taste – if you want a very clean interface and do not mind few extra clicks,you’ll enjoy MarsEdit.
Comparing with Blogo MarsEdit has some more text styling customization options – I could change the default font in Rich and HTML editor views and I was able to change background color in HTML view (strangely I couldn’t change the background in the rich editor view which I prefer using). But you can still use WriteRoom there (WriteRoom’s full screen writing environment gets your computer out of the way so that you can focus on your work. The result is a subtle clearing of the mind that helps you write better.)
I found this video showing how to use MarsEdit and some of its great features, check it out:

What I liked:

  • Bookmarklet which allows you to blog whatever page you’ve surfed to in your browser—it sends the page to MarsEdit, which opens a new post window with the title, link, and any selected text.
  • Clean interface
  • Coding editor integration
  • Integration with iPhoto, Aperture and Flickr
  • Spelling and grammar check
What I disliked:
Really I found just one, but big, drawback for me. MarsEdit features are hidden, making article editing a little bit slower than I would want. For example Rich/HTML view switching can be done with a keyboard shortcut or two clicks Post->Edit Rich Text. While this may sound minor, if you’re not good with remembering or using keyboard shortcuts, the time that it takes you to click every time will slowly add up.

Summary

Well, minimalism lovers will love MarsEdit, because it’s extremely clean and still very powerful. If you’re focusing on images you’ll enjoy different software integration and if you’re an information junkie then the bookmarklet will be very handy for you.
However if you want to make your writing process as efficient as possible you’ll need to remember all the shortcuts MarsEdit has and spend some serious time learning how to use it in a more advanced way.

Ecto (Mac)

Price: $19.95
With ecto you can write and manage entries for your weblog(s). You can compose entries offline and use the extra features ecto offers, such as spellcheck, creating links, attachments, and much more. Ecto is a native Mac OS X application, and offers you a more powerful and easier to use editing interface than your blog’s built in control panel.
illumineX __ ecto screenshots - a powerful blog editor for your Mac.jpg
Ecto has been the most customizable of all, though it hasn’t got some of the newest, fancy features the other blog editors might have. Most of the features that Ecto doesn’t have aren’t missed, at least by me. I am looking for an editor which does it’s best to aid just the writing process and nothing else and that’s why I think Ecto is the best one for the job.
Watch this video I found on Youtube to learn more, the author is showing some of the best features in action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYEXGe0z4N0

What I liked:

  • Support for multiple blogs, able to easily switch and browse through them.
  • Able to set custom tags for more personalized and native usage to editor
  • Clean interface with all the main features right in front of you
  • Able to set up fully custom CSS, font, background color to editor you use, if you’re a typography geek like I am, you’ll enjoy full control to customize whatever you like both for Rich and HTML view editors.

What I disliked:

  • When I try to insert image in post I always got a popup window with a lot of image customization options. This started to bother me after a while since I don’t need to style the image. I wasn’t able to get rid of it with a “Remember my choice” checkbox somewhere, because there isn’t one.
  • Slightly outdated design. While I don’t care a lot about design if there is great functionality, Blogo and MarsEdit had much better interface design than Ecto did. The design isn’t bad, but I would like to see a better one
  • Seems to me Ecto hasn’t been updated for a while which might mean that support isn’t really available and you won’t be able to expect any future updates. Just a guess though, but I couldn’t find Ecto on AppStore and their support forum is full of spam.

Summary

There isn’t one ultimate blogging editor for everybody, I just hope after these reviews you’ll have a good insight what’s possible with each one, as for me, Ecto turned out to be the most suitable editor for now, it’s powerful, clean and efficient. In the near future I’d like to see other editors improving with greater customization tools and feature. Everybody has their own expectations and needs from a desktop blog editor and I am sure many of you will be satisfied with one of these picks!

Windows Blogging Editors

Blogjet

Price: $39.95 (has free trial)
BlogJet - blog client for Windows.jpg
The most advanced Windows blog editor and manager. Get the convenience and speed of a native application, and the ability to write posts offline.
When I was previously using Windows, Blogjet was my favorite blogging editor because of it’s clean interface and powerful features. It really has  what any advanced blogger would need. However it’s not free.
See Blogjet’s features in this video. The version that is available is an update of the one in the video. See official tutorial videos on CodingRobots Youtube page.

Some of Blogjet coolest features:

  • Auto replace – If you are tired of writing the same thing over and over again, create an Auto Replace rule for it. For example, when you type Scoble, BlogJet can replace it with a link to Robert’s blog.
  • Integration with Feed Readers – BlogJet integrates with FeedDemon, RSS Bandit, NewsGator and others for you to be able to blog about something in just a few clicks.
  • Flickr and YouTube Support – Your photos on Flickr and videos on YouTube will complement your blog – and now it’s easy to insert them in your posts, as BlogJet supports these services natively.
  • Modern Interface – The easy-to-use graphical user interface in BlogJet looks native on Vista and Windows 7. Maybe not a functional feature, but interface matters and in Blogjet you get a beautiful interface.

Windows Live Writer

Price: Free
Windows Live Writer makes it easy for anyone to write articles like a professional blogger. You can create beautiful blog posts, and see what they’ll look like online before you publish them to your blog. Plus, you can publish your posts to any of your favorite blog service providers.
Windows Live Writer 2011.jpg
This is the best alternative if you are looking for a free and quality editor, for me it still felt a little bit too feature rich and clumsy, but it’s still a very good choice and it will be easy to learn if you’re used to Windows Office products. I didn’t enjoy all the default fancy effects this editor has. You need to spend some time customizing things right from the beginning.

ScribeFire (Web Browser Extension)

Price: Free
Can be used both on Mac and PC since it’s a browser extension.
scribefire-blogging-tool.jpg
ScribeFire is an extension for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser, Google Chrome Web browser, Opera Web Browser, and Apple Safari Web browser that allows you to easily post to all of your blogs.
ScribeFire is a full-featured blog editor that integrates with your browser and lets you easily post to all of your blogs.
You can post to WordPress, Blogger, TypePad, Windows Live Spaces, Tumblr, Posterous, Xanga, LiveJournal, or any other blog that supports the MetaWeblog or MovableType APIs.
As for me, I didn’t find it too useful just because I only have one WordPress blog and  the ScribeFire environment is pretty similar to WP. I see great use for ScribeFire if you have several different blogs and you need one management system for all of them. This extension makes it easy to switch between these blogs and lets you to do everything in a single environment. For example if you have blogs on WordPress,Blogger and Tumblr it may become challenging to write in all of them and be familiar with each of their interfaces. ScribeFire solves this problem and is a good option if you enjoy a web browser type blogging editor. Ah, and did I mention they added support for Zemanta, a plugin for easily adding related links to an article too?
Check this video showing how to use ScribeFire effectively with Zemanta. For me the problem was that the results it returned weren’t always that relevant to the topic, because I needed good images and very similar articles from my own article base. While Zemanta does a good job, I just still prefer doing it manually so I can be assured of better quality. But hey, I am a huge geek, don’t listen to me.

Innovative writing tools and interesting solutions

While I was searching for different blogging clients I also found a lot of different applications and websites which were dedicated to the writing process. There were also curation/blogging tools that assist you greatly while you write, but let’s start one by one.

Qrait

Qrait.jpg
A realtime curation platform designed to fulfill the needs of content curators and reduce information overload for the rest of us.
Well, Qrait isn’t out yet, but I like where it’s going, especially the content suggestion option. Basically I would use it for my drafting process mainly, letting me easily add videos, related tweets and any other information I would like to collect before I actually started writing. I see it as a management system, with it’s pros and cons. Maybe for you it would be handy just to share some content and be able to create it easily.

Curate.Us

Curate.Us allows you to make both visual clips and formatted quotes from web content that you can post on your blog or web site. Clips are screenshots that provide both back links and trackbacks to the original source. Quotes made with Curate.Us extract relevant passages from any web content, format them, and also provide both back links and trackbacks to the original source. Curate.Us also creates short links that are easy to tweet and email.
Go through it’s self-guided tour of features to learn more about this service:
Self-Guided Tour of Features | Curate.Us.jpg
Features I found interesting:
  • Add “clip this story” button to your web site enabling your readers to easily clip and quote your work.
  • Curate.Us analytics, you can track where your content is going and how much traffic is returned to your site.
  • Curate.Us-enable Your Site – Once you have registered for an account on Curate.Us, you can easily Curate.Us-enable your site. Doing so gives your readers the ability to share your content across the web while giving you the ability to see how and where your content is used.
  • You can clip quotes and screenshots with ease now!
Interesting service definitely!

Repost.Us

This service is created by the same people, who created Repost.Us.
Repost.Us - Instant Monetized Syndication.jpg
Repost.Us is a frictionless instant syndication platform where any publisher’s content can be instantly syndicated to another publisher, blogger, or website with a few clicks and no prior business relationship—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Repost.Us automates content syndication, opening up monetized content exchange to the entire web. Repost.Us guarantees the integrity and security of the story being syndicated. Repost.Us is also search-engine friendly. Because search engines only see content on the original publisher’s site, syndicated copies are seen by search engines crawlers as a link back to the original.
Repost.Us supports four monetization models, and publishers can mix and match to find the exact formula that’s best for them. Publishers can choose from two ad-supported models, paid fee syndication with tiered pricing, or free syndication to increase reach.
I am not sure if this new approach will go wide, but I think this is a legal way to farm content and it doesn’t violate with Google as well! See how it works page, to learn more.

SimpleNote

SimpleNote is an easy way to keep notes, lists, ideas, and more. I included it because of the importance of taking notes, jotting down ideas wherever you go and being able to sync them. There is a lot of third party software that allows you to use this application on iPhone, iPad &iPod touch, Mac OS X, Windows, Android, Palm OS and much more. Read all available options here.
Simplenote. An easy way to keep notes, lists, ideas, and more..jpg
Few of SimpleNote coolest features:
  • Sharing and publishing – Keep a shared grocery list with your family or housemates. Or publish some notes from your class or meeting.
  • Use a growing variety of extras – Simplenote is an open platform. People are building lots of cool things you can use to extend your experience.
  • Instantly search your notes – Type whatever you’re looking for, and your list updates instantly. You’ll never misplace an important thought again.

OmmWriter ( PC and Mac)

Remember in the previous article where I wrote how to set the mood? Well, OmmWriter does a lot to help in this process, forget about everything and just write, even some audio is included! Look at their video for better insight:
OmmWriter Dana is a humble attempt to recapture what technology has snatched away from us today: our capacity to concentrate.
OmmWriter is a simple text processor that firmly believes in making writing a pleasure once again, vindicating the close relationship between writer and paper. The more intimate the relation, the smoother the flow of inspiration.
If you are a scriptwriter, blogger, journalist, copywriter, poet or just someone who enjoys writing, welcome back to concentrating.
TRY THE NEW VERSION FOR MAC - Ommwriter.jpg

ByWord ($4.99) Mac

If you’re Mac user however my favorite simple writing editor is ByWord with its beautiful default CSS styling, super sleek interface and handy full screen mode. It’s not free however, but for me it was worth the price.
ByWord will be handy if you’re writing a book or a lot of plain text, for bloggers who need to add a lot of links, images and video – you won’t be able to do any of this with ByWord. This software is kind of like what the iPad is to the Amazon Kindle in regards to books – you can read books on the iPad, but you’ll have a much better experience using the Kindle just because you’re not able to do anything…just read.
As for Byword – just write, no fancy options to distract you.
App Store.jpg
One more site to check out if you own a  Mac, iPad or iPhone is HogbaySoftware.
They have several great apps for the writing process and keeping you organized:
  • PlainText – Dropbox text editing for iPad & iPhone
  • TaskPaper – Simple to-do lists for Mac & iPhone.
  • WriteRoom – Distraction free writing for Mac & iPhone.
  • QuickCursor – Your text editor anywhere for Mac.
  • SimpleText – Your text synced online for Mac, iPhone, & Web.

Writer For iPad ($0.99)

Have an iPad and want to enjoy a great writing experience? No problem, check this advanced software for Information Architects.
The key to good writing is not that magical glass of Bordeaux, the right kind of tobacco or that groovy background music. The key is focus. What you need to write well is a setting that allows you to fully concentrate on your text and nothing but your text. Many professional writers use SimpleText or Textedit because these are the only writing programs that are totally distraction free. But text editors are not perfect. That’s what Writer is for.

Conclusion

What about you? Which blogging editor do you prefer to use? Maybe you’re using a blogging editor I didn’t showcase here but you feel it’s better than the ones I included? I am open to any suggestions, though I really went through a lot of editors to save time for you and show the best players on the market!
What do you think about some of the simple blogging editors and some of the more innovative solutions showcased here?

How to Use Gmail Like a Pro – Smart Tips and Tricks

Knowing your way through Gmail is a good way to increase work productivity, that’s why I wrote this to give you an idea on how extensible and flexible Gmail is. After reading this you will have sufficient knowledge of Gmail and your e-mail management will surely sky-rocket with efficiency.
There is a stereotype between e-mail users which states that you can tell what kind a person is by just looking at his/her e-mail. Having a Yahoo! mail account suggests a person is just a regular internet user; Gmail users are for more technical people who are very internet savvy. Then there are those with custom e-mail for webmasters/website owners, these people make others’ jaw drop because it’s cool. Having said that, I’ll focus on setting up and optimizing Gmail . If you’re an Oatmeal fan, what comes to mind? This.
How to Use Gmail Like a Pro – Smart Tips and Tricks

Problems Encountered (for people with rudimentary setup)

Well, not really a problem but the targeted ads creep me out. I was having a conversation with someone about an accident that just occurred, and the next moment I saw the ads refresh and bam, there’s an advertisement about accidents and insurance. The ads read my messages! I find this creepy, really.
For basic setup, the most common problem people who receive tons of messages encounter is that all the messages are kept in the inbox, and it’s easier to miss important messages. Another one is sending messages to multiple contacts, the time will come when people will get tired of typing seven names/addresses…solution? Create groups.
Another problem I encountered, which is a little embarrassing on my part, is sending mass e-mail without using Bcc or Cc. I sent an e-mail to seven applicant writers, exposing each person’s e-mail address, and they knew there were seven of them. Facepalm.
To address the following problems, and help you save face and time, take a little while to read through and set-up your Gmail. It pays!

Smart E-mail Setup = Better Time and Work Management

Telling your clients and other contacts that you reply as soon as you read their e-mail is a big no-no. There are two ways of how people “condition” their contacts into thinking this. First is by telling them you will, and secondly by doing it. Time is fleeting, don’t waste it on e-mail. Having a specific time of the day to check your e-mail and reply is a very good way to increase productivity and tell people when to expect your reply.
What most effective freelancers do with their e-mail is they only check it twice a day, before starting work and before day’s end. Keeping your mailbox open the whole day is not a good idea, it is a temptation. Set aside at least 15 minutes in the morning before starting work, check again during lunch time, and finally at day’s end. This is a win-win strategy, once you’ve conditioned people about what time of the day you usually check your mailbox you then get to work more without worrying about missing something.

Signature

Use the three.sentenc.es “policy” and add the following to your signature:
——————————————–
Q: Why is this email three sentences or less?
A: http://three.sentenc.es
This is to help you save time, not really mandatory, but more of a “personal policy” as they say. There is beauty in short messages, it helps you save time. The shorter, the better. Don’t make e-mail management your full-time job. It is important to include the quoted text above to your signature to let them know what’s up with your short responses.
When it comes to signatures, do: keep it short and professional, and include necessary contact information. Do not: for the love of Batman please don’t add animated GIFs (especially glittery ones), and never include quotations (unless it is highly relevant).
Then again, priorities tend to get mixed up when it comes to e-mail. Keeping all messages in your inbox is not a good thing if you receive 20 to 40 e-mails in a day.

Accounts and Contacts

Priority Inbox

A solution for an overflowing inbox, to avoid missing the most important e-mail, is the  Priority Inbox which learns through your activities who among your contacts are high priority. If someone is labeled high priority, messages are filtered so that you can see them as soon as you open your Priority Inbox. It is an intelligent piece of technology made specifically for users who receive massive amounts of e-mail. This, to a degree, eliminates the human error of missing important messages.
Gmail_priority
To enable Priority Inbox, go to Mail Settings, then go to Priority Inbox tab and select “Show Priority Inbox” and Save Changes. The page will reload and an information window will appear.

Connecting Multiple Accounts

For people like me who have several e-mail addresses that you can’t just leave because of the countless subscriptions, one for business and one for personal, there’s an easy fix. Connecting multiple accounts and auto-forwarding them to a “central” account does the trick.
Gmail_forward
Go to Mail Settings, then under Forwarding and POP/IMAP click “Add a forwarding address” and enter the e-mail address. A confirmation code/message will be sent to that address that you need to click in order to verify this request.
I have four e-mail addresses, one I use for registering on websites that I don’t quite trust yet, one for my personal contacts and subscriptions, one for work, and the last one for payments. I only open one mailbox but I can still send using my other IDs.
Gmail_replyas
Go to Mail Settings, under Accounts and Import click “Send mail from another address” and a window will appear, enter your name and the e-mail address you want to use. Then the usual verification process will follow. After successfully doing this, compose a new message and you will have the option to select which e-mail address to use when replying, no need to open that mailbox and reply using that one. In this case, I have four addresses I can use to reply to people.
Gmail_replyas2
Sooner or later you will notice that there are some messages that you’d rather not get but it’s too tedious to unsubscribe to. Solution? Filters. Setting up filters also gives you a clean inbox. You can filter messages and send them directly to a folder you want to.

Adding Filters

Gmail_filter
Go to Mail Settings, under Filters tab click “Create a new filter” and a form will appear.
Gmail_filter1
You can be as specific as you want when specifying the criteria, in this case I used a wildcard. Whenever I receive messages from any @1stwebdesigner…
Gmail_filter2
…the message instantly skips the Inbox and heads directly to the folder I created named “1stWD”. To apply this filter to past conversations, just click “Also apply…” and finally, Create Filter.

Creating Groups

To help save time especially when sending an e-mail to several recipients often.
Gmail_group
Go to Contacts, under the left sidebar you will see “New Group…” click it and enter your desired name for that group. Next is select that Group and click Add to “”. The next time you send a mass e-mail, you just have to write down the name of the group. Neat, eh?

Tips to Make Life Easier

Desktop Notifications

This may sound hypocritical, since I said earlier to not keep your mailbox open all day, but you can also set desktop notifications (like when someone goes online on IMs) for every new e-mail, or only for important messages are received.
Gmail_notif
Go to Mail Settings, under General tab you will see “Desktop Notifications,” just select “Chat notifications on” and choose between “New mail notifications” or “Important mail notifications.” The downside here is you won’t get notified of new e-mail if Gmail is closed. Gmail Notifier keeps you updated without logging in.

Shortcuts

Another graceful addition to your Gmail knowledge is knowing the shortcuts. You aren’t a pro if you don’t know them!
Gmail_shortcut
Again, go to Mail Settings and under General, select “Keyboard shortcuts on” and go HERE for the complete list of shortcuts.

Gmail Saves

It literally does, it scans your text for the word “attachment” or “attached” and verifies if you’ve really attached something. If not, then you are notified about this, saving yourself from embarrassment.
Gmail_attach
Gmail also shows you the IP addresses from which your mailbox was accessed from, giving you a chance of catching the person (boy/girlfriend?) spying on your inbox.
Gmail_details
Clicking “Details” will open a window with 10 of the IP addresses that accessed your mailbox. The coolest part? Gmail warns you when someone from a foreign country accessed your mailbox, prompting you to change passwords ASAP. Through this, you can also disconnect all sessions that are open, very useful if you forgot to log out on another workstation.

While Away on Vacation

There are two ways to tell people you’re on vacation without telling them before it actually happens, to avoid boasting or something.
Gmail_vacation
Go to Mail Settings, under the General tab look for Vacation Responder and turn it on. The message you type will be automatically sent within the dates you set for  your vacation. Vacation is vacation! I know that there are few nasty employers who approve of your vacation but still pester you about every day of your holidays. Solution? Ignore them or use auto-responder.
You can also grant someone access to your account, a secretary or someone close to do your bidding.
Gmail_grantaccess
Go to Mail Settings, under Accounts and Import click on “Add another account” and follow the setup wizard. Now you can actually rest without having to worry about your client or boss nagging at you when you return.
For a secure connection, use HTTPS.
Gmail_https
Go to Mail Settings, under general look for Browser connection.
You can attach files by drag and drop. You can also use Gmail for backup purposes if you don’t want to use Dropbox to save your documents.

Plugins, Extensions, and other Applications

Gmail Labs

If you are familiar with Google Labs, you will love Gmail Labs for it saves you more than anything else from embarrassment! To view the experimental features, go to Mail Settings and select Labs tab.
There are instances when some contacts share the same name, couple it with haste and you’ll end up sending your e-mail to the wrong person. Solution? Got the wrong Bob?
Gmail_wrongbob
Then there will come a time when you got the name right, the message is not quite ready, but you sent it anyway. Do your self a favor and use Undo Send to save face.
Gmail_undosend
You get the idea, there are lots of useful experimental features in Gmail Labs that you can use to have an easy, flowing, e-mail experience. Feel free to experiment!

PC and Mac Applications

Sparrow Mail App (Mac) –  “I am insanely pleased with Sparrow.” –  Stephen Fry, ’nuff said.
GeeMail (Mac/PC/Linux) –  Gmail desktop client, proven and tested for years now.

Firefox Add-ons

Integrated Gmail 2.6.17 –  this add-on lets you keep all Google services like Google Calendar, Google Reader, and others in one place. No more 10 tabs opened.
Webmail Notifier –  add-on that enables Firefox users to check several mailboxes with just one click.
Gmail Manager –  for people with multiple Gmail accounts, very simple application, minimalists will love this.
Gmail Ad Remover –  removes advertisements from Gmail (those creepy ads that know what your e-mail is about and uses them to show relevant ads).
Meeting Scheduler –  simple and perfect add-on to schedule meetings with people.
Gmail S/MIME –  safer conversations by sending and receiving encrypted e-mail.

Chrome Extensions

Google Mail Checker –  receive notifications through an icon on Chrome, opens inbox in one click.
Better Gmail –  gives users the option to clean Gmail’s interface by removing ads, footers, chat, or adding icons for specific file types (not just a clip), and others.
Minimalist for Gmail –  refer to name.
Remember The Milk –  manages tasks in Gmail effectively, automatically adds starred messages or labels.
Mailto:Gmail –  opens Gmail Compose window for Mailto: links on websites.
ActiveInbox for Chrome and Firefox –  one of the few super cool plugins to manage an out of control Gmail.
Now, there are tons of tips and tricks and applications that have been written and published online, and I bet you have your favorites too to share, why not make life easier for others and share them here?

10 Secrets to Be a Better Freelancer

The struggle in freelancing is quite far from the competition of regular businesses. The word “freelancer” was first used to describe a “medieval mercenary warrior” to point out that that lancer does not work under any lord. An out-worker has to experience as much contenders as there are drops in the sea.
In order to leave a mark in freelancing, one has to fight with a countless amount of people from different regions and work cultures. In this situation, a freelancer does not even know about how he can get over his opponent. To spot the imprint of a lancer’s matchlessness, one has to keep mounting his spirit high and has to set his own distinguish rules of work because only he is the boss of himself. There are plenty of ways showed by the rulers of this industry, on the basis of which I gathered points which in my opinion are necessary to identify and market the uniqueness of one’s freelance business.

10 Secrets to Be a Better Freelancer

1. Determine Your Strength



Every person has some skills which help them throughout their professional life. In order to be successful in this field you have to know where your mind is set. If you enjoy your work the outcome will always be better as opposed to working just for a paycheck. By realizing your strengths and doing what you really want, you can get the best results in terms of productivity. The question that naturally arises is “how do I identify my strength?” You can discover your strengths through:
  • Impulsive reactions of brain to find out the area where it can process efficiently.
  • Desired field in which you found yourself excited and craving for more.
  • Stimulation of mind for learning
  • Work that leaves you feeling energized

2. Cope Up With Your Weakness

To become successful in your line of freelance business you cannot neglect or ignore your weaknesses. Nobody can improve in any career without accepting, and knowing, their flaws. Pretending that you are free of blunders is the worst thing and will potentially ruin your career. Hiding your flaws is not a solution; you cannot get away from them. Identifying your weakness and acknowledging it is the ultimate solution. To cope with your weaknesses you should not forget:
  • To look at your work with a critical eye
  • To recognize, admit and fight with your gaffes
  • To stay attentive and avoid repeating past mistakes

3. Boost Self-Confidence

Confidence is a key strength everyone must have to achieve success. Confidence enables a person to conquer anything in this world. Self assessment is necessary to know what the individual has done and what he is required to do. This will give a person a focused view of his/her career and motivate him to move one step up in his freelance work since there is no one else to evaluate him. There is no particular way to boost self-confidence; this is only motivation and determination which will help freelancers in moving forward and enhancing confidence. So self-possession can be increased by:
  • Daily self assessment.
  • Challenging yourself step by step.
  • Getting out of your comfort zone.

4. Identify Client’s Demands

For freelancers, it is very important to be up to date with their customers demands. This can be done by knowing their target market and what they like and don’t like. Knowledge about red-hot topics of the relevant field plays a vital role in dealing with clients’ demands. This is because people want fresh ideas and love ground-breaking work. If you want to be unique and yearn to reach a milestone, then you have to keep following your customer’s demand without sacrificing work quality. Do:
  • Know what they want by feedback.
  • Provide what they need.
    • if it is clear that what they need is risky, or goes against the whole world, tell your client. This might save them too.

5. Keep Track Of Appreciations




A word of appreciation is like gas to a car in this business. Since freelancers don’t have anyone who analyzes and evaluates their performance, this positive reception can be obtained through client feedback. In this business, always try to get as much feedback as you can. Always remember that feedback is just an approval of work, never get overwhelmed with joy from it otherwise you will fall off of your path. This appreciation will also assist you in finding your “right track”. Tracking of appreciation will enable you to find out the right position in freelance business.

6. Give Positive Response To Criticism




Criticism is another form of feedback which lets you know whether the work has been accepted or not. Never take criticism negatively because this will lead to great frustration and stress. Criticisms will help you analyze the likes and dislikes of your clients. Apart from your knowledge of your weak points, criticism from your clients gives you a broader view of your work. Responding positively to criticism is like overcoming your weakness which will help you stand out amongst your competitors. This is the strongest way to stand out in the field of freelancing.

7. Keep Learning From Mistakes



Mistakes is the point where everyone loses confidence and might lose spirit also. There is no one on Earth who is perfect, even machines err. But coping smartly with mistakes will make you stronger. Mistakes should be treated as guide stones, telling you which way to go next time. The only thing which is necessary is to be vigilant. Mistakes are not a problem unless they are repeated. If you want to get noticed in freelancing, try and:
  • Prepare for the worst but do your best.
  • Not lose strength from blunders and keep the spirit high.
  • Learn from mistakes and do not repeat.
  • Go back to point 2 and know your weakness.

8. Be Aware Of New Trends




Trends change in a blink of an eye. To stay in the race, you have to set your eyes on the trends so that you are up to date. You can’t possibly beat several hundred competitors without knowing what’s happening in the world. This is unlike a full-time job where an employee does not need to know the trends; most office employees just do what the boss says. In freelancing, being up to date keeps you alive in the market.

9. Say “Yes” To Challenges



If you want to score a top position in the competition then embrace challenges with a happy face. This is because every time you want to provide the best for your client, you will come to realize that you are facing new challenges. Triumph can only be achieved by proving yourself in something that has not been attained by someone else before, or something you haven’t dared tried yet. You might get a good position in the market by constantly giving your best work, but this is not enough to achieve a remarkable feat. To stand out amongst your competitors, you have to come forward from the regular competition and do something different.

10. Never Forget Your Competitors




This is the most important point of all for a winning toss. Always keep your eyes open and stay informed about your competitors because they are also in the same race. In order to beat the others, you have to know their potency and limitations. Without knowing the traits of your opponent you cannot overcome their position. This will also help you learn. It is the trait of real conquerors that they capture knowledge regardless of the source as if it belongs to them.