Gasp! Egads! Expletives and Maledictions! These were but a few ways I expressed my shock at The Next Web’s report and leaked screen shot showing various Yahoo properties that were to be taken on a long drive out into the dessert and left for dead. Why would I, an infrequent Yahoo user, be so dismayed? Delicious, my favorite bookmarking tool, was listed as one of those properties in line to be “sunset”.
The magnitude of this simply cannot be understood unless I divulge that I have been using delicious since November, 2 of 1996 and currently have 11850 delicately curated bookmarks. OK, well some may not be as perfectly curated as that previous statement would have you believe, but it is important to me so back off. Anyway, so I have been using them since before they were purchased by Yahoo and before they switched from del.icio.us to delicious.com.
Today, RWW reports that Yahoo has granted a stay of execution for delicious. No doubt due in no small part to my excessive tweeting on the subject. The question now is, do I stay or do I go? Below is a list of alternatives, most of which I had bookmarked previously in…you guessed it, delicious. I will be updating the list with commentary as I go through various tests, including helping one of these companies stress test their import tool. As they put it, “WOW! You really are a bookmark hoarder!”.
Update: Official “What’s Next For Delicious?” post on the delicious blog states: “We’re actively thinking about the future of Delicious and we believe there is a home outside the company that would make more sense for the service and our users. We’re in the process of exploring a variety of options and talking to companies right now. And we’ll share our plans with you as soon as we can.“
The delicious bookmarks alternatives list:
note: I have excluded most niche, pligg, scuttle, karma, voting or digg like bookmarking sites. I am also not commenting on SEO/marketing value.
Springpad – A top bookmarking contender at this time, with thumbnails, sharing & social features. (thanks to @jpmitchell for the heads up!)
diigo – Decent bookmark tool, ad-supported freemium model (account since Jan 15, 2009)
iCyte – I used to sorta like this one, sorta, but now they are charging with no freemium option that I can find.
Zootool – I love the creative interface, the feel, and a good fit for many, maybe not for me. (Down as of posting due to delicious mass exodus!)
licorize – Sexy interface, badges, more of a project bookmark tool/I don’t know what the heck. Never has successfully imported my bookmarks.
Pinboard – First off it is a paid only bookmark solution and second off it is a paid only solution. Many like it, but I am not with them.
historious – I have not tested. Freemium.
xmarks – Saved from certain doom by LastPass. Started as a add-on for Firefox. A decent contender?
faves – Even though this is a voting type bookmarking site, it does have thumbnails and I don’t mind using it.
url.org – It is decent but it doesn’t have thumbnails and there is no way to import that I can find. I’ve used it a few times.
favilous – Only been using this one since June. It has a unique presentation, almost like a start page. No way to import that I can find though.
pearltrees – #fail #flash #salt Sorry but this is a great concept that just won’t work as a practical bookmarking replacement for me. I’ve tried it off and on since Dec of 2009.
Connotea – Not a fan due to spammers forcing them to quarantine some bookmarks. Used for a while off and on.
folkd – More of a voting bookmarking site then I prefer for the purpose of replacing delicious.
Google Bookmarks – #fail I’ve “used” it for years, but I am not installing Google Toolbar just to import.
Jumptags – OK, I will comment that this is a good site for SEO and it does thumbnails. I’ve used it for a while and it is a contender for me.
Skloog – A unique bookmarking tool. Some may like it, I don’t see me using it much.
Tomoroku – I’ve used it before, but it is more suited for other purposes rather than a delicious bookmarking tool replacement.
blinklist – Meh.
start.io – Blech. Doesn’t seem to support Google Chrome very well. Move along, move along.
mylinkvault – It’s OK. Some might like the interface. I’ve never been terribly found of it.
Instapaper – Not really a bookmarking tool per say, but more of a I will hopefully get back to that someday later tool. Used it forever, but never read anything I put there. I know, I know.
Faviki – No idea. I have not tried it yet.
blogmarks – I like that it has thumbnails and it seems decent. Based in France.
only2clicks – I haven’t the foggiest idea. Looks more like a start page.
Quix – I don’t get it. OK, well I get it, but I don’t get it. Integrates with your browser.
Trunk.ly – While this appears to be a very cool service that watches your Facebook and Twitter accounts for links, and has an importer, it does not have a bookmarklet or way of adding bookmarks manually that I can find. (via @kristofcreative)
Update: According to the developer, “Hi, at the moment we DON’T respect the privacy setting – you can turn your whole profile private in Trunk.ly however.”
favbot – waiting for invite code to evaluate. (*new, via @heatherrast)
Flinkin – Interesting new beta bookmarking site. Allows import from delicious and all the major browsers. Unsure if it respects delicious privacy settings on import though. (*new 01-10-2011)
Special mentions:
Open Bookmarks – Sounds like a good idea, but I have no idea what is going on with it, nor do I have the time to investigate.
design float – Another niche bookmarking tool for designers that also happens to be a digg style voting site.
designbump – This is totally a niche voting bookmarking site for designers.
DZone – A niche bookmarking site very specialized for developers. Thumbnails and loads of traffic.
creative.ly – More of a niche tool for saving images you find. (NSFW « depending on where you work)
vi.sualize.us – Highly niche oriented towards bookmarking pictures you like around the web. (Random NSFW homepage)
popurls – I am putting this one in because I like it, but really it is more of a start page/aggregator. No import that I can find.
symbalooEDU – More of a start page or quick launch site. It’s just not bookmarky enough for me.
Well there you go. If you have made it this far I suggest you find a new hobby or seek psychiatric care. This has been a service of the Kevin broadcast network.
If you have a strong constitution and the ability to block out unwanted noise, follow my shenanigans on “The Twitter” @kmullett. You can also read some of my more business like posts over on the Cirrus ABS blog.