Thinking inside the box- SimplyBox

A relatively new Web 2.0 tool is known as SimplyBox.

It provides the facilities to collect snippets from web pages (like Window Vista snip tool), provide links back to these (like Delicious) and enable sharing of details, pictures and links with friends and colleagues (like One-Note, Flickr, Facebook, etc.). So it has many tools in one application.

How-to

A quick trial run revealed that it is relatively quick and easy to download, and easy to get started:

1. Simple sign-up by choosing a Username, password and adding you email address. A link is sent to your email for verification.

2. You then need to download the SimplyBox toolbar to your browser using the link provided. You can also use SimplyBox without this toolbar.

3. After the installation of the toolbar (see image above), you need to login as a last step (in the toolbar space) and get to work or play! If the toolbar is not showing have a look in View/ Toolbars and select SimplyBox.

4. Once your toolbar is up, you can visit a website then save all, or part of it, to SimplyBox for later referral, or sharing with others.

The introductory video provides lots of suggestions for its use – planning, sharing important sites, and the ability to organise your online serendipitous discoveries in personalised containers and boxes:

• Planning a holiday? collect snippets of information about your plans to share with friends
• Writing an essay? collect your quotes and reference links in one of the containers
• Like to share videos? direct your friends to your video tab
• Found some valuable sites for your students? place them all in one box for students to access

I am in early discovery mode so would like to know what others think after they have played with SimplyBox themselves.