| Using shortText as a web posting pad |
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| Monday, 11 December 2006 | |
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While it’s true many of us have web sites, most do not. When it comes to posting and sharing information, these people are at a disadvantage. We all have tidbits of information that others would value. It might be directions, recipes, book club reading lists and so on. Some bits may be private, others are public. One solution is a free service called shortText. You might think of it as a blend of SnipURL, Del.icio.us and a virtual notepad.
When you think of many of today’s websites, one common theme is reusing data. That’s where shortText works best. It’s a browser based note sharing service. You can use it for simple notes to yourself or for items that can benefit others. The Simplicity of ShortTextWhat’s great about shortText is its simplicity. The site allows you to write a 30000 character note and assign it a unique URL. The note is all text, but you can link to an image or video. You can then mark that note as public or private. For example, if I’m sharing a list of holiday gift suggestions for people, I only want certain people to see that URL. In contrast, if I’m posting the directions to my favorite café, I may make it public. shortText gives me that flexibility. I also appreciate that the service doesn’t get caught up with fancy editors. While bold, italic and underline have their place, most times it isn’t necessary. After all, how many of us would be inclined to add those attributes if we were writing a Post It note? The emphasis is on the content, not the presentation. This makes it ideal to use on a small device such as PDA or smart phone. Fancy editors aren’t the only thing missing. You’ll be glad to know there are no account sign-ups, email exchange, logins, CAPTCHA or other barriers that would stop you from sharing information. What you submit is available within minutes. To enter a shortText note, 1. Go to http://www.shorttext.com/ . A small form will appear. 2. Type the contents of your note 3. Check any boxes for including video or photos 4. Indicate if the message is private or comments should be allowed  Click to enlarge 5. Click Create URL. The system will respond and provide a unique URL for your note. The URL is small and random in a similar fashion to SnipURL. You can opt to have a permanent URL with a tag of your choosing for $2 a year. The other advantage to purchasing a URL is you can edit the content. Uses for shortTextThere are countless ways you can use the service even if you have your own web site. Some examples include:
Another use for the service is when you want to capture ideas, but are on a public terminal such as those in hotel lobbies or libraries. Sometimes, you don’t want to go through the hassle of logging into your email account to send yourself a message. Instead, you can post the item on shortText and get it when you return. If you’re not good at remembering the last portion of the URL you might embed your notes with codes you remember that make it easier to search. Limitations of shortTextThe are several items to note. The first is unless you’ve purchased a URL, you can’t edit your note. If you opt to use comments, you can update via that means or else you need to create another note. Depending on how you use the service, you might consider adding a date or version number so others can tell which the latest entry is since there are no date stamps. The second item is one that applies to a lot of sites and that is be careful what you post. If you mistakenly post an item as public when it should’ve been private, you need to contact shortText. They are the only ones that can delete this type of item. Last but not least, notes don’t last forever. The free notes remain active so long as they’ve been viewed within a year. If you want a longer time frame, you can purchase a URL for $2 a year. shortText is worth a look. It may not be apparent when you will need the service, but you will. It may be when you’re away from your PC and need some piece of information or it may be the 3rd time your brother-in-law asks you for the same info. Additonal Info
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 11 December 2006 ) |
