Stuff for Blogs

I have listed some of the software that I am using/might have used and some of the websites that I either visit or visited. Hopefully, it is useful. I will keep adding to this list.
Blog Related Software

• Hosting

• WordPress – Offers a lot of functionality and customization. Would like it even more if it offered the facility to alter the HTML/CSS code for the template. Also, offers software for hosting on your own server.
• Blogger – Used to blog here. Limited functionality, but offers template customization.
• Typepad (Paid hosting)
• Livejournal
• Bloglines – Offers a free Web-based RSS reader.
• Blogsome – Uses WordPress.
• Moveabletype
• Thingamablog – Provides Blog hosting software

• Posting/Editing

• Performancing – Wonderful add-on for Firefox users. (Another reason to move to Firefox.)
• Flock – Offers in-built blogging facility. Supports most of the blogging services.
• Blogdesk – I use this occasionally.
• Blogjet – You have to pay for this.
• Ecto – Have no idea about this. But a friend mailed this link to me. So, it should be useful.
• Rocketpost – A trial version is available.
• Qumana – Good Blog editing tool
• ZohoWriter: Word Processor. Good Web-based publishing tool.

• Blog related Statistics

• Sitemeter – I use this. WordPress also offers in-built tracking facility.
• Statcounter
• Google Analytics – Provides some of the best reports. But, am not able to use it with my blog presently.
• PageRank – Page rank indicator.

• Blog Search Engines

• Technorati – Most widely used service.
• Google Blog Search
• Blogniscient
• Sphere – Direct competitor to Technorati.
• Blogpulse
• IceRocket – Looks to be one of the best blog search engines. Is nearly up-to-date with the entries. Have a look at the Trends and IceSpy sections in this site.
• Gigablast: This didn’t return very relevant results.

• Something fancy

• Clocklinks
• Tag-board – Messaging board which can be added to the sidebar.
• Bittybrowser – A browser for your sidebar.
• Gabbly: Add chat facilities to your webpage/website.
• Chatango: Same as Gabbly.

Some more fancy stuff for the sidebar is available here.

RSS Readers (Am only providing web-based RSS readers.)

• Bloglines – One of the popular web-based RSS readers
• Attensa
• Google Reader
• Newsgator
• Feedburner – This provides feed management for your blog.
• Feedpass
• Personalbee – A Newsreader. It has the ability to tag all the incoming feeds.

All the start pages mentioned below offer the facility to add feeds to your page. They offer the same facility as RSS readers, but might not offer the same functionality. So, I am not listing them here.

My Fav. Firefox Extensions

• Meebo – Try this if your office firewall doesn’t allow logging in to GTalk or Yahoo. Is available as a Firefox extension.
• StumbleUpon – Wonderful firefox extension. I think they have released a toolbar for IE also.
• Gmail Space – Firefox add-on for using your gmail account for file storage. Similar to a FTP client.
• TabMixPlus – Adds a lot of features to the tab menu.
• Torrent Search – Useful torrent search engine. (Try Opera if you use torrents frequently.)
• PDF Download
• Mouse Gestures

Sorry, I don’t like Flashgot a lot.

Some interesting Websites

• Digg -If you are a techie, then please log on. As good, if not better than Slashdot.
• Slashdot
• Newsvine
• Reddit
• TravBuddy – My TravBuddy Site.
• Rollyo – Trusted Search engine.
• Rollyo Bookmarklet: Search a specific site.
• Tagcloud – Make tagclouds. The site is under renovation.
• Google Sitemaps – Indexing for Google.
• YouOS* – Tries to provide a web based OS.
• gChart – Provides a visual idea of the time at different places.
• Thinkfree – Get MS Office compatible facilities. Have tried it and it looks fine.
• Thumbstacks – Primitive presentation builder. (Try this to make somebasic PPT files.)
• Kiko – Online Ajax based Calendar.
• Ovosuite – Virtual Office application.
• Skobee – Pass on messages.
• Krugle – Search engine for code and technical content.
• GapingVoid – Nice Cartoons. By Hugh Macleod.
• Diigo: Site to share information. Their toolbar is wonderful.
• HubPages: Looks similar to Digg in appearance. Have a look at their revenue model.
• Editgrid: Similar to Google Spreadsheet.

Start Pages

• Pageflakes
• Netvibes – I use this. This is my post about Netvibes.
• Google Personalize
• Live
• Protopage
• Goowy
• Nowsy
• Eskobo
• favoor
• MyHommy (Choose the language correctly in the top left corner of the screen)
• Linkedfeed – Is more than a startpage.
• Maxigate – Much more than a start page. Offers something similar to a desktop.
• Itsastart

A lot more pages are available. Check this link. Look under Ajax based Start pages.

For those Management Grads.

• Damodaran’s Webpage – Awesome stuff for someone specializing in Finance.
• Commanding Heights – Story of the World Economy. Must see.
• Excel Guide
• Statistics – A free Statistics text book.
• Knowledge @ Wharton
• Ideas @ Work
• HBS working knowledge
• Mckinsey Quarterly

Changelog:

8th August 2006: Added Editgrid.
7th August 2006: Added HubPages and ZohoWriter.

3rd August 2006: Added Rollyo Bookmarklet, Gabbly, Chatango and Diigo.

2nd August 2006: Page created.

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*: Still in Alpha stage