Useful Tools for Writers – Part Two
In Part One we explored the first five in a list of ten internet tools that can help make a writer’s tasks easier to perform. So open up your tool box and we’ll fill it with more useful digital devices that will expand your electronic repertoire.
Have you ever wished you could easily share files between your desk computer and your mobile device? Try DropBox! Dropbox is an Internet based file hosting service that uses cloud computing to help users share files and folders and store them with others across the web by using file synchronization. Two MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) graduates, Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi established the site in 2007.
Dropbox includes both free and paid services and a variety of options. Next to other companies with similar services, Dropbox can be used on many operating systems such as: Microsoft Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, and on mobile versions like Android and iPhone and iPad. Dropbox provides two GB (gigabytes) of free online storage. People who refer other users to Dropbox can obtain up to eight GB of free storage.
An interactive dictionary and thesaurus, Visual Thesaurus which uses word map graphics to show all possible meanings and connects to related words. It fosters exploration and learning. You’re encouraged to experiment and discover intuitively rather than use rote memorization from a book. It assists you to write more descriptively and gain a better understanding of the English language at the same time. It is a low cost service, charging $2.95 a month to your credit card, or $19.95 annually.
In this Google application you can produce and share documents on the Internet and access them from any computer or smart phone. You can create word documents or spreadsheets using the nice list of templates provided. It looks like the familiar desktop and allows you to collaborate with other users in real time to edit a document. You can store up to 1 gigabyte for free, after that there are nominal annual fees based on how many gigabytes you use.
Evernote gives us a web-based service that enables one to create a document and save it in several different places. You can create it on your computer, and then save it on your phone and on the Internet. You can also clip web pages, store PDFs, and take photos. You can then access your “notes” from any of those places. It’s available for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Google Chrome browsers. Initially a free service, you still need to pay for upgrades to increase the cloud storage. While similar to DropBox, this application is only for personal use—the documents cannot be accessed by anyone other than yourself.
Stock.xchng (also known as SXC) offers a website that provides stock photography and illustrations for free. Stock.xchng was started in February 2001 by Peter Hamza. It allows people to add, share, and download illustrations and photographs in high-resolution format. One emphasis of the site encourages users to send in material so that they can gain more public exposure. In 2009, Stock.xchng had over 2,500,000 registered users (1,000,000 in the USA alone) and over 400,000 photos in their database.
The stock.xchng site operates as a combination of a pictorial library and a social network. Registered users can create a personal profile and upload their photography to share with others. A member can also add comments in a blog post and join online forums to critique the work of other members.
You’ll find this a good design resource since you can pinpoint high-resolution, royalty-free photographs to use for your projects. Keep in mind that while images are free, the contributors retain moral rights and the pictures are obtained with some usage restrictions.
I hope you enjoy exploring these digital “tools” as much as I did. With the constantly changing face of internet tools, you may need to acquire a bigger toolbox!
What Tools Do You Use?
Feel free to leave us a comment to let us know which tools you use to work more productive.
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