I wanted to list a couple of applications that made a difference for me in 2008. Some of these have changed the way I work on my computer, some of them have been instrumental to my knowledge and online experiences. I thought I’d share them here for others to learn about.
- Zemanta – Zemanta is a superb tool that has revolutionised my blogging experience. As you type your blog post it suggests images, hyperlinks, other posts and tags that are contextually relevant to what you’re posting about. A must-have for every blogger.
- Digsby – part of my desktop now. It lets you combine multiple IM clients into one (I use it for GoogleTalk and MSN) and also keep an eye on various social networks (I use it for FaceBook and LinkedIn), as well as a widget for your blog so people can talk to you directly.
- Twhirl – An awesome Twitter client that has also become part of my desktop selection. It makes Twitter a doodle to use, shows a stream of incoming Tweets and lets you retweet and interact with other Tweeters at the touch of a button. Couldn’t live without it.
- WPAuctions – WP Auctions is a WordPress plugin I wrote with Hyder that lets bloggers auction items off their blog without paying any fees to Ebay or any other auction house. It was instrumental in my getting my hands dirty with AJAX and I learnt lots of CSS/Javascript/PHP through building it. So it makes my special list too.
- OIO Publisher – Another WordPress plugin that has made things managing advertising content on my blogs a doddle. It lets you sell, manage and merchandise space on your blog any which way you like. A must for anyone who wants to monitise their blog.
- Firebug – Firebug is a Firefox extension that is absolutely essential for anyone involved in web development. It lets you edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page and I just couldn’t live without it.
There you go, some applications that made 2008 great for me. Do you use any of them? What would you add to the list? What should I try for 2009?
