Mark Pack

Like something you’ve read or watched on the internet? Sharing it with others is a good idea because:

1. It helps get the content to a wider audience. Whether it is to share the interest and enjoyment that you got from the piece, or whether it is for publicity purposes because you think it should be seen by more people, sharing the content via sources such as Digg or Facebook is a good way to achieve that.

2. Using one or more of these routes builds up a history for your own future use of what you’ve found and liked.

3. Producers of content often like it when their content is shared, so it’s a way of giving them a small ‘thank you’ for putting online that which you liked.

With the myriad of different sharing options, it can though be cumbersome to work through the different services. Some content has a list of convenient links to help you do just that, but what if they aren’t present?

This is where a tool such as Shareaholic (a free plugin for Firefox and other web browsers, though not Internet Explorer) comes in. It is reliable and uses very little of your computer’s resources. It works with a very wide range of services.

Indeed, the range is so wide that my top tip for using it is to hit the “Customize” option in its menu after installation and cut them back to the ones you will be using. I also find the “Email this page” option a bit messy. It isn’t a one-click answer but rather requires a further (free) account to be created. Finally, one feature it lacks is the ability to share via Lib Dig, but you can get the LibDig bookmarklet for your toolbar here.

For the core of what is needed – Digg, Delicious, Facebook etc – Shareaholic does the job quickly and well. After experimenting with several different programs and add-ons that do similar things, Shareaholic is the one I like best. You can get Shareaholic for your computer here.

But do you think I’ve got that wrong? The comments thread awaits….

Previous software tips

• NutshellMail – for keeping on top of notifications from your social network profiles
• Canonical plugin for WordPress – helps your blog in search results
• How to backup Twitter
• How to backup Flickr
• Using Secunia PSI to keep your computer secure
• Secure your passwords in Firefox
• Staying in the loop – including tips on keeping your computer running smoothly