Linkdump is a favorite/link management system where each link can be assigned multiple
tags for easy classification. All you need is an Internet connection to access your
bookmarks.
All user information, links, categories, tags etc are private and accessible only
by the user himself and will not be disclosed to any one.
History:
2000/01
I started trying out the web scripting languages in 2000 and was developing server-side
web applications about a year later. Over a period of time, my browsers favorites/bookmarks
menu was ready to explode as I was adding every interesting link I found on the
Internet to it. Part of the reason was that I was on dial up Internet then and didn't
want to spend time searching for links everytime I wanted to go to the page.
2002/03
Only problem was that the way web browser favorites are setup is that each link
could exist in only one folder which wasn't always the case as the link's
content could fit various categories - I needed a better classification system.
So in late 2002/early 2003, I developed Linkdump in
ASP/JScript
with a Microsoft Access Database - where links could be assigned to multiple categories
and it showed a list of links which haven't been assigned as yet. It looked
something like this:
Also, whenever I wanted to add a link, I had to go into the application to do that which was at times, a PITA.
2005
Eventually, my requirements changed and I wanted a little more easy - add/edit/delete
and other controls. Also, it served like a playground for me to practise various
upcoming technologies. So I then created this new version of the application which
had a lot more information modification and notification features with requests
running over
AJAX
but I wanted to be able to add links directly from the browser while visiting any
website.
I created this bookmarklet, which is like any other link, that you could drag and
add to your browser's toolbar. So, the next time I visited any page which I
wanted to add it to your your Linkdumk account, just click that link and voila -
a page opens up in a new pop window with the current page's link and title already
populated in it. And, I could categorize it then and there itself as the page also
showed all the tags I could assing it to.
My friend's saw me using this and wanted to have their own Linkdump but I had
coded it without keeping the multiuser angle in mind and since I was too lazy (and
lacked the time and conviction) to make those changes, I made multiple copies of
the database so they could still use the same application with their own private
data area.
2009
USC Webfest comes along where they are going to recognize student projects. The
prize and a chance to meet fellow web application developers gives me enough motivation
to go ahead and make those final changes. I rewrite the application in ASP.Net with
a SQL Server Database handling the storage with support for multiple users (who
could sign up themselves), a lot of security/encryption features that a multi user
application requires and a few more features than what the previous version had.
The design has been completely changed - I had a really hard time moving away from
the existing design as I had become so used to it over the last few years.
I do have quite a few new features in mind which I will add as and when I get time. Be prepared to see something new every week.
Send me your feedback. Send me your comments/suggestions. Let me know if you have any particular feature in mind - which you think should be implemented earlier.
My Email address: myfirstname at amalani dot net