Once, on a Thursday, August 03, 2006, I thought...
FREE-SOFT-WARE-KEYS
Since my Anti-Virus Update definition Subscriptions are going to expire soon, I started Googling for a better Anti-Virus Software (preferably free).
As I was surfing through (some known and some totally unknown) AV websites I needed a way to find out how popular and reliable these software are. I couldn't rely on editorials and reviews anymore, they always seem bland in the sense of long term usage. (Most reviewers install them, check the interface, check its functionality, praise it, criticize it, conclude it. I doubt they ever continue using it and review after/over 6 months or over some serious problems and even if they do, they wont be doing it for every a-v s/w).
So what better way to check its popularity than Social Bookmarking! And what better site than del.icio.us!
So I started using the 'Related' browser button to check how many people have already fav'ed it.
I'm still working on that! ;)
As I was surfing through (some known and some totally unknown) AV websites I needed a way to find out how popular and reliable these software are. I couldn't rely on editorials and reviews anymore, they always seem bland in the sense of long term usage. (Most reviewers install them, check the interface, check its functionality, praise it, criticize it, conclude it. I doubt they ever continue using it and review after/over 6 months or over some serious problems and even if they do, they wont be doing it for every a-v s/w).
So what better way to check its popularity than Social Bookmarking! And what better site than del.icio.us!
So I started using the 'Related' browser button to check how many people have already fav'ed it.
But what I stumbled upon was something even more interesting!
A few users had even saved their License Key and Name!
Was it for the sake of convenience or for not knowing whether anyone else is ever going to visit their favs, I don't know. But Social Bookmarking meant that anyone could visit it. (with the right buttons of course).
So here's how to click the right buttons!
[Required: One del.icio.us account.]
Have the del.icio.us/related bookmarklet configured in your browser.
- Google for the software in question. (Say an anti-virus)
- Go to a few different sites.
- Navigate to the main page or the download page.
- Now check their stats by clicking on the related bookmarklet. Del.icio.us will show you a list of users who have previously linked that page with their comments. Some users, (not all, and sometimes none) have saved the License Keys also! :D
- If there is no del.icio.us history, that probably isn't a good software anyway!
- Works only on software where the trial period is available for download AND the s/w registration is based on a License key AND some user on del.icio.us has saved it there!
- Eg: Avast.com
I'm still working on that! ;)
