Full screen text editor is probably the best thing I’ve discovered since I started blogging.

When I open up my full screen text editor, my creativity quadruples and ideas seem to flow from every inch of my brain.

A few days ago, Maki wrote about a full screen text editor called Dark Room and explained how it helped him concentrate better and come up with great content. Well, I needed no convincing. On some subconscious level, I badly wanted a writing app like this. I was sold.

Since then, I’ve been writing everything that needs concentration in a full screen text editor. And the results are amazing.

How to write best in full screen is a subject for another post. For now, here’s a list of 13 full screen text editors that’ll help you stay focused on writing. Take your pick.

Recommended

1. Dark Room – Dark Room is a full screen, distraction free, writing environment. Unlike standard word processors that focus on features, Dark Room is just about you and your text.

2. Q10 – Q10 will clean your kitchen, walk your dog and make excellent coffee. Well, not really. But it’s really good as a full-screen text editor.

3. JDarkRoom – JDarkRoom is a popular, simple full-screen text file editor with none of the usual bells and whistles that might distract you from the job in hand. If you are writing a novel, essay, thesis or just need to be able to concentrate on your writing, then JDarkRoom may help you.

Others

4. WriteMonkey – Zenware for full screen distraction free creative writing. No whistles and bells, just empty screen, you and your words. WriteMonkey is light, fast, and perfectly handy for those who enjoy the simplicity of a typewriter but live in modern times.

5. WestEdit – WestEdit is a full screen, old-school text editor and typewriter. No fuss, no distractions – just you and your text.

6. Jer’s Novel Writer (Mac only – a word processor with full screen mode) – Jer’s Novel Writer is a relatively simple word processor with extra features to support large creative writing projects.

7. CopyWrite (Mac only – has full-screen mode) – CopyWrite is a project manager for writers of all kinds. Rather than focus on formatting and layout, CopyWrite stands apart in its project-oriented approach.

8. PyRoom – Writeroom is a full-screen text editor, without buttons, menu, formatting, so you can focus on writing, and only writing. It’s only for Mac, and costs USD 24.95. PyRoom is its clone, written in Python + GTK, Free and free.

9. RubyRoom – Rubyroom is a full-screen text editor. Full screen gives you a complete workspace for your text, and nothing else. No IM windows popping up, no more “you got mail” small animations on the background that take away your concentration.

Web-based

10. DarkCopy – DarkCopy is a simple, full-screen text editor for distraction free writing.

11. Writer – The internet typewriter. Has an option to switch to full screen mode.

12. WordPress 2.5 – WordPress 2.5 has an option to expand the write area to full screen. Very handy if you prefer to write in the familiar WordPress post editor.

And finally, the one that started it all!

13. WriteRoom (Mac only – commercial) – For people who enjoy the simplicity of a typewriter, but live in the digital world. WriteRoom is a full-screen writing environment. Unlike the cluttered word processors you’re used to, WriteRoom is just about you and your text.

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

Just as a unique blog design differentiates a blog from those that are using common templates, a unique blog logo sets you apart from thousands of other bloggers who are using no logo or ordinary images as their logo.

There is a common myth that logos are expensive, and the logo designers charge hefty amounts of money for designing something as simple as , well, a logo.

Not quite true. It used to be the case that graphic designers were hard to find and they charged crazy fees for designing a logo, but nowadays, with the world shrunk to a global village thanks to the internet, the opposite is the case.

There are countless freelance designers who charge minimal fees for doing even unlimited revisions to tweak a design to your liking.

In big graphic design firms, things still function the old way. You have to empty your pockets on their hands to get your logo done. But that doesn’t concern you anymore. The big design firms are for big companies with huge budgets allocated for their brand identity.

For a single blogger running his own blog, a single freelancer running his own graphic design business from his laptop is the best choice.

The question, however, is that how to find a decent logo designer that doesn’t charge too much but has fairly good design skills?

A few years back, I’d have said: research. But now there are places that freelance designers frequent to find work. So it’s all too easy now to reach the designer you like.

On sites like Sitepoint, you get more than your money’s worth. Let me ask you this: how does a two dozen or more logos to choose from for as low as $100 sound? And what if all these logos are designed by different designers who are willing to make unlimited revisions to your favorite logo concepts?

I know it sounds terrific. And that’s why I recommend you to go straight to Sitepoint marketplace (now moved to 99designs.com) and launch a contest for your blog’s logo.

Some pointers to keep in mind before starting a contest:

• Go through other contests to get a feel of how to manage a contest.
• Increase the prize amount to get better submissions. $200 to $300 would be enough if you are short on budget.
• Be as descriptive about the goals of your blog, the kind of logo concept you have in your mind, and other details as possible.
• Provide timely feedback on all submissions, and if you don’t like a particular submission, say so outright.
• Be communicative with the designers and they’ll do even better.

Here are some more places other than Google to look for freelance designers:

Guru.com
Elance
Get a Freelancer
oDesk
Project4Hire

Or if you want me to design you a unique logo for your blog, feel free to drop me an email.

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

Even though there are plenty of books available in stores on almost all aspects of web design, you don’t need to spend a dime when you can get all the basic information for free. The following list of free web design ebooks and guides will get you started building accessible, usable, and useful web sites in no time.

General web design ebooks

WEB STYLE GUIDE – It is a practical guide to help you design Web sites for the long run. This book offers basic design principles that you can use to make your content as easy to understand as possible.

Web Typography Style Guide – This guide covers the basics of good typography on the web, explaining theory behind font choices, and the details of providing accessible and good looking text.

Web Design at Wikiversity – Includes topics that help provide a pathway for you to learn the main skills of web design.

Web design from scratch – Your complete guide to web design.

Getting Real – Getting Real details the business, design, programming, and marketing principles of 37signals. Anyone working on a web app — including entrepreneurs, designers, programmers, executives, or marketers — will find value and inspiration in this book.

Laura Lemay’s Guide to Sizzling Web Sites – This book is a must for you if you are a Web designer and require a hands-on reference with practical and conceptual techniques to expand your knowledge and enhance your work.

Web Design Reference Guide – This guide provides a snapshot of everything Web design. The information in this guide includes reference, news, and access to the Web design community.

Eloquent JavaScript – Eloquent JavaScript is a digital book providing a comprehensive introduction (tutorial) to the JavaScript programming language.

Accessibility

Access by design – The Universal Usability site houses an unabridged, online version of Access by Design: A Guide to Universal Usability for Web Designers, by Sarah Horton.

Just Ask: Integrating Accessibility Throughout Design – This book tells you how to integrate accessibility throughout design.

Building Accessible Websites – Explains how to design, develop, and program Websites (Web sites) that are accessible to people with disabilities (blind/visually-impaired, deaf/hard-of-hearing, mobility-impaired, learning-disabled).

Dive Into Accessibility – 30 days to a more accessible web site.

Usability

Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines – Current research-based guidelines on web design and usability issues.

Current Issues in Web Usability – Usability expert Jacob Nielson’s column on web usability.

Task-Centered User Interface Design – The central goal of this book is to teach the reader how to design user interfaces that will enable people to learn computer systems quickly and use them effectively, efficiently, and comfortably.

Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design – Designing Interfaces: Patterns for Effective Interaction Design is an intermediate-level book about interface and interaction design, structured as a pattern language. It features real-live examples from desktop applications, web sites, web applications, mobile devices, and everything in between.

CSS and (X)HTML

Complete css guide – Complete CSS Guide is a reference to every aspect of cascading style sheets. If you need help learning CSS or if you’re looking for info about selectors, properties and all the other aspects of cascading style sheets, this is the place.

Cascading Style Sheets, level 2 CSS2 Specification – CSS2 reference.

CSS CHEAT SHEET – Also available as PDF download.

HTML Dog: The Best Practice Guide To XHTML and CSS – Welcome to HTML Dog, the web designer’s resource for everything HTML and CSS, the most common technologies used in making web pages.

USING HTML, Second Edition – A comprehensive book covering basic to advanced web design techniques using HTML.

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

Blogging isn’t as scary as some of the lengthy blogging guides make it appear to be. If you are new to blogging but can’t decide what to do, go through this teensy weensy blogging guide and take the plunge!

For now, this is all you need to know. If you are still around after a few months, come back and subscribe to Blogging Bits RSS feed for more tips.

Setup

• Get yourself a domain name
• Buy a decent web hosting package
• Setup WordPress on your new domain
• Install essential WordPress Plugins
• Optimize your WordPress blog for search engines
• Write at least 5 flagship articles before you start promotion

Promotion

• Subscribe to popular blogs in your niche
• Actively comment on other blogs
• Make guest posts on established blogs in your niche
• Join forums to drive traffic to your blog
• Submit your posts to blog carnivals for links and traffic
• Join popular social media sites

Monetization

• Use any of these 101 ways to monetize your blog

Misc good practices

• Link to other blogs from your posts
• Keep track of your subscribers with Feedburner
• Post on your blog daily for at least two months

Please add your tips for new bloggers below. If there are any particularly useful, I’ll add them to the list.

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

Despite the ever increasing number of meta-blogs in 2007, there are a bunch of them that visibly stood out. Below are my favorite blogs about blogging that rose, or continued to rise, higher than the competition in 2007 (other than Blogging Bits, of course!).

1. Copyblogger – Brian and his guest bloggers continued to provide valuable insights into the world of blogging, copywriting, and internet marketing. If you are a blogger and do not read Copyblogger, you are missing out on the best resource about blogging.

2. Dosh Dosh – Although Maki brands his blog as a ‘make money online’ blog, you’ll be surprised to see how different his blog is from other money making blogs. Instead of referring you to pyramid schemes like ALGOCO in ever other post, he takes an entirely different approach and covers serious topics such as internet marketing, social media, the art of persuasion, and a whole bunch of other topics related to small online businesses and blogging in general.

3. Skelliewag – If you want to understand the psychology of your visitors and want to write value-packed content, Skelliewag is a must read. If you are a casual blogger, Skellie will transform you into a pro blogger.

4. Problogger – Despite some tough competition in the form of above blogs, the good ol’ Problogger continues to be an inspiration for new bloggers.

5. Lorelle on WordPress – Lorelle is one of the very few old time bloggers who keeps producing huge amounts of value-packed content. Lorelle on WordPress is Lorelle’s blog about WordPress and blogging that contains a post on every topic about blogging and WordPress that you can imagine.

6. Chris Garrett on new media – Chris Garrett has one of the nicest blogs about the new media (which of course includes blogging). Although Chris writes on many blogs other than chrisg.com, he never compromises the quality he is known for. His blog is a must read for bloggers who want to tap into the power of new media.

7. Blogging Pro – Looking to keep up with all the latest blogging and WordPress news, themes, and add-ons? Look no further. Blogging Pro covers all of this and much more to keep you focused on your pro blogging.

8. The Blog Herald – The Blog Herald is a collaborative blog where many of the gurus such as Chris Garret, Lorelle VanFossen, and David Peralty write. The Blog Herald writers cover everything from general blogging news to blogging tips. A great resource.

9. Performancing – The writing team at Performancing is just awesome. At Performancing, you get to read some real-world blogging tips and gain insight from success stories of real bloggers. If you ever run out of inspiration for your next post, go to Performancing and your problem will be solved.

10. Daily Blog Tips – Here’s another blog that has seen tremendous success in the year 2007. Other than Daniel, the DBT owner, many well-known bloggers contribute to Daily Blog Tips. A simple layout, small well-written articles, and a great community all will make you want to subscribe to DBT.

So there you have them. I’ve pretty much covered them all, haven’t I? Or have I missed someone?

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

I don’t know how I’ll design a single graphic or write a single line of code without Firefox.

Apart from the darn good web browser that it is, Firefox is also a web designer’s best friend. You can do almost all of your web page testing within Firefox and use it as a tool along with your graphic and code editors to help you design better and faster.

This post is not one of those all encompassing guides that list pageloads of extensions that do almost the same thing, but rather it’s about the unique extensions that I love and use myself on a daily basis.

I’d also love to hear your recommendations and how you use Firefox as a web development tool.

Why is Firefox my best friend

First off, Firefox is a minimalistic browser and does not come with many built-in web development features. Despite that, it has plenty of features that are really useful compared to their counterparts in other browsers (cough.. IE).

To name a few:

• Firefox has a really nifty source code viewer with code highlighting and many other bells and whistles (right click > View Page Source)
• an error console
• and a page information tool that lists detailed information about a page (right click > View Page Info)

I am sure there are some more that I have not yet discovered.

Firefox web development extensions I love

Firebug – My favorite extension! Have you ever wanted to edit a web page in the browser, on the fly, and without losing your original code? If so, Firebug has all the answers for you. You can, for example, fiddle with the CSS and see the results in the browser in real time. When satisfied, copy the code and paste it into your stylesheet. Cool, isn’t it?

ColorZilla – ColorZilla is a color picker that sits in your status bar and lets you pick the color of any pixel on a web page. Much better than searching for a particular color code all over in a stylesheet.

FireFTP – FireFTP is an FTP client that you can launch right in your browser’s window. Who needs a separate FTP application anymore?

YSlow – YSlow gauges your page’s performance and tells you why it is slow, all with specialized recommendations to speed it up! Thanks Mehdi for letting me know about YSlow.

Codetech – A code editor for Firefox. Can be opened in a new tab or in a floating window.

Screengrab – If you are annoyed by constantly having to take a screenshot of a web page, and edit the captured image in Photoshop to cut off unnecessary parts (browser window, scroll bars, etc.) Screengrab does it for you with one click. With Screengrab, you can capture the visible portion or complete web page and copy it to clipboard or save it to hard disk. Yes, all this with only one click.

IETab – Even though we all detest IE with passion, majority of internet population is stuck with this web browsing horror. So, rather than opening IE to see how your newly designed web page looks in IE, you can use IETab to open IE in a separate tab within Firefox. I know, using IE in Firefox gives you the creeps, but it’s the best way to use IE, isn’t it?

Web Developer Toolbar – WDT needs no introduction. A must have for any web designer.

And this ends my small list of Firefox web development extensions. As I said earlier, if you know of any other useful web development related extensions, I’ll love to know about them. Please list them in the comments.

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

Desktop-based blog editors

1. Qumana Blog Editor – Qumana is an easy-to-use desktop blog editor, enabling you to write, edit and post to one or more blogs.

2. Windows Live Writer – Windows Live Writer Beta is a desktop application that makes it easy to publish rich content to your blog.

3. w.bloggar – The w.bloggar is an application that acts as an interface between the user and one or more blog(s); in other words, it is a Post and Template editor, with several features and resources that the browser based blog editors do not offer.

4. BlogMate – BlogMate is a free, graphical plug-in (+ a bundle too) for the popular TextMate editor that enables creating and editing blog posts for MetaWeblog-enabled blogs, Twitter, and Jaiku accounts from a floating palette within TextMate.

5. BlogDesk – BlogDesk is totaly free of charge and optimized for the blog systems WordPress, MovableType, Drupal, Serendipity and ExpressionEngine as well as the bloghosters Blogg.de and Twoday.net.

6. Bleezer – Bleezer is a powerful blogging client. And it’s free.

7. Post2Blog – Post2Blog 3 is a FREEWARE handy blog editor with live spell-checking support for pro-bloggers.

8. The Zoundry Blog Writer – The Zoundry Blog Writer™ is a full featured editor that makes posting to your blog easier and faster.

9. Thingamablog – Thingamablog is a cross-platform, standalone blogging application that makes authoring and publishing your weblogs almost effortless. Unlike most blogging solutions, Thingamablog does NOT require a third-party blogging host, a cgi/php enabled web host, or a MySQL database. In fact, all you need to setup, and manage, a blog with Thingamablog is FTP, SFTP, or network access to a web server.

10. AIRPress – AIRPress is a rich blog editor based on AIR technology. With AIRPress, you could easily upload media (images, videos, mp3…) without the need of another software or hosting.

Online and browser-based blog editors

11. webpad – webpad is a web-based text editor which gives you access to files from any of the following locations;

• Your own computer (via file upload)
• The server that webpad is installed on (via direct file manipulation)
• Any FTP server (via FTP file operations)
• Any website (via remote file requests)
• Popular blogging tools (Blogger.com, MovableType, TypePad, LiveJournal, blosxom, WordPress)
• Other data sources via a flexible plugin system

12. ScribeFire – ScribeFire (previously Performancing for Firefox) is a full-featured blog editor that integrates with your browser and lets you easily post to your blog. You can drag and drop formatted text from pages you are browsing, take notes, and post to your blog.

13. Xinha Here! Firefox Extension – Xinha Here! is a Firefox extension wrapper for the Xinha HTML editor. It enables WYSIWYG editing in any textarea and text box on any website. Xinha Here! opens a Xinha HTML editor in your browser allowing you to edit the data in a WYSIWYG on any website without copying and pasting to secondary HTML editor.

14. Flock – Flock is a social web browser based on Firefox. It lets you easily post anything on your blog with its Blog Editor.

15. WriteToMyBlog – WriteToMyBlog is a free web based word processor for your Blog. Create Post Entries for your Blog from right here, completely free, no membership required, can Post to multiple Blogs simultaneously, manage your Posts, works with all major Blog programs, and is easy-peasy!

16. Google Docs – Free web-based word processor and spreadsheet, which allow you share and collaborate online.

18. WYSIWYG Plugin For Wordpress – This plugin replaces the default Wordpress wysiwyg(what you see is what you get) editor with a more advanced version.

17. FCKEditor for WordPress plugin – This plugin Replaces the default Wordpress editor with FCKeditor.

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

If you are a web designer, or a passionate CSS hobbyist, you must be aware of the impact well structured typography can have on your overall design. Though, optimizing your typography to work on old and new versions of plethora of web browsers on various operating systems can prove to be quite a headache. With the following list of resources, you can learn, optimize, and beautify your web typography, and never need to worry about those pesky compatibility issues again (I wish!).

Typography Tools

• Typetester

  The Typetester is an online application for comparison of the fonts for the screen. Its’ primary role is to make web designer’s life easier. As the new fonts are bundled into operating systems, the list of the common fonts will be updated.

• CSSTYPE

  Web Safe Typography on Screen for Pixel Perfectionists.

• sIFR

  sIFR is meant to replace short passages of plain browser text with text rendered in your typeface of choice, regardless of whether or not your users have that font installed on their systems. It accomplishes this by using a combination of javascript, CSS, and Flash.

• Font Tester
  

  Font Tester is a free online font comparison tool. It allows you to easily preview and compare different fonts side by side with various CSS font styles applied to them.

• Designer Plaything
  
  A tool for designers and clients to experiment with different typography and colour combinations on a web page as well as check for colour accessibility level.
• Em Calculator

  Em Calculator is a small JavaScript tool which helps making scalable and accessible CSS design. It converts size in pixels to relative em units, which are based on a text size.

• CSS with vertical rhythm

  This tool will help you compute CSS that has a consistent vertical rhythm.

• Colour Contrast Check

  The Colour Contrast Check Tool allows to specify a foreground and a background colour and determine if they provide enough of a contrast “when viewed by someone having color deficits or when viewed on a black and white screen”

• Lorem Ipsum

  Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.

• PHP + CSS Dynamic Text Replacement

  P+C DTR allows you to take a vanilla standards-based (X)HTML web page and dynamically create images to replace and enhance page headings using only PHP + CSS. Sick of using the same three fonts? Tired of editing heading images in PhotoShop? If so, P+C DTR might be for you.

• Baseline Rhythm Calculator
  
  Baseline Rhythm Calculator can be used to generate a basic stylesheet with the proper calculations.

Typography Books

• The Elements of Typographic Style

  This lovely, well-written book is concerned foremost with creating beautiful typography and is essential for professionals who regularly work with typographic designs. Author Robert Bringhurst writes about designing with the correct typeface; striving for rhythm, proportion, and harmony; choosing and combining type; designing pages; using section heads, subheads, footnotes, and tables; applying kerning and other type adjustments to improve legibility; and adding special characters, including punctuation and diacritical marks. The Elements of Typographic Style teaches the history of and the artistic and practical perspectives on a variety of type families that are available in Europe and America today.

• Thinking with Type
• Great Web Typography

  Author shares the secrets the professionals use to resolve the problems of web typography and create eye-catching Web typography that looks as good when viewed with Explorer 4.

• The Designer’s Guide to Web Type

  This is the must-have reference guide for digital designers, graphic artists, new media artisans and typographers who use type as a creative tool in their work. It showcases the latest, greatest type fonts of the world’s hottest online foundries, their Internet addresses (for downloading software or freeware) and electrifying examples of their graphic design applications.

• Type Rules!: The Designer’s Guide to Professional Typography

  Type Rules!, Second Edition is an up-to-date, thorough introduction to the principles and practices of typography. From the fundamentals to cutting-edge applications, this Second Edition has everything today’s serious designer needs. Dozens of exercises reinforce authoritative coverage on such topics as how to select the appropriate type for the job, how to set type like a pro, how to avoid common mistakes, and how to design a typeface, as well as how to fully harness the power of major design packages like Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress.

• Typographically Speaking: The Art of Matthew Carter
  

  Typographically Speaking: The Art of Matthew Carter entered the field in the days of hand-cut punches and hot-metal type, and has continued to innovate through the eras of photocomposition and digital design. Essays discuss the form of his work, his position and use of typographic history, and his technological innovation. All of his fonts are reproduced in full for reference, and illustrations place his designs in context.
  Published in conjunction with the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Typography Articles

• Five simple steps to better typography
• The non-typographer’s guide to practical typeface
• The Type Studio PDF Typography Articles
• Fine Tuning Web Typography
• 15 Excellent Examples of Web Typography
• Web Typography Style Guide
• The Elements of Typographic Style Applied to the Web
• Typography Crash Course Roundup
• Rules of Typography
• Common fonts to all versions of Windows & Mac equivalents
• Top 40 font survey results for Windows, Mac and Unix family fonts combined
• CSS Typography
• 15 tips to choose a good text type
• A List Apart Typography Articles
• Web Design is 95% Typography
• Clagnut list of typography articles
• Complete Typography Guide

Free typefaces/fonts

• Download fonts | dafont.com
• TypeNow.net Themed Fonts Download Free Movie and Music Fonts
• 80 Beautiful Typefaces For Professional Design
• Orgdot open source pixel and led fonts
• Great Fonts for Web 2.0
• Neat fonts – Discover Free fonts from all over the web
• Essential Fonts For Designers | 300 Free Truetype Fonts You Should Have
• Abstract Fonts – your type – 10 000 Free Fonts
• Download 10000 Free Fonts
• 25 Best Free Quality Fonts
• Download Fonts – 1001 Free Fonts
• Pixel Fonts and Super Pixel Fonts
• Better fonts – over 10,000 fonts for free!
• Search Free Fonts – over 13,000 free fonts available for download
• Free Downloadable Fonts, Dingbats and Font Tools at FontRiver.com

Other typography resources

• Typography For Headlines

  A showcase of headline typographic design from across the web.

• Inspiration for typography at Design Creme
  
• Typographica: A Journal of Typography

  Typographica is a journal of typography featuring news, observations, and open commentary on fonts and typographic design.

• Typophile: Typographic Collaboration
• I Love Typography

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

There are a few paid forum packages you can use to run your online community, but why pay when you can get one for free? Yep, following is the list of 22 free forum software packages all equally robust, and each with its own unique features, that give paid forum software a run for their money.

1. bbPress

bbPress is forum software with a twist from the creators of WordPress.

2. Vanilla

Vanilla is an open-source, standards-compliant, multi-lingual, fully extensible discussion forum for the web. Anyone who has web-space that meets the requirements can download and use Vanilla for free!

3. Simple Machines Forum

Simple Machines Forum — SMF in short — is a free, professional grade software package that allows you to set up your own online community within minutes.

4. phpBB

phpBB is the worlds leading Open Source flat style discussion forum software. It includes all the features you expect to find in todays top of the line software.

5. Syndie

Syndie is an open source system for operating distributed forums, offering a secure and consistent interface to various anonymous and non-anonymous content networks.

6. SEO-Board

SEO-Board is a forum software that’s fast, free, and search engine friendly. It is the perfect solution for small and medium-sized sites.

7. Phorum

Phorum is a little different from the other web based message boards out there. It was designed to meet different needs of different web sites while not sacrificing performance or features.

8. Simpleboard

Simpleboard Forum Component for the Mambo Open Source CMS framework.

9. Ikonboard

Ikonboard is a comprehensive web bulletin board system. It transcends the limits imposed by other bulletin board software, allowing you to create a truly unique community on your website. From it’s extensive template and skins features to it’s complete multi-lingual support, your members will keep coming back for more.

10. MyBB

MyBB is a powerful, efficient, multilingual, standards-compliant and free forum package. MyBB places full control over your discussion board at the tip of your fingers.

11. The Snitz Forums

ASP based forum. Full online admin control. Fully customisable to suit personal or business needs. Free to download.

12. Vikingboard

Vikingboard is a PHP-based community board designed by the principle of “less is more”, and features a powerful web-based extension-system, a lighting-fast cache system and dynamic web update. Small, but incredibly fast and powerful.

13.
Web Wiz Forums

Web Wiz Forums bulletin board system is the ideal forum package for your website’s community.

14. PunBB

PunBB is a fast and lightweight PHP-powered discussion board. It is released under the GNU General Public License.

15. UseBB

UseBB is a light and Open Source PHP 4 and MySQL based forum package, distributed freely under the GPL license. Developed with simplicity and usability in mind, UseBB is ideal for small to medium sized websites which need a clear and efficient forum package.

16. miniBB

Want to make your own discussion board? miniBB ( = mini bulletin board) is a free forum software, an original message board script written in PHP you can build an online community on. Security, speed and stability – three S’s of our conferencing software concepts.

17. nextBBS

nextBBS is an open-source Internet forum system written in PHP.

18. IceBB

IceBB is a powerful, fast, free, and open-source forum solution powered by the free PHP and MySQL. IceBB scales well, no matter how many users or posts, due to its clean and efficient code. It can also be fully customized to your needs with full skin and language support.

19. OvBB

Distributed under the open source MIT license, OvBB is a light-weight and fast discussion board system that mimics vBulletin 2.x.x in both look and behavior while incorporating new features and functionality.

20. Quicksilver Forums

Quicksilver Forums is a fast, secure, powerful PHP/MySQL based forum script. Features a robust 3D permission system and complete HTML template skinning engine. QSF is easily modified and is translated into 18 languages, counting English.

21. Think Tank Forums

Think Tank Forums Project is BSD licensed web forum software that uses PHP 4 and MySQL 4.1.

22. YaBB

YaBB is a leading FREE, Open Source community forum system (bulletin board, message board) written in Perl.

Do you run an online community? If so, do you use any of the above message boards?

Link Code: d1928 - © Blogging Bits | Blog writing, marketing, and design

Admit it or not, our minds have evolved in a way that they don’t retain information for too long. Even worse, whatever forms as thoughts and ideas is usually a hopelessly jumbled mess unless we lay it out before our eyes, and force it to come out as clear and coherent ideas.

Luckily, with the advent of digital note-taking, to-do lists, mind-mapping, and personal organization tools, undertaking this seemingly daunting task is a breeze. With the help of following 40 best task management tools, you can get the clutter out of your way, be more productive, and get the job done in time with ease.

• VoodooPad Lite (Mac only)

  VoodooPad is a garden for your thoughts. Plant ideas, images, lists and anything else you need to keep track of. VoodooPad grows with you, without getting in the way — no fences to box you in! Type in notes, highlight important words or phrases and create new pages. Drag and drop folders, images, applications, or URLs into VoodooPad — they’re linked up just like on the web. With powerful search, nothing will be lost or out of reach.

• Stickies (Windows only)

  Stickies for Windows lets you put yellow sticky notes on your Windows desktop, much like the popular Mac OS application. It is very simple, very customizable, and completely free!

• ToDoList (Windows only)

  A simple but effective way to keep on top of your tasks. A hierarchical task manager with native XML support for custom reporting.

• TreePad (Windows and Linux)

  TreePadâ„¢ is an award-winning Personal Information Manager, Organizer, Database, and Word Processor. Portability and compactness are smoothly blended into TreePadâ„¢ with its other distinctive features: versatility and power, as well as simplicity and intuitiveness of use.

• Shadow Plan (Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X)

  Shadow Plan is the ultimate in Palm OS outliners, note takers, ToDo-listers and task managers.

• TreeLine (Windows and Linux)

  Some would call TreeLine an Outliner, others would call it a PIM. Basically, it just stores almost any kind of information. A tree structure makes it easy to keep things organized. And each node in the tree can contain several fields, forming a mini-database. The output format for each node can be defined, and the output can be shown on the screen, printed, or exported to html.

• KeyNote (Windows only)

  Keynote is a flexible, multi-featured tabbed notebook, based on Windows standard RichEdit control. It’s always accessible with a single keypress, even if you work in another application.

• TaskPaper (Mac only)

  For Mac users who want a simpler way to create lists. TaskPaper is a simple to-do list application that helps you stay organized. Unlike competing applications, TaskPaper is based on plain text files which offer you paper-like simplicity and ease of use.

• Quick To-Do Light (Windows only)

  Quick To-Do Light is the entry-level version of an award-winning small and easy-on-use Personal Information Manager. Its only duty is to track daily to-do list and it does it well without compromise.

• TuxCards (Linux only)

  With TuxCards it is possible to create as many different entries or notes as you wish. Everytime you add a new one and you think your new entry belongs to the same topic as notes you already have, then you may decide to group them and to create a kind of “folder” where you store them all together. Just the same like you would put your books and paperwork from your job together in one place and not to the garden utilities.

• Time & Chaos Contact Manager and Time Management Software (Windows only)

  Time and Chaos is the best contact manager software for Windows users. It organizes your telephone book of contacts and clients and improves your time management capabilities with its appointment calendar and to do list tasks that show you exactly what needs to be done today. If you are on a network, Time & Chaos allows you to share your data with everyone on your network with no expensive server add-on required.

• ListfulThinking (Any OS with Java 1.4.x installed)

  ListfulThinking is a deceptively simple To-Do list manager.

• wikidPad (Windows, Linux, and Mac OS)

  wikidPad is a Wiki-like notebook for storing your thoughts, ideas, todo lists, contacts, or anything else you can think of to write down.

• Tomboy (Linux only)

  Tomboy is a desktop note-taking application for Linux and Unix. Simple and easy to use, but with potential to help you organize the ideas and information you deal with every day.

• FreeMind – free mind mapping software (Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX)

  FreeMind is a premier free mind-mapping software written in Java. The recent development has hopefully turned it into high productivity tool. We are proud that the operation and navigation of FreeMind is faster than that of MindManager because of one-click “fold / unfold” and “follow link” operations.

• EverNote (Windows only)

  With EverNote you can easily capture, store and quickly access typed and handwritten memos, webpage excerpts, emails, phone messages, addresses, passwords, brainstorms, sketches, documents and more!

• BasKet Note Pads (Linux only)

  This multi-purpose note-taking application helps you to:
  Easily take all sort of notes
  Collect research results and share them
  Centralize your project data and reuse it
  Quickly organize your toughts in idea boxes
  Keep track of your information in a smart way
  Make intelligent To Do lists
  And a lot more…

• ECCO PRO (Windows only)

  ECCO PRO, the Personal Information Manager with the most awards in history, brings together your contacts, calendar, appointments, tasks and projects in one integrated, customizable application. Even in todays operating environments of Windows XP or Vista, this amazing piece of software, with a development stop in 1997, still shows it strength compared to todays PIM’s. With ECCO PRO you always have the information you need at your fingertips!

• Journler (Mac only)

  Journler is a daily notebook and entry based information manager. Scholars, teachers, students, professors, scientists, thinkers, the business minded and writers of every persuasion use it on a daily basis to connect the written word with the media most important to them.

• xPad (Mac only)

  xPad is the ultimate notepad, TextEdit and Stickies replacement for Apple’s OS X. With a simple, easy-to-use interface and powerful multi-document features, xPad will quickly become your daily text editor of choice.

  With xPad you can create as many documents as you like, all of which are managed in one window. Attached to that window is a drawer containing a list of all the documents you’ve created. Any document can be selected and loaded instantly—at any time—allowing you to easily create and manage hundreds of documents without cluttering your desktop.

• NoteLens (Windows only)

  NoteLens is a note-taking tool that is so fast, it lets you concentrate on your notes – not on the interface. NoteLens is designed to help you stay in the flow. You never spend time deciding where to store notes, save them, or even give them names. NoteLens takes care of that for you. With a lightning fast full text indexing system, you can quickly find any note just by typing any word – all of the notes containing that word will be pulled up as you type.

• ZuluPad (Windows and OS X)

  ZuluPad is a notepad on crack. It’s a place to jot down class notes, appointments, to-do lists, favorite websites, pretty much anything you can think of. The great thing about ZuluPad is that it combines the best parts of a notepad with the best parts of a wiki, a concept made popular by Wikipedia.

• Semantik (Linux only)

  Semantik – a mindmapping-like tool for document generation. Helps students to write reports and thesis.

• View Your Mind (Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X)

  VYM (View Your Mind) is a tool to generate and manipulate maps which show your thoughts. Such maps can help you to improve your creativity and effectivity. You can use them for time management, to organize tasks, to get an overview over complex contexts, to sort your ideas etc.

• PersonalBrain (Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X)

  Dynamic mind mapping software that lets you link your ideas, files and web pages the way you think.

Web based outlining, mind-mapping, note-taking tools and organizers

• Bubbl.us

  Bubbl.us is a simple and free web application that lets you brainstorm online.

• MindMeister

  MindMeister supports all the standard features of a classic mind mapping tool – only online, and with as many simultaneous users as you like!

• Mind42

  mind42.com is a browser based online mind mapping application. With mind42.com installing mindmapping tools is no longer needed- for a hassle-free mindmapping experience. Just open the browser and launch the application when needed.

• Mindomo

  Mindomo is a versatile Web-based mind mapping tool, delivering the capabilities of desktop mind mapping software in a Web browser – with no complex software to install or maintain.

• Mapul

  Mapul is a Web-based online tool for creation mind maps.

• Ta-da-Lists

  Ta-da is the web’s easiest to-do list tool. Make lists for yourself or share them with others. It couldn’t be simpler.

• Backpack

  Backpack is a simple web-based service that allows you to make pages with to-do lists, notes, files, and images. Backpack also features a Calendar and Reminders that can be sent via email or to your cell phone at predefined times.

• Webnote

  Webnote is a tool for taking notes on your computer. It allows you to quickly write something down during a meeting, class, or any other time that you have a web browser available.

• SyncNotes

  SyncNotes is a system that allows you to easily store, retrieve and even communicate small pieces of textual information.

• Jotcloud

  Jotcloud is a extremely simple web service that is designed to let anyone jot down notes quickly on the web.

• mynoteIT

  Take, edit and share notes online.

• Tasktoy

  Tasktoy is a task management program with a lot of useful features.

• shortText.com

  shortText.com is a simple tool to post text online, with minimum fuss. No sign ups, no sign in, just instant web presence for your information.

• Zoho Planner

  Add multiple to do lists with date. Mark them completed when they get done.
  Add email reminders to remind you about your activities
  Upload images and files from one place and access from anywhere
  Add notes to your page to keep track of your daily activities

• Jott

  Create To Do Lists and Reminders
  Send E-mail and Text Messages
  Message groups in one call
  NEW Use your favorite web applications

If you know of similar tools that I have missed, please list them in the comments.

This post was written on Resource list day.

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