WEB SERVICES - ONLINE COLLABORATION - 26.11.2012

Saving information on an online noticeboard

Are you looking for a handy virtual noticeboard where you can save sticky notes and other files online and share them with others? We tried out two cloud services.

CorkboardMe

A corkboard full of post-its. CorkboardMe (http://hello.corkboard.me) used to be a standalone software program but has now become an online tool. In the basic version, which requires no registration, you can use this web service simply via http://www.corkboard.me. You’re given a virtual corkboard which can hold up to 15 sticky notes in five different colours. Your corkboard has a unique URL which you can share with others. You can tell immediately when a colleague is visiting your board via the exclamation mark that appears at the bottom. Tip. If you click on this exclamation mark, you can start chatting!

More options. To familiarise yourself with the extended options, click on Upgrade. You can sign up for the Pro version here - it costs $4.99 or £3.15/month. In this version, the number of sticky notes is unlimited. Plus you can drag files - for instance documents or photos - to you your online board and share them with your colleagues. The online space for this board is unlimited too. You can also protect your board with a password. Note. You can try out this Pro version free of charge for 30 days, but you will be asked to provide your credit card details before signing up.

Lino

A canvas full of post-its. Lino (http://en.linoit.com) is an online sticky notes tool that has been around for quite a while now. Your virtual board is called a “canvas” here. After free registration, you can access your personal page, where you can create a new canvas, choose a name, a background and an accessibility option (“For my own private use”, “Show stickies to everyone” or “Everyone maypost stickies”). You can add elements to your canvas via the frame at the top right. You can add sticky notes in ten different colours and attach tags to them: this makes it easier to find them. You can also set a date in order to receive a reminder for your note via e-mail.

Files. You can also paste graphics files on your canvas - unfortunately, not via drag & drop. Other files you upload are represented as clickable icons. When you click on such an icon, the underlying file is downloaded in your browser. Besides, you can also integrate video links, e.g. from YouTube, which can be played directly via the Play button.

Overview. Every canvas has a unique URL which you can share with others. All your canvases are listed at http://linoit.com/home(My Canvases). In Preferences, you can customise the settings. Tip. You’re also given a unique e-mail address which lets you upload a sticky note straight from your e-mailbox. The search field at the top right enables you to search all your canvases using the tags. My Tasks gives an overview of all the sticky notes for which you’ve specified a date plus reminder. Plus, if you’ve made your canvas private, the My Groups option allows you to create a group of people, e.g. colleagues, family, friends, etc., who do have access.

Conclusion

Lino may be a bit slower than CorkboardMe, but it’s free and has lots of useful features - there’s even a mobile app.

Tip. You can find several alternative “post-it” services at http://checkthis.com/agua.

If you’re looking for a good online noticeboard, the free Lino - also as a mobile app - offers most features. Conversely, the paying CorkboardMe is a bit faster and also has an integrated chat function.

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