Yes, I realize that, but I was referring to the actual installer, which is a bit unfriendly, IMO. Would much prefer a regular installation routine.

As I wrote earlier Linkman Free will be replaced by Linkman Lite.

Will certainly check it out

You might want to spend a little time with miTaggedMarks. It's the closest thing to Powermarks. Michael has put a lot of thought and work into the program, and his tag handling is actually more sophisticated than that of Powermarks.

I recently uploaded the latest version (2 beta2) of miTaggedMarks (www.miTaggedMarks.com).

Main new features in version 2 are
- build your own toolbar for miTaggedMarks in nearly any browser, using bookmarklets.
- Combine tags with boolean operators (AND,OR,NOT) in an innovative easy-to-use interface, with immediate feedback,
and especially for (ex-) users of PowerMarks
- a more PM like search facility, with search for several text fragments.
- improved import from PM

See website or help file for the full list of new features and improvements.

Suggestions for further improvements are welcome.

Michael

Hi Folks,

A little note for those using Linkman Pro.  After the 30 days the programs becomes essentially unusable (no saving of new data) other than for inquiry.  There is a warning about save functions being disabled, however all the alternatives given are to buy.  To keep the program going otherwise I found out, after some emails, you download the Linkman Lite. Which I discovered after a few days of no-saves on one puter, fortunately not mission-critical research bookmarks. It was hard for me to quickly tell what was happening especially because of the extra aspect of Dropbox sync and a second puter.  And you never expect a Pro version to become unusable, yet look usable.  (ie. I think it takes the new links during the session .. just loses them when the session closes.. ugh .. better would be to not take them during the session, a new idea that I will mention to Outertech, trying to get them to improve the situation.).  Linkman is reluctant to change the current situation, such as by giving info that you can download Linkman Lite to continue functioning (with the save disabled warning). Since the ignorance of the whole process acts as leverage to encourage a purchase ($ or Trialpay).

In the meanwhile I tried the Trialpay-RingCentral purchase of Linkman Pro method, and so far have found that they do not do what they promise (a registration that begins on a proper trial with credit card info given, within 24 hours of trial beginning).  About four days have gone by on what is supposed to be a one-day process without getting a straight answer from RingCentral telephone support (knew nothing), RingCentral email support (wanted to know if I wanted to start accepting billing early.  In fact I would do that for $15, the first month, viewing it as a longer trial, except for the ethical problem that they did not live up to their promise so far) or Trialpay (they have a form for this, and claimed an answer within 24-48 hours, I am about 48 now).  Some of the other Trialpay things are immediate, so if you are under any concern of quick registration, keep that in mind .. one day may not be one day, or even one week. I tried RingCentral because I am really interested in their service anyway, which I learned about through TP and researched, comparing it to my Grand Central experience.

And I strongly hesitate to use any Trialpay service as a lark .. to simply get good software.  Without being seriously interested in the service.  Just doesn't seem right, I would rather purchase.  I do not mind using Trialpay if I know both sides are real to me.  Overall, my Trialpay objections, on another thread, are not to the concept (which is neat in a way) but to their unconcern about partnering with potentially rogue software. 

Now on to my loading Linkman Lite, due to the double whammy above.  Hopefully Outertech will consider a DonationCoder and/or Bits Du Jour discount experience.  Either would have been my real preference.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

Steve, Outertech DID offer DonationCoder discount last year on all of their products. Back when the review was published. I think it lasted a couple of months. Initially it was for one month and I missed it, but after receiving some emails about it Outertech extended the discount.

Sorry you missed it - perhaps they will have another discount later this year.

Jim

J-Mac, would you say the PRO-features are worth the $s?

I'm not J-Mac, but I thought I'd chime in here, since I use the Pro version and think it's definitely worth the money, at least for me.  The Pro feature that matters most to me is the link checking, which is many times faster and more accurate than Powermarks' link checking ability.  For me, that one feature makes the Pro version worth the $. 

I've not tried the free version so I only have that same list to go on. I;ve been using the Pro version for about a year now and I'm happy - I can say that!

Jim

Hi Folks,

  It does so VERY fast, and it can sometimes also update the link's URL. 

Hmm. That should be interesting to try.  Does it give you a yes/no option ? Does it look like it uses content matching under the domain ?  From above it looks like a Pro-only feature, since validation is part of the differences. If so, it is a nice plus for pro.

Ok, I am happily using Lite for now.  No difficulties on the reinstall. 

What irked me so much before was that Linkman could give the user the impression of adding and updating (and it would keep the new adds and updates visible for the session in memory) and that the additions would vanish on closing.  This I believe is improper.  If something is not going to be saved it should not give the appearance of being accepted.

Checking to see what is in the Pro that I need or will use some.  I can definitely see a single-license for a separate USB installation.  The other pro-feature aspects above are bit deep for me right now (each one is a paragraph discussion with its own research. I think the Pro version metatag feature may, by default, bring in too many metatags, who wants dozens ?).  While the "Replace feature" is not on the list of differences at the Linkman site om 12/2008 (and the replace and edit features seem to work fine in Lite).

The USB is the main one I can see for an immediate one-license purchase, since Linkman is my PIM and more -- the USB is kewl when I go to libraries and other systems.  The validation dead link sometimes-updating might be nice, too.

Meanwhile I took Jing pics as well to send to Trialpay and RingCentral, asking why they do not give proper response and honor the offer.  Lots of runaround. Outertech says their experience with Trialpay has been good unraveling offer difficulties.

Note: Outertech had the wrong price up on the Trialpay offer, now corrected.  When I did it it said $39 which looked like the 2-puter license,  Actually it was the 1-license earlier price, now reduced to $25.

So I plan to use Lite, and then buy a single-user Pro at leisure, either the Trialpay try in process or a straight purchase.

Shalom,
Steven Avery

Hmm. That should be interesting to try.  Does it give you a yes/no option ? Does it look like it uses content matching under the domain ?  From above it looks like a Pro-only feature, since validation is part of the differences. If so, it is a nice plus for pro.

I don't think there's a yes/no option, but I could be wrong.  I appreciate the updating when it occurs, so I never looked for a way to turn it off. 

What irked me so much before was that Linkman could give the user the impression of adding and updating (and it would keep the new adds and updates visible for the session in memory) and that the additions would vanish on closing.  This I believe is improper.  If something is not going to be saved it should not give the appearance of being accepted.

I agree that this does not seem like a reasonable way for the software to behave.  I wonder whether it was just a glitch rather than Outertech's intended policy.  They've seemed so sensible about most things.... 

Checking to see what is in the Pro that I need or will use some.  I can definitely see a single-license for a separate USB installation.  The other pro-feature aspects above are bit deep for me right now (each one is a paragraph discussion with its own research. I think the Pro version metatag feature may, by default, bring in too many metatags, who wants dozens ?).  While the "Replace feature" is not on the list of differences at the Linkman site om 12/2008 (and the replace and edit features seem to work fine in Lite).

For me, the URL validation is so good and so useful that I'd buy the Pro version just to be able to get that.  The other features are currently of less interest to me.  And I agree with you about metatag retrieval.  In fact, when I started using Linkman last spring, I quickly turned off metatag retrieval for both keywords and description.  I felt it provided a lot of irrelevant tags that would screw up my searches.  I much prefer to assign whatever information I think is useful.  Perhaps some day I'll want to use Linkman in a USB installation, but not at present.  I did eventually buy a second license so I could put Linkman Pro on my laptop as well as my desktop

Meanwhile I took Jing pics as well to send to Trialpay and RingCentral, asking why they do not give proper response and honor the offer.  Lots of runaround. Outertech says their experience with Trialpay has been good unraveling offer difficulties.

Good luck getting all that sorted out.  Though now that Outertech has offered a substantial discount, perhaps the best thing would be for Trialpay and RingCentral to continue to ignore you 

Hi Folks,

I agree that this does not seem like a reasonable way for the software to behave.  I wonder whether it was just a glitch rather than Outertech's intended policy.  They've seemed so sensible about most things.... 

My theory - there was an historical dynamic in the bifurcation of the two programs-- free and pro -- and the dialectic resulted in the synthesis of the aberrant behaviour.

While the "Replace feature" is not on the list of differences at the Linkman site om 12/2008 (and the replace and edit features seem to work fine in Lite).

Additional info. Outertech tells me there is is a search and replace feature in pro, a nice feature that you might use occasionally.  e.g. to combine two similar words to eliminate the Boolean need, similarly a bad speller might clean up that way or, to shorten a long name, or to give a common two-word phrase a unique name so they don't show up in the individual words.  Clearly not a necessity but a nice feature to know it is there.

For me, the URL validation is so good and so useful that I'd buy the Pro version just to be able to get that. 

Good to know.  I still wonder if they search the domain for the updated page, or what.

And I agree with you about metatag retrieval.  In fact, when I started using Linkman last spring, I quickly turned off metatag retrieval for both keywords and description.

Yeah, I am doing that now, at least definitely keywords.  Is there another setting in Pro for the metatags ?

Linkman tells me about the pro:

"You can e.g. extract the "Language" meta tag from webpages and put it to say the User Defined field 2."

So you have a bit of lite programmability. Not sure how I would use that (although the multi-lingual possibility is one valid usage for those with a lot of diverse language usage).

Perhaps some day I'll want to use Linkman in a USB installation, but not at present.  I did eventually buy a second license so I could put Linkman Pro on my laptop as well as my desktop ...Though now that Outertech has offered a substantial discount, perhaps the best thing would be for Trialpay and RingCentral to continue to ignore you 

Right.  They have a day or two to figger it out.  And the biggest Linkman new discount (tanx, Outertech !) is through the 4th.  So assuming Trialpay and RingCentral remain obtuse, the big question is which Pro license to buy.  The discount is a good incentive to go for the 2-license, the second license then is under $10.  The 5-license is probably overkill for me, the 1-license a bit sketchy, considering the heavy usage on a couple of computers.

Now I am playing with priorities a little.  Outertech and I had some discussion about response time under various circumstances, now I have Process Tamer to "Force High" which seems to help quite a bit  (I had similarly put Powermarks on "Force Above Normal".)  The idea is that there is quick processing post-keyboard-hitting (unlike a browser which is doing and waiting for online stuff or an email program which could slow you down for five minutes while downloading) and the differences can be large.  When you hit a query you want the puter to drop pretty much everything and read your words and start to process. Since Linkman is not doing much other than the couple of seconds of a search or link addition (and the auto-save which I have at 15 minutes) I believe it is a natural for the high priority, without hurting other programs.

Shalom,
Steven

Yeah, I am doing that now, at least definitely keywords.  Is there another setting in Pro for the metatags ?

Hi, Steven.  The Pro version (and perhaps the Lite as well, I don't know) has checkboxes in the "Receive URLs" section of the Settings for "retrieve keywords" and "retrieve description."   I assume both rely on metatags for their info.  I've left both unchecked, preferring to add the information I deem important and helpful for my searches rather than depend on the often profuse and self-serving metatags supplied by the websites.

As for your other questions, I'm hoping that the Outertech representative wil respond. 

BTW, your remarks about Process Tamer may lead me to give that program a try, not so much for Linkman (which has always responded as fast as I could wish) but to tame or encourage other programs on my computer. 

Like Superboyac (and many others, I'm sure), I love your postings!

Since this thread started with reference to replacing Powermarks, I'd like to ask a question about Linkman related to that.  I have this vague memory of a setting in Powermarks that enabled it to use whatever supported browser was open.  I'd love to have a similar feature in Linkman.  I know that Linkman permits me to specify that a given bookmark should open with a specific computer (for example, if I say that Linkman should open bookmarks in Firefox, I can nonetheless specify in the properties that a certain bookmark should always open in, say, Internet Explorer).  That's quite useful, but what I'd really like is a setting that says Linkman should open bookmarks in whatever browser is open.  (If more than one browser is open, Linkman could handle it in one of two ways: either 1) ask the user to select the browser to use, or 2) use the browser specified in the Settings in "user defined.")  Am I right in thinking that such a feature doesn't currently exist?  Could it be implemented?

Yes, this has been mentioned, and yes it is there in Linkman. At least I see it in the Pro version. Tools>Settings>Browser: List all your browsers here; first is "User-Defined".  Then, Tools>Settings>Launch URLs: Top left box entitled, "Launch URLs with:"

Hi, Jim.  I think I probably didn't make myself sufficiently clear.  I know that Linkman will work with a variety of browsers, and I know that I can go into Settings and tell it which browser to use.  But what I'd like is for it to simply use whichever supported browser I happen to have open.  Thus, if I've set it so that it should open bookmarks with Firefox but I happen to have Opera open instead, I'd like to be able to have it work with Opera without my having to go back into Settings and change things.