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Finding information and filing it away for later reference is one of the primary reasons people surf the Internet. Yet tools for saving and organizing all those useful bits of information found on the web are very limited and cumbersome.
Net Snippets is a unique Internet information management product designed to address the needs of researchers, students, information specialists and individuals who rely heavily on the Internet as an information source.
Integrated into the browser, Net Snippets provides users for the first time with tools to clip, annotate, edit and manage information found on the Internet without leaving the comfort of their browser. Selected information can be edited using familiar editing tools. For every Snippet the program automatically saves bibliography information including source URL, date and time and allows insertion of user comments, keywords and custom fields. Managing information with Net Snippets is simple and intuitive. Users create, move, rename and re-organize their own hierarchy of folders. Snippets are saved locally on the user's computer and can be viewed or browsed through easily from within the browser.
Net Snippets unique ability to manipulate information found on the web without leaving the browser represents a significant innovation in the field of advanced information management.
Selective Snipping - Users can select and save specific information, 'Snippets', whether its text, images, files etc., rather than bookmarking or printing entire pages. Simply drag and drop the selection to the Net Snippets workspace contained within the browser.
Automatic Capture of Information Source and Date - Net Snippet retrieves and saves the location of the selection - a live and clickable web address - and the date. This remains available for future use, along with the information itself - unlike bookmarking.
Add Comments, Keywords and Custom Entries - For any Snippet, free text comments can be added for any purpose. Keywords can be added from a pre-set and fully customizable list. Further information can be added to customized entry fields such as author, publisher, date of publication etc. This enables the generation of accurate and professional bibliographies.
Familiar and Intuitive Filing System - Information is saved, managed and retrieved from within a hierarchical folder structure within the Net Snippets workspace. This file system is stored by default on the user's computer within 'My Documents' although this location can easily be changed, to the users personal drive on the network, for example.
Built-in Editing Tools - The selected information can be edited within the standard interface using familiar editing tools including text formatting and hyperlink insertion. External editors can easily be accessed from within the standard interface.
Generate Bibliography Reports - these are automatically generated with one click, using the already-saved information source, date, comments, keyword and custom entries etc. These reports can be generated to conform to standard formats such as MLA.
Merging Snippets - merging different Snippets, along with live links and comments, into a single Snippet, is a single click process, simplifying the creation of master documents for sharing, emailing or printing.
Collaboration and Email Support - Single Snippets as well as entire folders, with all the accompanying comments, keywords etc. can be packaged into a compressed file and emailed from within Net Snippets, and the resulting file is fully readable by anyone working on any platform with a browser. This facilitates the sharing of research between colleagues.
Moving or Relocating Snippets - Net Snippets packages all or selected content into one compressed file to facilitate transfer from one computer to the other, either for sharing, backup purposes or if the user works across several computers.
Built-in Search Engine - Net Snippets provides a built-in powerful tool for searching by multiple criteria including source URL, date, name, comments, keywords or customizable fields.
Convenient Offline Browsing through Snippets - Snippets are saved locally and are therefore available even when the user is offline, through the browser on the user's computer, providing significant advantages in speed and access.
Standard Formats Retained - Information taken from any location when saved into Net Snippets preserves its standard HTML format, whether it's text or images. Complete selected files such as PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations etc. remain in their original format while extracts from such files are converted into HTML.
Access Net Snippets from Within any Application - Net Snippets provides an optional Drop Spot within the Windows Task bar enabling the selecting and saving of information from within any application into the Net Snippets workspace.
Net Snippets is fully integrated into the Internet Explorer browser. The program is simple and non-intrusive and is easily downloaded and installed.
Step 1 - Selecting information - Upon finding the information the user selects required information using the mouse. Step 2 - Dragging information clips to Net Snippets - The selected information is dragged and dropped onto the Net Snippets bar on the left side of the browser.
Step 3 - Editing and annotating - Upon dropping the information into Net Snippets, the information can be edited using all familiar editing tools. The editing window displays the source information and name for each Snippet and allows users to add comments, keywords and custom information.
Step 4 - Saving and hierarchical filing - The information is saved and filed using a familiar folder hierarchy system and can be later browsed through from within the browser.
Windows 98/2000/Me/XP or Windows 95/NT (With Active Desktop) Requires Internet Explorer 5.0 (or above) Pentium 133Mhz, 16MB RAM
To install Net Snippets run the Net Snippets setup file and follow the instructions shown during the installation. During the installation you will be prompted to select in which folder to install Net Snippets. Upon completing the installation, your web browser will display the Net Snippets 'Getting Started' page. Your Internet Explorer main toolbar now includes a button labeled 'Snippets'. Click on the button to display the Net Snippets bar on the left side of the browser. If you don't see the 'Snippets' button, follow these steps:
1. Click the right button of your mouse over Internet Explorer's toolbar.
2. Select 'Customize' from the pop-up menu. 3. Look for 'Snippets' in the 'Available toolbar buttons' list on the left side.
4. Select the 'Snippets' entry and move it to the 'Current toolbar buttons' list using the 'Add ->' button. 5. You should see a new 'Snippets' button in Internet Explorer's main toolbar.
