Creating in Firefox
The title of this blog post could certainly be Working in Firefox. However, Creating fits much better since that’s what we want to feel like when we’re “working” and it has a more positive connotation than Working does for some people. Also, if you have a boss or someone(s) standing over your shoulder who wants you to be in pain while you Create, then make sure that person knows that you are working hard and in pain while you do so. 
While creating on the web the other day I realized you can certainly get a lot done in a browser. Specifically, the Firefox browser. So, I made a list of some of the ways you can create while in Firefox 3.0. Certainly, this is one way and there are many other environments to create.
I normally use Windows XP and more recently trying to adjust to Windows Vista, but for this blog post I decided to work in Ubuntu 8.04 and write a blog post in Google Docs. You can even post your final document to your blog from Google Docs. I’ll show you that at the end of this article. Ubuntu is a form of Linux which maybe you’ve heard of before. It is a free operating system, very stable and secure.
Google Docs
The following could all be reasons why you would want to use Google Docs for your blog posts:
- Google Docs is an online word processor that you use to write.
- Get better response from your Google Docs than your current blog editor when you save the content over the web.
- Save yourself from accidentally clicking the “Publish” button of your blog editing software.
- In addition, you’ll have your worked backed up online which most blog editors do because you’re online when you’re editing.
- Revision history. Under File->Revision history, you’ll be able browse through the various version of your blog post as you create it.
- Maybe you’re a blogger who learned about counting your words and you want to stick within a range of how many words your blog post is. Go to the “Tools” menu and selection “Word count…”
- You work in multiple places with a different computer at each place.
- Work “Offline”. With Google Gears installed you can work on your blog posts not connected to the Internet and then synchronize your blog post(s) when you’re connected to the Internet using Google Docs.
An alternative to Google Docs that has a nice suite of applications as well is ZOHO but more specifically ZOHO Writer.
Another alternative - Want a full-featured blog editor right in your Firefox browser that interfaces with a bunch of different blogging software? Check out ScribeFire.
Screen Capture
I use a Firefox plugin call Screengrab! that allows me to capture a selection of the images you see in this article from web pages. Very easy to use and sits at the bottom of your Firefox browser in the status bar ready for action. I didn’t need to resize most of the images but if I had to, I would have used the free, built-in GIMP image editor that comes with Ubuntu 8.04 that has been around for years. There are other, more sophisticated image editors but I’m trying to show you how just a few key tools can take your far.
Another way to work with images online is to install the Firefox Picnik add-on. Picnik allows you to grab an image and edit it on the web by offering you a context menu selection when you right-click on an image and select “Edit image in Picnik…” Pretty Darn Cool Tool. 
Taking Notes
It’s always good to have something close by and available to get all that stuff that pops into your head out as soon as possible so you remain focused on the task at hand. To clear your head, use Google Notebook. At first glance you might think it’s some weenie little note pad but if you start using it for some serious note taking you’ll soon see how great and functional it is and how it can benefit you.
Here are some features:
- Create Separate Notebooks
- Export to a Google Document
- Export to HTML
- A link to Google Notebook Sits in the status bar of Firefox ready for one-click action
- You can right-click on a web page and you’ll have an menu selection called “Note this (Google Notebook)”. This is extremely handing because you just right-click and select a web page, selected text, an image, etc. to place in a notebook.
Three ways to work with Google Notebook is 1. in a window inside Firefox, 2. open in a full webpage and 3. popped-out in its own window. I like the first choice which is the default and I can also minimize it to keep it out of the way down in the corner of my browser window.
An alternative or addition is to use postica to keep track of post-it notes that can contain pictures and you can share with others. Another Pretty Darn Cool Tool.
Social Bookmarking Managers
You need to do research and you need to bookmark sites during that research. I use del.icio.us for most of my bookmarks. I do not bookmark in the browser at all - the Firefox Bookmarks menu selection that is. Bookmarking on del.icio.us or any other social bookmarking management site allows you to have your bookmarks available anywhere you’re at as well as share with others the bookmarks you are interested in. For bloggers it also gives bookmarking love to other blog articles, which means it has the potential to drive traffic to your blog from the social bookmarking site.
Grab the Firefox del.icio.us add-on. With this add-on you can see a list of your bookmarks quickly as well as tag an article quickly with the big del.icio.us icons on the Firefox toolbar.
Using Social Networks
Are you on Twitter or using Twitter? Need to feel like you’re part of the group when you take a well-deserved break or just keep up with your fellow creators? Make sure you install the Firefox add-on TwitterFox.
TwitterFox sits in your Firefox Status Bar (yes, the status bar becomes a very functional place for your tools). If you stay logged in to your twitter account, then you’ll be interrupted with periodic pop-ups that could hinder your creativity and break your flow. I suggest logging in and out of TwitterFox during breaks and/or the beginning and end of your creative endeavors. You can always open up a Firefox tab and browse over to Twitter as well. The more steps you have to take for something that will disrupt your creative flow, the less likely you’ll be able to disrupt that flow. You don’t want to be hopping back and forth between 10 billion things running on your computer.
Promoting Websites and Blog Articles
Do you promote websites and blogs? If so, great!! If not, go and install the StumbleUpon toolbar for Firefox or IE as well as Ubuntu Linux if that applies (it’s a separate application in Ubuntu Linux). The StumbleUpon toolbar will act as a creative release as well as a gift-giving action:
- You can take a break from your work and randomly “Stumble Upon” various websites and blog articles. Try stumbling upon websites in areas you aren’t normally familiar or interested in. It just might renew those creative juices.
- Using the StumbleUpon toolbar will allow you to click on the thumbs up I like it! button when you come across a great blog post you want to share with other stumblers. This is a gift of giving from you to others, because you are giving the blogger who wrote the article you stumbled, traffic to the article, which is like a steak dinner for blog writers.
The Right Mood
Now that you have all the tools to connect with your creative writer, let’s not forget to set the right mood. Do you listen to music while you’re creating? Open up a tab in Firefox and browse over to Pandora. Create your own music channel or select from some of the predefined ones.
The End
At the end of your creative process, feel accomplished about what you’ve done and reward yourself by walking away from what you’ve created, laughing and relaxing.
Comedian Steven Wright: “I met a beautiful girl on a plane and she told me she likes Jewish cowboys. So I introduced myself as Bucky Goldstein.”
Ready To Post
For WordPress users and other blog editing softwarefollow these steps after you’re finished with your blog post.
- Select Share in the upper right-hand corner of Google Docs.
- Select “Publish as web page…”. For those folks who don’t know, when you see a menu selection with 3 dots at the end, that means there will be another screen with more information.
- You’ll be presented with two ways to publish to the web - “Publish document” or “Post to blog”. We’ll pick “Post to blog”.
- Fill in the necessary information and you should be good to go.
What kind of environment do you have setup to create?
I’m interested in how you create and what tools you use in your environment.
Or see what folks are saying out a camera you might be checking out.
