Yahoo Bookmarks: straightforward and useful

By: Rafe Needleman
Topics: Web 2.0

Yahoo just launched a beta of Yahoo Bookmarks, a hugely improved version of its current bookmark saver. It's a useful tool. I found it to be limited in scope, but that's actually a good thing right now. There are some really interesting information collection tools on the Web right now that are probably too complex for most users (yes, I'm talking to you, Diigo). Yahoo even has two other bookmarking tools itself: Del.icio.us and Yahoo My Web, both of which are more geared towards sharing bookmarks than saving them for yourself. [See related blog post.]

Yahoo Bookmarks is a very attractive bookmark tool. Saving pages is easy, via either a bookmarklet or a new button on the Yahoo browser toolbar. It saves thumbnails of pages alongside your links, and you can either categorize pages, or tag them, or both -- and you can select and change you organizational scheme (categories or tags) whenever you want. You can also drag your bookmarks onto categories or tags to organize them.

Bookmarks also works alongside Del.icio.us and My Web -- it can import your Del.icio.us bookmarks (a bit more cumbersome than it should be, but it does work) to get yourself started in Bookmarks, and the "Recommended" tab on Bookmarks apes the My Web home page.

You can share your bookmarks easily. There's a nice tool to send a collection of bookmarks via email. If this tool was around in May, I could have used it instead of JetEye to send a collection of products to a contractor.

If you want a simple and clear way to collect bookmarks (beyond your browser, that is), check this tool out. See also our comparison of bookmarking tools, Save every Web site.

Rafe reviews mobile apps and products for fun, and picks startups apart when he gets bored. He has evaluated thousands of new companies, most of which have since gone out of business. Feeling lucky? Send pitches to rafe@cnet.com. And watch Rafe's tech issues podcast, Reporters' Roundtable, every Friday.
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by CBSName January 29, 2010 11:01 PM EST: The whole concept is based on the idea that higher pay will strongly motivate teachers. Nearly everyone who wants a higher salary goes into another profession where they can earn more than they can as a teacher, even with a merit bonus. If you want to motivate teachers other rewards would make more sense.

But let's assume that you have a teacher who IS motivated strongly by the bonus. It's a well-known fact that whatever you measure and reward is what you'll get more of. The second fact is that many will attempt to game the system.

There are many ways to get higher average test scores from your entire class. For example, focus your efforts on the students with the greatest ability while ignoring the students with little ability. What you gain with the former in higher test scores will more than offset what you lose with the latter if you choose well. And if you can get the poor-performing students to drop out that helps your average test scores even more.

I'm not saying many teachers would behave that way, but the ones who do will be among the ones getting rewarded. Result: less education for many students while providing incentive for unethical behavior. Remember: Unintended Consequences - It's The Law.; Reply to this comment


by JavMD January 28, 2010 11:03 PM EST: 1. great to see GATEs supporting ...improving the methods, (since TESTING is what the teachers are improving in the kids performance.) BUT there are other ways of judging besides "testing", For example, if i teach a course on baseball, 3 strikes you're out, 4 balls you walk, still gives me NO idea if the kid can go out and play ball with other kids, if he can hit or catch. I'm saying some things should not be judged by testing.
2. SOME teachers do need to LEAVE. My wife is a substitute teacher and when some teachers read a newspaper giving their students study period or show a video MOVIE, that TEACHER is a real cop out on instruction. SO BYE !
3. If the data shows 50% drop out rate in major cities... then SOCIETY will end up 'paying' for such 'school failures', kids that have no 'skills' to be a 'contributing member of society, ie get a job and pay taxes!, society will 'pay' by needing more police officers to end up 'arresting' them when they end up doing crime.. and society paying more for jails because more criminals... (criminal acts.. are ..lack of education).
4. TEACH more 'character build' philosophy at the kindergarten and elementary school years.. so kids don't grow up being bullies, stupid kids, goofy kids who then grow up being 'goofy' high school kids then 'goofy' adults...
5. AND get more groups involved in 'education' of our youth.. 50% divorce rate is negatively influencing young kids, get social government groups involved, volunteer (Big Brother etc) AND religious ! (can't be all bad, if they preach PEACE) especially when kids are doing the drive by SHoOTINGS and roBBING CONVENIENCE STORES, doing drugs.. etc., Schools need help, but they do have the kids 7 hours a day 5 days a week.. good place to influence them !

GO, GO, GO..
and the biggest drawback.. of course the 'unions' NEA, heaven forbid if a teacher has to have an 'appraisal' or performance review. Every one in manufacturing business gets one. ISO 9001 demands review of skills and competence.

6. Where do teachers come from.. (colleges...) so where does GATES money need to go?... to colleges to CHANGE the way we 'teach' teachers !

mmm you say... I was degreed to teach and choose industry to teach instead (workers at manufacturing companies) WHERE 'kids' do not have basic math or THINKING skills to step right in and contribute (read employers want people who can ... PROBLEM SOLVE

And my oldest daughter is a teacher...

The only time i support BILL GATES, otherwise he should be hung for responsible for lousy software (VIsta) etc etc.

OH, how about this idea..
Guarantee the high school kid a 'job', you know... just like any other 'product' .. a 'warranty' if you will.
Can't get a job, then provide for free, more education !

Some one at the education board, give me the data on what your 'graduates' do 1 year, 2 years, 5 years after school. Employed or in jail.
In manufacturing, what happens to 'bad' product. (rejected and gets 'Reworked". then kick in this philosophy on 'kids' except we should 'scrap' a human being. (But this is what 'drop' outs are ! then 'fix' it early in kindergarten and elementary school !; Reply to this comment


by mountainstates1 January 28, 2010 12:41 PM EST: What you've done is turn the teaching profession into a sales position. As a teacher I can attest that you are dealt the class full of kids that you are dealt. You don't get to "trade out" like a baseball team. It'd be very unfair to expect high results, for pay no less, in every class from every teacher. You'd have unfair competition, and teaching the test. This profession is difficult enough and the pay is already so low I have several teacher friends who are just waiting for the economy to improve to quit and do something totally different with their working lives.; Reply to this comment


by cidaia January 28, 2010 2:31 AM EST: The problem is that being able to pass a test is not really an accurate indicator of "good education".

The real problem appears to be that nobody knows exactly what we want teachers to do. Obviously what they're doing isn't working.

Maybe we should just set a rule that says for every hour they spend blaming parents, administrators, taxpayers, conservatives, or the children themselves, the teacher must spend at least one hour actually teaching something to someone.

That would force them to drastically change how they spend their time, and it would probably do them good to get their minds off how awful it is that parents, administrators, taxpayers, conservatives, or the children themselves simply refuse to let the teachers tell them who and what to be, how to live, what to believe, and what to vote for.

Or we could just ban them from showing films in the classroom. Since when does watching "Shrek" count as high school level history, anyway?; Reply to this comment


by kevboom January 27, 2010 1:20 PM EST: I've never really understood the rationale behind using standardized test scores to determine merit pay. The assumption seems to be every teacher can just teach better and get every kid to pass a standardized test. But as I understand it, items in standardized tests are piloted and selected to differentiate between the best and worst students, so you always end up with a nice bell curve. Some schools/students/teachers will score well, most average, and some poor, by the test's very design. So I'm not really sure this assumption that a teacher can just work harder and get all of his/her kids to pass a standardized test is entirely accurate. There's a lot of nastiness directed at teachers (just teach you moron!), but there's also a lot of misunderstanding about assessment. Criterion-referenced measures where you can legitimately reach 100% mastery across a student body seem a far more appropriate basis for merit pay.; Reply to this comment


by koko98-2009 January 26, 2010 2:41 PM EST: Wow what an idea! Imagine if the New Jersey Nets could fire 60% of their players then maybe their scores would improve too.; Reply to this comment


by formrusmcsgt January 25, 2010 9:10 PM EST: I have family members who were in the teaching profession. From their comments and my own observations I observe two basic types who enter teaching:

Group 1: Competent idealists
Group 2: Incompetent coasters

Group 1 eventually gives up on their idealism after a few years because of a dysfunctional system and ridiculous parents.

Group 2 is saved from a lifetime as a Wal-Mart employee.; Reply to this comment

by msimamaji January 25, 2010 6:35 PM EST

As a retired teacher from LAUSD, I received a form of "merit pay"- all they never called it that. Because I taught in an inner city school, I received extra pay for after school tutoring. I did my best to help students, but financially, the merit pay remained the same for the nearly 27 years I received it, and it amounted to a sort of over time without time and a half. In addition, a lot of the "merit" pay went back into my classroom, since I preferred to do without than to see my students do without.

The union worked out another merit pay scheme for perfect attendance. Because I saved the district gobs of money by never getting sick. I amassed about 1,817 hours of uncollected sick leave, so I got some of it back. I also got a very modest stipend added to my retirement pay - but then public school pensions are constantly at peril, so that stipend doesn't amount to much.

As far as tying merit pay into student test performance, I really can't stomach that. Imagine, having to get up in front of your students on test day and saying, "Hey kids, you gotta score high on this test so I can get a merit pay check." How does that sound? If you were a kid in my class how would you react? If you were a parent, how would you feel about me. Because I retired a few years ago, I still operate by certain principles such as professionalism, ethics and pride. - values instilled in part by my union. Education is supposed to be centered on the students, not on teacher's financial interests. And that prospect is stooping too low.

In addition, tying merit pay into student test performances will just encourage teachers to migrate from schools where kids don't give a rat about standardized tests, to schools where students 'test' well.

Besides, merit pay is diddly squat. Whenever legislatures need to save money, one of the first things they cut is merit pay. You can't use it to pay the mortgage. You're lucky if it helps you pay the groceries. So the whole idea needs to be re-evaluated.

Reply to this comment


by formrusmcsgt January 25, 2010 9:00 PM EST: I doubt you made it to retirement as a teacher with an attitude demonstrated by the remark like "Hey kids, you gotta score high on this test so I can get a merit pay check. How does that sound? If you were a kid in my class how would you react?"

I'd respond "the teacher is obviously a dumb ass".


by craigh9 January 25, 2010 2:15 PM EST: Common sense certainly says it would be better than the current system. With tenure decisions based on as little as 2 years worth of work and then being rewarded with a "lifetime" contract there is absolutely no incentive currently except hopefully the pride of the teacher. Unions mandating equal pay regardless of ability stymies all incentive as well.
Almost anyone that only has to show up in order to keep their job as long as they want and will get paid the same rate as every other teacher in the union will eventually become lackidasical.; Reply to this comment

by nbenn514 January 25, 2010 1:15 PM EST

just wondering ... what would happen if we took the bonus money and used it as a reward to the guardians for their child's performance. Maybe more kids would have incentive from home to do well. My child has a learning disability but she's getting B's in school because I go over her homework and check her grades every week. There are consequences for not getting assignments done and for not studying. She wouldn't be doing so well if her education was solely dependent on her (very good) teachers. Let's encourage guardians to get involved.

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by chevyhotrod January 25, 2010 2:38 PM EST: "what would happen if we took the bonus money and used it as a reward to the guardians for their child's performance"

What, you want to pay parents for being parents? You want to pay guardians for being guardians?

How about paying teachers to teach?
How about paying doctors for being a doctor?
How about paying coaches to coach?
How about paying nurses to nurse?
How about paying cooks to cook?
How about paying engineers to engineer?

Get the point yet?

This is the entitlment mentaility at it's best. Pay me for what I should already be doing. What a joke and this is why America is in the state it is in.