NetVibes

NetVibes -- A web-based start page that serves as a personalized workspace dashboard and portal of user-organized widgets.

What is Netvibes?
Netvibes is a web-based start page that serves as a personalized workspace dashboard and portal of user-organized widgets. NetVibes aggregates various aspects of the web into one place to personalize the online experience.

What makes Netvibes a Web 2.0 technology?
The customizable, online, and "on the fly" personalized start page allows users to share and manage online content, such as RSS feeds, images, videos, and Twitter updates. Users can create a personalized profile and dashboard that relates to the topics that interest them. Thus, Netvibes can be labeled as a Web 2.0 tool, since its users actively contribute to the site’s content based on social interaction and personal preferences.


 * //Strengths// **


 * Ability to manage various web activities (i.e., RSS feeds, e-mail, blogs) from a central location
 * For websites without RSS feeds, users of NetVibes can create a widget for a webpage that delivers content updates to their Netvibes dashboard
 * The “watch” tool enables users to receive current information on a designated subject as it is uploaded to the Internet


 * //Weaknesses// **


 * Netvibes’ ability to provide users with a constant flow of content could also be identified as a weakness. A single Netvibes dashboard can provide Twitter feeds, news stories, photos, videos, and information about Friend’s shared items. Thus, the content provided through the personalized dashboard might become overwhelming or distracting for some users.
 * The interface seems best suited for browsing topics of interest rather than finding a specific answer.


 * //Special Features// **


 * Netvibes is a unique Web 2.0 tool that allows users to create multiple, public or private dashboards. Thus, if a user is interested in a number of topics, then a specific dashboard could be created for each of these topics. These dashboards can be accessed easily through a drop-down tab at the top of the user’s main page.
 * Netvibes allows users to connect to their other social network accounts through their Netvibes dashboard. Rather than accessing their Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace accounts through separate webpages, Netvibes users can access all of these sites from a single platform.
 * Netvibes allows users to have both Followers and Friends. This distinction allows users to share information on their Public Page and starred content with their Followers and Friends.
 * Friends can interact by posting on one another’s Wall widget and commenting on starred items.
 * The “star feature” for publicly flagging content can be easily accessed through the user’s personalized dashboard or through a Firefox extension.

**Comparison to similar Web 2.0 tools **
Netvibes falls into a family of free, web-based applications that allow users to customize their desktop screens, start pages, dashboards, and Mac wikis. Each of these tools implements social features—allowing users to interact with their network through content sharing, commenting, or chat. A few Web 2.0 tools that are similar to Netvibes are Pageflakes, iGoogle, Feedly, and Genieo.

Pageflakes
 * Users of Pageflakes can create a customized experience of the Internet by using ‘”Flakes,” which are small, movable versions of user-specified content. Like Netvibes, Pageflakes allows users to share their customized pages with specific contacts or with anyone on the Web through Pagecasts. Pageflakes’ layout appears less busy than that of Netvibes, and it provides users with the ability to move blocks, or flakes, of content on their homepage.

iGoogle
 * iGoogle allows users of Gmail to easily create a personalized start page, chat with friends on iGoogle, and access the Google calendars associated with the account. iGoogle provides links to web content through its Gadgets; however, this content is posted on the iGoogle page in a minimalist format that does not include summaries or sharing options. Moreover, the news links redirect the user to the source site.

Feedly
 * Feedly is a Firefox extension that uses RSS and social connectivity to offer a social and “magazine-like start page.” Feedly is like a hybrid of Google Reader and Twitter that allows users to read and share content. Unlike Pageflakes and Netvibes, Feedly does not offer a means to create a digest to share with contacts.

Genieo
 * Genieo is unlike Netvibes and iGoogle because it “does not require your explicit intervention or customization; it automatically finds and organizes the most interesting information for you personally.”

**Learning Connections **
Netvibes provides a Web 2.0 tool that educators can apply to the curriculum.



In the document "Netvibes in Education," we provide two suggested lesson plans based on the learning standards for the New York State Core Curriculum, the AASL Standards for a 21st Century Learner, and the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards.

**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Tutorial **
Would you like to learn how to create your own Netvibes dashboard? Check out our <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Netvibes Tutorial

**<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">References, Articles, etc. **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">
American Association of School Librarians [AASL]. (2007). //Standards for the 21st century learner//. Retrieved from [] on July 25, 2010.

Berger, P. "Student Inquiry and Web 2.0." //School Library Monthly// 1 Jan. 2010: Research Library, ProQuest. Web. 1 Aug. 2010.

Gordon-Murnane, L. "Widgets and Accountability." //Searcher// 1 Oct. 2008: ProQuest Computing, ProQuest. Web. 1 Aug. 2010.

Gordon, R.S. and Stephens, M. "Creating a Librarian's Info-Portal with Netvibes and RSS." //Computers in Libraries// 1 Apr. 2007: ProQuest Computing, ProQuest. Web. 1 Aug. 2010.

International Society for Technology in Education (2007). //NETS for students 2007//. Retrieved from [] on July 25, 2010.

Netvibes. (n.d.). Retrieved from [] on July 24, 2010.

Valenza, J. "6 ways: K-12 Librarians Can Teach Social Media." //Tech & Learning// 1 Oct. 2009: ProQuest Computing, ProQuest. Web. 1 Aug. 2010.