MIB
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MIB stands for "Machine Independent Bookmarks" (or Men In Black, depending on who you ask). The MIB project is predicated on the idea that web browser bookmarks are not best suited to local storage on a per-browser basis. Proponents of MIB believe that your bookmarks should be accessible from any computer, from any browser, on any platform, always and forever. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the MIB client only works from Cocoa web browsers on systems running OS X 10.4 or better... but that's a start!
MIB is a SIMBL plugin that seamlessly integrates a "Remote Bookmarks" menu into supported(*) Cocoa browsers. Adding and managing bookmarks works much the same way as in Safari, except that any additions / modifications you make to your bookmark store are recorded to our servers. This provides MIB users with many advantages, the foremost of which are:
Where you go, they will follow... Your bookmarks are accessible anywhere you go. You can access your bookmarks from any machine with an active Internet connection that has an MIB client installed. Importing / exporting bookmarks from one computer, to another, to another, ad nauseum never has to happen again.
... even across multiple browsers... You can access your bookmarks from any browsers supported by MIB.. on the same computer.. on different computers.. it's up to you.
... even if your hard drive goes away. If you ever lost data, you may know how frustrating it is to.. um.. lose data. While your browser bookmarks may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you're intent on recovering files, you may rest assured that our servers are pretty stable, our data is backed up, and it's fairly likely that your bookmark store will survive any hard drive failures on your end.
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Without the people listed below, this project would not have been possible:
- Mike Ash -- For teaching me Cocoa, for always being there and for philanthropic hosting
- Matthew Bice -- For graciously letting me use his icon
- Nate Warren, Pat Deethardt, Jason Caldwell -- For philanthropic hosting
- Mike Ash, Jason Caldwell, Mike Dougherty, Will Helling, Abhijit Joshi, Jenna Milich, Alex Neustein -- For testing
MIB is currently only available for certain Cocoa web browsers. If you don't use the following browsers, you're going to have to hold off on installing our client. (Please note: It is the intent of the author(s) that support for other browsers, as well as other platforms, will be implemented if the MIB project proves successful.) Supported web browsers include:
- Safari
- Camino
- Shiira
If you use any of the above listed browsers and you want to install our client, you are advised to sign up first, since you'll need a username and password to access your bookmark store. Once you complete the signup process, you'll need to download the client and install it on your machine. (Note: Currently only works on PPC Macs.)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When will you add support for more browsers?
As of this writing, a lot of unrewarded work already went into MIB. The author(s) will add support for other browsers contingent on the success of the MIB project. After all, if no one really likes what we're doing, what's the point? If you want to see more browsers, show us you care and donate to our cause!
I have privacy concerns about my bookmarks. Will other people be able to see them? (Added 1/16/05)
The MIB service is approximately as secure as a typical e-mail service. Your bookmarks are transmitted in the clear and stored securely on our server, where they're invisible to everyone but MIB staff. Please note, it is inadvisable for MIB users to store extremely sensitive bookmarks remotely! This means users should refrain from bookmarking URLs that contain usernames, passwords, account numbers, social security numbers, etc. If a user must bookmark URLs such as these, she should store them locally in the standard browser 'Bookmarks' menu.
(Cocoa) How can I import my old bookmarks? (Added 1/16/05)
At present, you can't. However, an importer is in the works, and it should be ready in one or two versions.
(Cocoa) Why can't you easily add support for browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer?
The MIB client for Mac OS X is a Cocoa plugin, which means that it can only be used in conjunction with Cocoa browsers. Any Cocoa browsers in addition to the ones already out there are good candidates for MIB support, but non-Cocoa browsers are difficult if not impossible to support with the current MIB client. If you're a programmer and you want to help out with the project, feel free to contact me.
How can I show my support?
If you want to show us you care, send us an appreciative e-mail or see our donation page.
How can I report bugs, suggest features or express dissatisfaction?
Please feel free to contact us regarding bugs, suggestions or general dissatisfaction with our product. |