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• Editorial
  By William Hann and Robin Neidorf
  
  
• My Favourite Tipples
  By Sara Waddington
  
  
• FreePint Bar
  
  
• Jinfo :: Jobs in Information
  
  • Web Development Executive
    
  • Business Researcher
    
  • Quality Standards and Procedures Officer
    
  • Senior Researcher - Comp. Intelligence
    
    
• FUMSI Features
  
  
• Recently in VIP
  
  
• Highlights from ResourceShelf and DocuTicker
  
  
• Events, Gold and Forthcoming Articles
  
  
• Contact Information
  
  

By Sara Waddington

I tend to look for websites, or web tools, that can principally save me time. Here are a few free web tools and websites which help to do just that.

• DropSend is a free desktop tool that allows you to send or backup entire folders directly from your desktop. Folders or files can be dragged or dropped in. DropSend allows you to send files of up to 1GB and is suitable for sending jpegs, pdfs, MP3s etc. and the basic plan is free. Files can also be stored online.
  
  
• The WordReference Dictionaries are free online translation dictionaries. WordReference also runs language forums where, if you have a question about language usage, you can first search thousands of previous questions. The website also features a number of tools that allow people easier access to the dictionaries. These include the WordReference Toolbar for Internet Explorer, as well as plug-ins and modules for Firefox and Google.
  
  
• EditGrid is an online spreadsheet which works solely in a web browser and is suitable for spreadsheets on the web that are shared, collaborated or published, It is free for personal users and 30-day free trials are offered for a premium subscription license.
  
  
• If you wish to purchase a book online, Bookbrain allows you to look for books by title, author, publisher or ISBN. It lists all possible suppliers, price and delivery charges. It will show a list of all the bookshops which stock the book along with prices, stock information, availability and delivery charges.
  
  
• Scoot is a comprehensive business and service directory, offering a fast and easy way to find information on over two million goods and services. If you wish to find local services (cinemas, plumbers, banks etc.) within the UK, it can save a lot of time.
  
  

Sara Waddington is senior managing editor for Free Pint Limited.

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By Monique Cuvelier

< http://www.freepint.com/bar>

The FreePint Bar is generously sponsored by Dow Jones Factiva

The FreePint Bar <http://freepint.com/bar/> is full of chatter about music, historic share prices and blogs. Read on for highlights, and then join the conversation.

• While thousands are trying to figure out how to get more people to read their blogs, one FreePint Bar member is trying to understand how to lock his down. It's an interesting idea: he and his company are looking to start an internal blog to track communications and meetings with customers, peers and potential clients. His concern is security. If you have an internal blog, how are you securing it? <http://www.freepint.com/go/b266200 >
  
  
• Accessibility and usability are always on FreePint's mind (check out this double-header from an earlier issue < http://www.freepint.com/issues/240806.htm>, and a quick search on 'usability' in the FUMSI database pulls up a number of tips and feature articles < http://digbig.com/4wpwa>), so we were interested in seeing some discussion about how to format distributed search interfaces < http://www.freepint.com/go/b235432>. Lend your ideas; we'll be watching this conversation.
  
  
• People named Michelle probably hear 'ma belle' in their sleep and Rhondas are probably often beseeched to 'help, help me', thanks to catchy lyrics. But what's out there for the rest of us? A Bar member has an interesting idea to create a name-lyric matching service, which has sparked a lively discussion <http://www.freepint.com/go/b270126 >. (NB: This writer hopes to find more flattering lyrics than Ween's "Monique the Freak" < http://www.mp3lyrics.org/w/ween/monique/>.)
  
  
• If you were to map a large set of company names and child company names onto the standard list of SIC codes, how would you go about it? One FreePinter is wondering if there are companies that perform this service. Ideas? < http://www.freepint.com/go/b268917>
  
  
• Share prices have been yo-yoing in the past few months, so a free and easy-to-us website that stores 20-year history of share prices could be useful, as one poster states <http://www.freepint.com/go/b269484 >. One possibility is <http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/>, frequently cited. Find out others in the discussion.

Sign up for the twice-weekly Bar Digest at < http://www.freepint.com/subs/>.

Monique Cuvelier has been the editor of the FreePint Newsletter and now serves as the contributing editor for FUMSI's Share practice area. She has edited, launched and written for many magazines, newspapers and websites in the US and UK. Learn more about her at < http://www.onopoly.com/support/team/>.

The FreePint Bar is where you can get free help with your tricky research questions <http://www.freepint.com/bar>

Help with study for information-related courses is available at the FreePint Student Bar <http://www.freepint.com/student >.

Subscribe to the twice-weekly email digests at <http://www.freepint.com/subs/ >.

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FUMSI publishes articles, tools, and a monthly magazine, to give you practical help with information skills. Visit http://www.fumsi.com/

However you Find, Use, Manage or Share Information, you'll find something in FUMSI to help.

We add new articles to the FUMSI database in each practice area every month. Here are the most recent additions:

"RSS Feeds: Managing the Mechanism"
FUMSI: Manage

RSS feeds can be an efficient way to monitor meaningful news on the web, but it's all too easy to get swamped. Martin Belam offers practical tips for managing RSS feeds to help users to get the most of these useful tools without feeling overwhelmed.

WHAT'S INSIDE: If one of the stories you've erased was huge news, the chances are that people will still be talking about it a week later anyway. By giving yourself a clean slate you'll most likely only miss a few interesting teacup storms, rather than any big developments.

Read, print, save or forward this article now »

"Life Beyond Google: Some of the Best of the Rest"
FUMSI: Find

Google search is the acknowledged search engine leader, but that doesn't mean that other search engines are obsolete. Mary Ellen Bates provides an overview of alternative search engines featuring metasearch and data visualization for more powerful search results than possible with Google alone.

WHAT'S INSIDE: They may not have Google's range of products and services but, after all, how many free unlimited-storage email services do you need?

Read, print, save or forward this article now »

The FUMSI Magazine has been published!
Check out the features:

• Commentary by our four contributing editors
  
  
• FUMSI Focus -- hand-picked selections of web-based resources to help you with your work
  
  
• The latest feature articles in each practice area, plus jobs and events by practice area

Download now »

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The Jinfo service enables you to search and advertise information- related job vacancies.

The Jinfo Newsletter now features CV Makeovers, in which a job seeker's CV is critiqued and revised by specialists in the field as well as career tips for all experience levels. Read the latest edition and subscribe free at <http://www.jinfo.com/newsletter/ >.

Jinfo Jobs in the FreePint Newsletter are supported through our partnership with Quantum², an innovative skills development programme offered by Thomson Scientific. Learn more at < http://scientific.thomson.com/quantum2/>

Here is a selection of the latest featured entries in the Jinfo database:

• Web Development Executive
  The post holder will play an integral role in the continued development and day to day maintenance of the website.
  Recruiter: TFPL
  Country: United Kingdom
  < http://www.jinfo.com/go/j8673>
  
  
• Business Researcher
  Our client, a leading consultancy based in Oxford are looking to appoint a full time Business Researcher.
  Recruiter: Weekes Gray Recruitment
  Country: United Kingdom
  < http://www.jinfo.com/go/j8716>
  
  
• Quality Standards and Procedures Officer
  Use your Excel skills to extract information from this outer-London Borough's LMS and present information to managers.
  Recruiter: Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited
  Country: United Kingdom
  < http://www.jinfo.com/go/j8717>
  
  
• Senior Researcher - Comp. Intelligence
  West London - to deal with in-depth competitive intelligence research projects. Second language helpful.
  Recruiter: Glen Recruitment
  Country: United Kingdom
  <http://www.jinfo.com/go/j8723 >
  
  

[The above jobs are paid listings]

NB: These are just a selection of information-related jobs in the Jinfo database < http://www.jinfo.com/>. Receive the latest job listings weekly with the free Jinfo Update. Free to subscribe at <http://www.jinfo.com/>

Subscribe to the free Weekly update of the latest jobs, plus the monthly newsletter with career tips:

<http://www.jinfo.com/subs/>

Jinfo -- the best place for information-related job vacancies.

• JOB SEARCHING?
  -- Free search and sign up to the Jinfo Newsletter
  
  
• RECRUITING?
  -- Complete the form and advertise a vacancy for just GBP195 < http://www.jinfo.com/recruit/>
  -- 10% discount for agencies
  -- 50% discount for registered charities

Find out more today at <http://www.jinfo.com/>

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VIP publishes in-depth, unbiased reviews of business information products. If you purchase or use premium information resources, make VIP part of your professional reading every month.

Featured in the *NEW* March issue:

• Pay-as-you-go market researcher vendors compared
  
• An update on market research vendors reviewed in the past two years -- what's new from Profound, Euromonitor, Snapshots, Business Insights and Verdict Research.
  

For further information or to purchase a copy, please visit: http://web.vivavip.com/go/vip/

NEW: Now publishing the VIP LiveWire
Commentary on the industry, by the VIP editorial team. Get their insight on trends, products, user needs and more.

Recent posts:

• Thomson Tembusu Partnership
  
• Changes at UBM and Ziff
  
• Not even Baer can rebottle a genie.
  

Request a sample issue of VIP, or start a trial subscription today for only GBP 70 for three months. Trial offer is not available through the Web site; email support@vivaVIP.com for details.

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Every week, the editors of ResourceShelf explore a Resource of the Week. Get them for free every week via email by subscribing to the ResourceShelf Newsletter.

Recently published:

Resource of the Week: Quick Guide to Military Information I've just completed a major update of a resource I've been maintaining for several years. Though it is not a glitzy resource by any stretch of the imagination, I thought it would also be helpful to share this Quick Guide to Military Information as a Resource of the Week. Unless you work with military information on a regular basis, it is can often be frustrating to find what you need.

Full posting with live links: http://digbig.com/4wqcb

DocuTicker publishes citations of full-text, free reports available on the web. Visit daily for new postings, or subscribe to the weekly DocuTicker Newsletter.

Highlights:

• Intellectual property, its uses and misuses, are always fodder for interesting studies. Check out our collection of reports at < http://www.docuticker.com/?cat=92>
  
  
• Is your energy green and carbon-neutral? Our 'energy' category offers a range of interesting reports on this complex industry: < http://www.docuticker.com/?cat=19>
  
  
• In the US, 'March Madness' has kicked off, creating celebrations amongst basketball fans. DocuTicker's collection on professional sports provides insight on the ins and outs of sport: <http://www.docuticker.com/?cat=49 >

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It is free to search and advertise information-related gatherings in FreePint Events <http://www.freepint.com/events/ >.

Premium listings

These events are hosted by our partner organisations and/or advertisers:

• "The Library + information Show"
  23 - 24 April 2008
  
  Now in its 19th year, the Library + information Show (LiS) is the event where the library and information community comes together.
  
  Now the challenge is to evaluate technologies in light of their actual benefits to your organisation. And Internet Librarian International does just that.
  Organizer Information Today Ltd.
  Location: Birmingham
  <http://www.freepint.com/go/e1228 >
  
  
• "Search Engine Meeting"
  28 - 29 April 2008
  
  This annual meeting, now in its 13th year, provides a forum and point- of-reference for all those interested in the domain of Search and Retrieval. The Meeting draws together those with a professional interest in search engines - such as search engine designers and developers - and those interested in applying search engines in their own professional environments. Search is at the heart of information retrieval; and the Search Engine Meeting provides an annual point of reference as to what is happening in this fast-moving and exciting field.
  
  Organised by infonortics
  Location: Boston, MA, USA
  <http://www.freepint.com/go/e989 >
  
  
• "Managing Up: Partnering with Stakeholders to Achieve Result"
  15th May 2008
  
  *Webinar*
  This workshop focuses on techniques for building the credibility and relationships necessary to inspire productive change. It offers tips on communicating effectively with anyone who might affect the success of your work projects, by identifying and working with specific influencing or relationship building tactics and styles. In short, we look at how we "manage up" to achieve the results that we want for our service.
  
  Organised by: Thomson Scientific
  Location: London
  Country: United Kingdom
  <http://www.freepint.com/go/e1017 >
  
  

Free listings

United Kingdom:

• "ECIR 2008 Industry Day"
  3 April 2008
  <http://www.freepint.com/go/e1124 >
  
  
• "JISC Conference 2008"
  15 April 2008
  < http://www.freepint.com/go/e973>
  
  
• "RMS Conference 2008 - Records Management: The State of the Art"
  20 - 22 April 2008
  <http://www.freepint.com/go/e1030 >
  
  

United States:

• "3rd International Conference on Information Warfare and Security"
  24 - 25 April 2008
  < http://www.freepint.com/go/e985>
  
  
• "ICI-1 - Competitive Intelligence Basics Workshop"
  19 - 20 May 2008
  <http://www.freepint.com/go/e1001>
  
  

Australia and Territories:

• "Power Searching with the Pros"
  13 - 20 May 2008
  < http://www.freepint.com/go/e1226>
  
  

*** Submit your event for free promotion ***
New upgrade option for enhanced listing coverage

<http://www.freepint.com/events/ >

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A look back at what FreePint covered at this time in previous years:

• FreePint No. 226, 22nd March 2007. "Finding Facts: The European Union after 50 Years" and "Moving Up: Vertical Search Proliferates" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/220307.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 202, 16th March 2006. "Save yourself! Free resources for organising, maintaining and sharing the fruits of your web searches" and "Characterising the dragon - undertaking research in China" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/160306.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 179, 24th March 2005. "New Librarians and Open Positions: Bringing the Two Together" and "Key issues in complying with Freedom of Information legislation" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/240305.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 156, 18th March 2004. "Information Sources For Childcare On The Web" and "Curious about Clio? History and Historians on the Web" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/180304.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 133, 20th March 2003. "Military History on the Internet" and "Librarians & Comics" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/200303.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 108, 21st March 2002. "An introduction to the Netherlands on the web" and "Evolution or revolution: the future of scholarly publishing" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/210302.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 83, 29th March 2001. "In the Footsteps of Miss Marple - Female Detective Fiction Online" and "Quest for Liberty: History of the United States of America" <http://www.freepint.com/issues/290301.htm >
  
  
• FreePint No. 58, 30th March 2000. "Virtual Visits: Links to museums and the like on the WWW" and "Internet Development in the Middle East" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/300300.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 34, 18th March 1999. "Pharmaceutical/ health information on the Web" and "Who goes there...? - Access Control Issues for Internet-based information services" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/180399.htm>
  
  
• FreePint No. 10, 19th March 1998. "Working the Net" and "Business and Accounting Resources on the Web" < http://www.freepint.com/issues/190398.htm>
  
  

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FORTHCOMING ARTICLES
[Provisional]

• Legal Research
  
• Finding Government Information
  
• Using information effectively for a developing business
  
• Identity theft
  
• How to become an environmentally friendly organisation
  
• Due diligence research
  

If you have a suggestion for an article topic, or would like to write, then please contact FreePint's Editor Sara Waddington at sara.waddington@freepint.com or read the notes for authors at < http://www.onopoly.com/author/>

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Address:

Free Pint Limited 4-6 Station Approach Ashford, Middlesex TW15 2QN, United Kingdom

Telephone:

UK: 0870 141 7474 Int: +44 870 141 7474

Directions and maps: < http://www.freepint.com/contact.htm>

Contributors to this issue:

Martin Belam, Mary Ellen Bates, Sara Waddington (Senior Managing Editor, FUMSI), Monique Cuvelier (Contributing Editor: Share), Robin Neidorf (General Manager, FreePint), Shirl Kennedy (Senior Editor, ResourceShelf and DocuTicker), Pam Foster (Editor, VIP), William Hann (Managing Editor, FreePint), Penny Hann (Production Editor, FreePint), Douglas Brown (Proofreader).

Advertisers/Sponsors:

Dowjones Factiva, Thomson Scientific, Weekes Gray Recruitment, Sue Hill Recruitment and Services Limited, Glen Recruitment, TFPL, VIP, ResourceShelf, DocuTicker, Jinfo.

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