I use a lot of web-based software since I use at least three computers on a regular basis (home, office, library reference desk). This is a list of the online tools that help me do my job and communicate with the world. These are all free tools – or tools with free versions.

Email

Well, this one is easy. I use Gmail because I love the labels, organization by subject thread, and the integrated chat functionality. I’ve installed the CustomizeGoogle Firefox extension that lets me remove ads. I use Outlook at work.

Calendar

Google again. I use Google Calendar because of its slick interface, management features for multiple calendars, and notification options. And its nice to have my calendar quickly available when I’m logged in to Gmail. I also use my Outlook calendar at work.

Bookmarks

I’ve used del.icio.us for a couple years. There may be prettier social bookmarking tools with more features (like Diigo), but I like that del.icio.us is a straightforward tool.

Feed Reader

It seems like everyone has transitioned to Google Reader, but I have not. I use Bloglines mainly because Bloglines has a feature that lets you create email addresses. I also like that it gives you an exact count of the number of posts you haven’t read yet.

IM

Meebo works great for IM since it lets you log into multiple networks at the same time. We use it for our IM reference service at MSU as well. (I love the Meebo Me widget too.)

Photos

I have two tools that fit in this category. I use Flickr to share photos with friends and family. I love all of its organization features – its social nature is of secondary importance to me. I’ve been using Flickr quite a bit to search for photos with Creative Commons licenses lately, too.

Also, I like the Picnik photo editor. It’s great for a quick fix.

Video

For sharing videos with family and friends, I use Dailymotion. It has RSS feeds, a clean & attractive interface, unobtrusive ads, and it’s easy to use.

Blog

I use WordPress.com. I did try out Blogger, which was fine, but I really like the categories feature and ability to add static pages in WordPress.

Word Processing

When I need to collaborate on a document, I use Google Docs. I’ve also used Zoho Writer a few times.

Database Application

I really like Zoho Creator. I’ve found it very easy to use to set up simple forms to collect data for a couple projects where several people needed to submit information.

Project Management

I’ve used Basecamp for two projects in the last years or so and thought it worked well. I like its integration with Writeboard, a collaborative writing tool, and Campfire (see below).

Group Chat

Campfire is great. Zoho Chat is nice too.

Wiki

In the past, I’ve used PBwiki to set up free wikis. I’ve been disappointed with its WYSIWYG editor, though. So, I might use Wetpaint in the future now that it has the option to create private sites.