Cobwebs Of The Mind: Help! My Life Has Become Google-ized

Progress! You got to love it! For years Microsoft ran my life. Now it is Google.

So I wake up in the morning and go to the computer. First thing is first. I have to check a myriad of email accounts, the most important being my private one. I use Google's Gmail. Why? Cause I got sick and tired of Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Eudora and all the rest. Sure they allow me to do things I cannot do in Gmail. But Gmail has one hell of a spam filter, I can categorize my email, and I don't have to run here and there looking for it. Great search too. Hell Gmail is good what can I say? So Google #1 is Gmail.

So my days begin with Google. Then I open up Firefox (long ago I abandoned IE in the dirt). And even when I need to see a sight built only for IE I have an IE extension in Firefox that allows me to stay in Firefox and duplicates IE inside a Tab. Firefox is pretty much Google friendly and ready. So of the toolbars that sit on my Firefox of course there is the Google and Yahoo toolbar. However when I search I usually gravitate to Google immediately (except when searching for images as I have found Yahoo does a better job). So Google #2 is search.

Then I must check out my blog. Guess what? Like much of the universe I use Blogger. Google #3. Why Blogger? Why not Wordpress? Blogs are blogs. Hell why not? It integrates nicely, I got my little Blogger button in the toolbar, and despite its sometimes slowness, it works for me most of the time. To post into the Blog I either use Qumana. a free standalone program much recommended or Performancing which is a Firefox extension. Each has its own plusses and minuses but I am used to Qumana which integrates nicely with Google Blogging (but not yet with the Beta Blogger of Google).

Okay, my Google life should end there, right? HAH! Now I want to check my site stats. So I mosey on over to Google #4. Google Site Analytics. Great stuff and gives me a notion of just what the hell is going on in my Internet sites and blog. Who is visiting what. Where from, when and how long. Can't beat it.

Okay now I want to know if anyone clicked on my Google Adsense Adverts. So of course, Google Adsense Reports. Or maybe I want to change their look etc. Again Google #5 Google Adsense.

And then sometimes I want to Google to crawl my site. So that is of course Google # 6 - Google Sitemaps. Build a sitemap submit it to Google and Voila - Sitemap crawling. (If you have a web site and dont use sitemaps - mosey over to Google SiteMaps and figure it out. It is well worth your while.

Then if I want a little paltry map of some street - you guessed it Google #7 Google Maps.

I don't use it cause I am so disorganized but there is also Google Calendar.

Actually the only thing Yahoo really has over Google is Yahoo Groups. Yahoo really shines in that department and is far ahead of Google. The new Yahoo mail is cool and I do have an account there, but it is really covered head to toe with advertising - so much so it gets confusing. So I don't see any reason to gravitate my mail over to Yahoo.

But you know what the best part of all the above is - Google and Yahoo. It is all FOR FREE. Beat that!

But I need to write. So I use the Holy of Holies - Office with Word, Excel etc. So the other day I needed to collaborate with someone on a document. He writes me and says, use Google's Word Processor and spreadsheet on line. That way we can each put our changes in without email back and forth. And so...

More often than not, my browser will be open with at least 2-3 tabs devoted to some Google service. That is why I love Firefox. Not for the extensions or themes. But for the Tabbed Browsing. And guess what? It too is free and NOT part of the OS either!

I am at a point I never thought I would be. I almost feel sorry for poor Microsoft. My life once ruled by the Master of Software Licensing has now become Googleized. And wouldn't you know it - for FREE too.

Now that is progress for you!