Thumbtack: FAQ

Why did you create Thumbtack? How is Thumbtack different from other solutions that are currently available?

While there are several applications that overlap with functionality in Thumbtack, they all serve specific constituencies related to list making or note taking. Thumbtack focuses on being a repository and crossroads for user collected content from across the web. It emphasizes the activities that follow the act of gathering – archival, research, sharing and publishing. Thumbtack stands apart in its ability to introspect on incoming data in order to automatically classify it and extract structure from it using machine learning. Thumbtack users also have great flexibility in their ability to view, edit and annotate content in a variety of views. Canvas is a unique free form view that allows users to arrange content in arbitrary layouts for publishing or as a mind map.

As an AJAX application, Thumbtack brings a new level of interactivity to the genre enabling users to interact with their collections using familiar idioms such as drag and drop, copy and paste, etc.

also has the beginnings of a compelling platform in its gadget infrastructure, REST APIs and syndication capabilities. In the future, Thumbtack gadgets built on the Live Labs Web Sandbox will allow developers to enhance and extend the capabilities of Thumbtack.

Do you have some example videos for how to use Thumbtack?

Here are three: a basic introduction, a video about collections and views, and a video about more advanced uses (gadgets).

Why do I have to install a bookmarklet to use Thumbtack?

You don’t. You can always cut and paste things from the web to put them into Thumbtack. Using the bookmarklet just makes it easier. It lets you send things to Thumbtack without ever leaving the web page that you’re on. The other advantage to using the bookmarklet is that all clips will automatically link back to the original web page you got them from. That doesn't happen when you're just using cut and paste.

What operating systems and browsers are supported by Thumbtack?

Thumbtack is an AJAX application and has no OS dependencies. It currently only fully supports IE and Firefox 3. If you attempt to use Thumbtack via another browser your experience may be severely impaired.

Can I use Thumbtack with Firefox?

Yes, Thumbtack does support Firefox. For technical issues and differences in security policies between browsers, there are currently some differences between IE and Firefox which are detailed in the following table. We are working on full compatibility with all currently popular browsers.

Functionality	IE	Firefox
Paste an item from the web	Click "paste" to paste your selection	Open a new item with "New" and then paste your selection
Copy	Supported	Not Supported
Canvas View	Supported	Not Supported
Bookmarklet	To install in IE, right click the link, add to favorites and make sure that favorite category is Links	To install in Firefox, just drag the link up to your toolbar

What are gadgets and how do I use them?

You can add any gadget to your collection and the gadget will help visualize or interact with items in your collection:

1) The Address gadget uses automatically extracted addresses to help map items in your collection.

2) The Properties gadget allows you to add any property and value (such as ‘price’: 25) to any item.

3) The Plot gadget will look at all the properties and values on the items in your collection and allow you to create a scatter plot or a bar chart. Elements in the plots are linked back to items in the collection.

4) The Layout Gadget allows you to rearrange objects on the canvas. You can select a number of items and arrange them in a stack, or arrange all the items in a neat grid.

Will you be developing more gadgets?

We’re planning on developing several other gadgets once the first version of Thumbtack gets out. Some gadgets currently planned will allow importing or exporting the data from spreadsheets and other Office applications. Other gadgets will make it simple to make a joint decision by allowing multiple users to vote on items in a collection.

Will you create an open platform so other people can develop their own gadgets?

We're hoping to create a sandbox so that people can create their own gadgets sometime in the near future.

Can you give us some idea of how you might continue to develop Thumbtack going forward?

We plan to respond to user feedback for the best way to move forward on Thumbtack. Of particular interest to us are better ways of collecting clips along with rich metadata. This will allow better support for visualization and decision making.

Collect/Organize

What is a Collection?

A Collection is a place to collect your ideas, web clips, text and images references. The thumbtack samples are a good place to look at collections created using Thumbtack.

How do I create a new collection?

Click on the “+” to the right of My Collections to create a new collection. You can edit/rename the collection once it is created.

How do I rename a collection?

Double click on a collection to rename it.

What is the Default Collection?

The Default Collection is the initial collection that you land in and is created for all users.

What is the difference between Auto Collections and My Collections?

There are a few collections that the system creates automatically for your convenience. These are All Items: to access and browse through all your items regardless of the collection they belong to. Recently Viewed: to access and browse through your recently viewed items and Recently Imported: to access and browse through items that you have recently imported using the Thumbtack bookmarklet.

How do I add stuff to a Collection?

- Copy a web clip to your clipboard and paste it into Thumbtack.
- Add web clips to Thumbtack as you are browsing by using the Thumbtack bookmarklet
- Add a text box by clicking on “new” text box.
- Drag items from one collection to another to move them.

How do I search for items in Thumbtack?

You can retrieve Thumbtack items using Search with either keywords or tags by entering any term into the search box.

How do I move items around in a collection?

You can move items using simple drag and drop.

How do I move items from one collection to another?

You can move items from one collection to another using simple drag and drop i.e. open the source collection and drag the item into the destination collection on the left pane. You can also use copy and paste to make a copy of an item in a different collection.

How do I delete items?

You may either press the delete key while clips are selected or drag items to the Deleted items bin in the left pane.

Can I edit an item?

You can edit any clip in Thumbtack. Open the item it in single item view (double click on the item) and click in the item to start editing. You can also open an item in the canvas mode and edit it in place.

How do I view items in a collection?

You can view your data in structured (grid/list) and freeform (canvas) layouts.

How do I add and use tags in Thumbtack?

Double click on an item to open it in Single Item View. You can add a Tag or Comment to an item in this view.

Send/Share/Publish

Can I send an item to a friend by email?

Open the item in Single item view and click send, typing one or more email addresses

An email is sent to the recipient, with a link to the item.

How do I Publish a Collection?

Publishing a collection creates a website and gives you a URL that can be emailed, posted or shared.

Can I “Unpublish” a collection?

Click on “Unpublish” in the Publish dialog to unpublish a collection.

How do I Share a collection to collaborate on it?

You click on share and add one or more email addresses.

An email is sent to the recipients, with a link to the shared collection.

Once the user logs in, the shared collection is added to the recipient’s list and the landing page for that session becomes the shared collection.

How do I know a collection is Shared/Published?

The icon to the left of the collection name indicates if the collection is Shared/Published.

Can I share my Thumbtack collections via an RSS or REST feed?

Yes, users can embed Thumbtack collections in their personal websites and blogs. They can publish using RSS, Atom, and HTML

Why do items look different when I paste them into Thumbtack?

Thumbtack creates a small summary of snips that you can move around on the canvas or open up into single item view. Some of the original formatting will be lost.

How do I get back to the page where I copied a clip?

If you used the Thumbtack bookmarklet, you can just click them item. Otherwise, you can manually add a link by using the hyperlink button in the edit mode.

How is Thumbtack different from Listas?

Listas was designed to nurture and build communities around shared lists. Thumbtack has been designed with individual utility in mind. While Thumbtack also enables sharing scenarios like Listas, its core value is in its ability to seamlessly collect and harness information gathered from across the web. Some features unique to Thumbtack are -

Bookmarklet – a code free browser plugin that enables users to collect text, links and images from any web page. Works in IE and Firefox.
Canvas view – a free form view that allows users to create collages out of clippings from the web
Thumbtack uses machine learning to understand and extract useful information from web clips. E.g. addresses.
Gadgets enhance and extend the capabilities of Thumbtack and enable users to do more with their content
Sharing – Thumbtack enables users to share and collaborate in private groups
Publishing of collections in html, RSS, Atom format
Embedding - published collections can be embedded blog, web pages, etc.
REST API to enable mashups and other applications to build on Thumbtack

Can users store, manage, and share videos using Thumbtack?

Not yet. This feature is in the pipeline.

Are there any limits to the size of collections people can make? Are there storage limitations associated with Thumbtack collections?

There is currently no limit to the size or number of collections users can have.