I just installed a tool on this site called Snap Shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, interactive excerpts of Wikipedia articles, MySpace profiles, IMDb profiles and Amazon products, display inline videos, RSS, MP3s, photos, stock charts and more. Sometimes Snap Shots bring you the information you need, without your having to leave the site, while other times it lets you “look ahead,” before deciding if you want to follow a link or not.
Should you decide this is not for you, just click the little round gear ‘Options’ icon in the upper right corner of the Snap Shot and opt-out for this site or all sites.
Let me know if you like or don’t like this tool. I will only keep it if it proves useful to readers here. I have not decided yet if it has a plus or minus value for the links.
I also just installed a new button down in the bottom right corner that links to a site called Blog Engage. It is similar in ways to Digg. Try it out by clicking the button. Again, feedback is welcome. I don’t know yet if it will prove worth keeping.
Thanks!
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Hey, Will,
Thanks for putting Snap Shots on your site. Hope you and your readers get a lot out of it.
Since your site is about Healthy Living for People and Planet Earth, I’d like to direct you to a free tool we’re giving away. CO2Saver.org has our Windows add-on that automatically sets power usage on your PC for maximum savings. Jointly, all of us using it have saved over 500,000 lbs CO2.
Hi Will, thanks for these useful tips, they do really help. I tell you the truth I like snapshots and I don’t. I like snapshots for the reason you stated, but I don’t like them because if the links are too close, and I accidently hover over and my internet is slow at times, I am stuck with this pop up. So yes they are good, and the advice is keep links far apart. However, there is always an option for me to shut down. Please collect more votes, because what I don’t like, many may. Again, thanks for the useful stuff like always. Anna
Leading edge kind of guy,lol. I still have to figure out digg yet, may call on you for that.
Yes, Anna, I have the same concerns. I am sort of leaning towards them being more annoying than helpful, but we’ll see. there is the option to shut them down, but that takes a minute to do. There is an option to make them less intrusive by making you have to hover more exactly to get them to pop up. I may try that out.
Bob – If you need any help with the Digg button. let me know. I don’t know that much about Blogger, but it looks pretty straight forward.
Well, no real complaints, but I am thinking that anything they add to the site is more than overcome by the annoyance factor. The way a big box pops up and blocks out most of the page is not good. I think the tool would be better if the box only popped up if you right clicked on it or something. Or, maybe had a delay of 2 seconds so they did not pop up the instant you go over a link.
So I am going to remove the tool and maybe give the Snap Shots site some feedback on it.
Glad that we think the same Will, I noticed the pop ups are gone, thanks for making my reading and commenting on your blog more enjoyable, lol, hope it wasn’t just for me
. Thanks, Anna 
Hello, I am very happy to post on your blog! I want to say you thanks for the great article and useful links!