Add ons - do I want them?

A browser add on is a tool that adds new features to your browser.  I personally have never used a browser add on before, but being brand new to Diigo and a Chrome user, I thought it would make sense to accept when I was offered the Chrome extension add on. I followed the steps and acquired it.  So far, it appears to work as intended, although I have only played around with it a bit. I was able to successfully add the blog-post and article discussed below to my library with minimal effort.

Thinking add ons might be something embraced by the more millennial, I asked my 16 year old what types of add on she uses and her experience was fairly limited as well: she has a screenshot add on and a blacklist add on.  The latter she uses to make sure she is not the victim of spoilers for the TV shows she watches on her computer.

In an effort to learn a little more about these tools, I did a bit of research and learned that perhaps they are something that we should be leery of, or at least embrace in a limited way.  According to this WSJ blog  and this Technology Briefing add ons can be silently changed after they are installed and the updated code can be automatically pushed to those who use them.  The two add-ons removed last week by Google had been altered by new owners in order to insert unwanted ads in spaces ads would not normally exist.  According to the WSJ blog author, Rolfe Winkler, malware companies are actively seeking ownership of add-ons in order to make these types of modifications.  Google is not in the habit of reviewing changes to code after an add on is offered, and these two add ons were removed only because alert users notified Google.  Something to think about before embracing too many of these tools: how does the value of an add on compare to the possible danger of exposing yourself to malware?  Is the tool worth the risk?  I think I will stick with my one new add on for the time being and see how it goes.

As for iste.nets-t standards are addressed by this assignment, I would suggest that standards 1c & d, would be met using Diigo in the way that was described in the Educational Leadership article.  Diigo certainly lends itself to the type of collaborative work called for by these standards. Additionally, Diigo and similar social bookmarking tools facilitate locating, analyzing, and evaluating information resources, which is addressed by standard 3d.  Finally, the Digitally Speaking blog by William Ferriter described beautifully how educators in collaborative learning communities could use Diigo to their benefit.  This responsibility is addressed in standard 5.