Xmarks will be shutting down it’s free browser synchronization services on January 10, 2011.
A short email with a huge impact.
Before we are searching for a new (free) Sync Service we need to think about 3 Topics:
- Privacy
- Availability
- Multiple Browsers on Multiple Machines and Multiple OS
Built in Solutions like Firefox Sync, Chrome Sync, Windows Live Sync or Mobile Me will store all Bookmarks in their Data Centers.
We can talk about Encryption and Downtimes of these Servers but at the end of the Day, Mozilla, Google, Microsoft or Apple will have all your Bookmarks.
And it’s also not possible to Sync across multiple Browsers.
One Solution is to use DropBox with an Bookmark Synchronization Browser Plugin.
DropBox is available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux and it’s “integrated” in your local File System.
So if DropBox is offline you can’t sync – but you can access your Data.
Availability, Multiple Machines and Multiple OS are solved Requirements. Privacy will be forced by using TrueCrypt with DropBox or the Browser Plugin is capable to Encrypt the exported file or you simple trust DropBox.
SyncPlaces is a Firefox Plugin to Synchronize Bookmarks.
To get it working with DropBox select File as Connection Protocol and enter your DropBox Path as JSON Output.
This DropBox / Browser Plugin Solution has one Disadvantage.
There is currently no “Local File System” Sync Plugin for all Browsers available.