Snap Preview: External links with tooltip preview of site

I just discovered a nice tooltip info tool for external links at Ross'es blog: You click on the link and you will go to the external site (same old story); you hover over the link and you get a small thumbnail screenshot of the website. This looks slick, it also is an aid to decide if you want to visit the external site or not. See screenshot to the right taken from Ross'es blog.

This functionality is provided by "Snap Preview Anywhere". From http://www.snap.com/about/spa1A.php : "Snap Preview Anywhere enables anyone visiting your site to get a glimpse of what other sites you're linking to, without having to leave your site. By rolling over any link, the user gets a visual preview of the site without having to go there, thus eliminating wasted "trips" to linked sites."

-- Contributors: PeterThoeny - 20 Jan 2007

Discussion

This might be useful for public TWiki sites. I have not looked how easy this is to integrate.

-- PeterThoeny - 20 Jan 2007

As it turns out, ridiculously easy. I signed up, copied the code snippet, pasted into TWiki.WebTopBar and was going in 30 seconds flat. Quite a cool feature! Particularly where you've got a whole list of external links, as with my weblog link-list.

-- LynnwoodBrown - 20 Jan 2007

Hm, we already have the LINKTOOLTIPINFO setting (turned off by default due to performance considerations) for internal (local) links to TWiki topics. Maybe this setting can be reused for triggering a SnapPreviewAddOn

-- FranzJosefSilli - 20 Jan 2007

For me, their software license is a privacy problem. A few snippets that raise my eyebrows:

• 4. Third Party Information and Services. The Software may be used to access certain third party websites, software, applications, and other materials (collectively, "Third Party Materials") ....

• 6. Data Collection and Privacy. The Software may collect, store, and periodically send information back to Licensor or third party servers, including URLs accessed by the Software and search queries entered into the Software. In addition, the Software may automatically collect certain information during the installation process and/or indicate to our servers that you have successfully installed the Software. Use of certain feedback features in the Software may require you to submit certain personal information such as your name and email address. Licensor may retain and use for its own purposes all information you provide and all information generated from the operation of the Software (URLs, search queries, etc.). You agree that Licensor may use all such information internally for any purpose and may additionally transfer and disclose to third parties information (including your name, email address, Site domain, URL, and related content) for the purpose of approving and enabling your use or continued use of the Software, including to third parties that reside in jurisdictions with less restrictive data laws than your own. Licensor may also provide information in response to valid legal process, such as subpoenas, search warrants and court orders, or to establish or exercise its legal rights or defend against legal claims. Licensor disclaims all responsibility, and will not be liable to you, however, for any disclosure of that information by any such third party. Licensor may share aggregate (i.e., not personally identifiable) information about you with advertisers, business partners, sponsors, and other third parties. In addition to the foregoing, the terms and conditions of the Snap.com Privacy Policy (located at http://snap.com/about/privacy.php) are incorporated herein by this reference, provided that any terms and conditions in this License related to Licensor?s use of your information (including this section) shall take precedence over any inconsistent or less-permissive terms contained in such Privacy Policy.

-- KeithHelfrich - 20 Jan 2007

WebsiteThumbnails.net, http://www.websitethumbnails.net/, is offering a similar service.

-- PeterThoeny - 28 Mar 2007