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Bookmark Syncing Service Xmarks Closes For Good On May 1 (betanews.com)

Remember that popular browser extension that let you sync your bookmarks on multiple devices? Launched in 2006 by Foxmarks (a company created by EFF co-founder Mitch Kapor), it was saved from death in 2010 when it was acquired by the password-management service LastPass. But now BetaNews reports: If you're a user of Xmarks, there's some bad news for you -- the service is closing down... The bookmark syncing tool, which is available as an addon for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari, is to be shuttered on May 1... Emails have also been sent out to registered users notifying them of the impending closure.

"On May 1, 2018, we will be shutting down Xmarks... After this date, your bookmarks should remain available in any previously accessed browser, but they will no longer sync and your Xmarks account will be deactivated... After careful consideration and evaluation, we have decided to discontinue the Xmarks solution so that we can continue to focus on offering the best possible password vaulting to our community."

It was apparently especially popular with long-time Slashdot reader vm, who writes "I have held on to my Xmarks account over the years because I can always get to them despite changes in operating systems, browsers, employers, etc.

"What do other folks use that may also have a mobile option?"

51 comments

  1. APK IS GOD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    APK IS GOD

    1. Re:APK IS GOD by dreamchaser · · Score: 4, Insightful

      APK IS GOD

      My previous post was unjustly modded down. This is censorship.

      No. It's called 'garbage removal'. You don't know what censorship is.

    2. Re: APK IS GOD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      vi ... I mean what more do you need?

  2. APK IS GOD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    APK IS GOD

    My previous post was unjustly modded down. This is censorship.

  3. I sold my soul... by dbrueck · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... and just use Google Chrome everywhere, and so bookmark syncing is built in (and works great).

    1. Re:I sold my soul... by Harold+Halloway · · Score: 1

      Yep, that's how I do it. I long ago stopped Xmarks precisely because Chrome did it all 'in browser.'

    2. Re:I sold my soul... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Firefox has done this forever as well. As does Safari. Even Vivaldi is now syncing I think. Thus less and less need for a third-party dolution.

    3. Re:I sold my soul... by ColdWetDog · · Score: 2, Informative

      The nice thing about X-marks is that it is cross browser. That made it easy to sync most anytime (except when you were using Lynx or Emacs).

      That said, I haven't used X-marks in years. Between a smartphone and a lap top, I don't need to have my personal bookmarks anywhere near my work ones.

      --
      Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    4. Re:I sold my soul... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except it doesnt ... it fucks up so regularly that I stopped. It keeps merging sets of bookmarks from different PCs/Browsers and I end spending hours re-sorting each time... Its a complete JOKE and yet Xmarks just works? Where is the "download server copy of bookmarks" option so you can start a new Chrome install at least with a chance of not having the regular issues with their sh!tty sync

    5. Re:I sold my soul... by Alumoi · · Score: 1

      ... and just use Google Chrome everywhere, and so bookmark syncing is built in (and works great).

      ... even with NSA, FBI, CIA, GHQ, MI5, SIS ...

    6. Re:I sold my soul... by dbrueck · · Score: 1

      LOL. Yes, I'm sure that of all the ways our info leaks online, and of all the ways we can be tracked online, the one those agencies rely on is the Google subsystem that stores my bookmarks.

    7. Re:I sold my soul... by dbrueck · · Score: 1

      It keeps merging sets of bookmarks from different PCs/Browsers

      You must have a more complex use case than me, because it sounds like your complaint is that the feature is working.

    8. Re:I sold my soul... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ISNT you mean... The whole idea is that it SHOULD sync your browsers bookmarks not copy them all into a jumbled up duplicated MESS!?!

    9. Re:I sold my soul... by dbrueck · · Score: 1

      I was just responding to the complaint that the feature was merging bookmarks from different PCs/browsers which, as I understand it, is the whole point.

      For you it sounds like it's not doing what you'd like - that's too bad, maybe there's some other tool out there that can do what you want. For me, Chrome's bookmark sync does exactly what I want and, to date, always works. I've never, for example, had to deal with duplicate bookmarks. Guess I'm just lucky!

  4. Pinboard by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Iâ(TM)ve been using pinboard.in since itâ(TM)s early days. They started as a del.icio.us clone with a good business model and last year acquired delicious. Canâ(TM)t say enough good things about this service.

    https://blog.pinboard.in/blog/

  5. XMarks never seemed to recover from ... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2
    ... Firefox's switch to the new API. I could never get it to work correctly after the API changed. Judging from the comment section on the Mozilla Add-Ons page for XMarks, only a few people seems to be able to get it to work without messing up their bookmarks everywhere.

    .
    XMarks was an excellent, even superb, product in its heyday. I wonder whatever happened to them?

    1. Re:XMarks never seemed to recover from ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      XMarks was an excellent, even superb, product in its heyday. I wonder whatever happened to them?

      I am looking for alternatives to XMarks

      If you know of any alternative to the excellent XMarks, could you kindly share?

      Many thanks !

    2. Re:XMarks never seemed to recover from ... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 1

      ...If you know of any alternative to the excellent XMarks, could you kindly share?...

      I am looking for an XMarks alternative as well. Not found one yet.

  6. REAL NEWS FROM RT.COM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    Western journos formed their Syria 'chemical attack' opinion from faraway newsrooms – Galloway to RT
    Published time: 28 Apr, 2018 12:43
    Get short URL
    Western journos formed their Syria 'chemical attack' opinion from faraway newsrooms – Galloway to RT
    A Syrian flag flies on a damaged street in Douma, Syria. © Omar Sanadiki / Reuters
    34
    Western journalists who jumped to conclusions about an alleged chemical attack in Syria formed their opinions from far away, and are ignoring a reporter who actually visited the site, former UK MP George Galloway told RT.
    The media and Western politicians have been quick to point the finger at the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad for an alleged chemical attack in Douma. Galloway pointed out that the journalists who are toeing the Western line haven't even come close to traveling to Douma.

    "How did they form their opinion? They formed it from afar, either in newsrooms or studios. They've never been in Syria, they don't know any Arabic, they've never heard of Douma until it became a war zone. They were told which way they should be facing a long time ago in this conflict," he told RT.

    He went on to say that those journalists are conveniently ignoring insight from reporters who have actually traveled to the scene, including Robert Fisk. The journalist's account of his visit to Douma was published by The Independent.

    In his materials, Fisk cast doubt that a chemical attack happened after visiting the area and speaking to residents. "When he [Fisk] went there on his own feet and walked around without a minder, without a guard, nothing, just him and his notebook and pencil, they told him there was no chemical attack in Douma," Galloway said. "Well, it's as if he never existed. As if they [journalists] had never heard of him. 'Robert who?' they might ask well have been asking."

    Like this story? Share it with a friend!

    34

    1. Re:REAL NEWS FROM RT.COM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

      Moscow, Tehran and Ankara believe attempts to split Syria on ethnic and religious grounds to be unacceptable, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday following a meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts – Mohammad Javad Zarif and Mevlut Cavusoglu.

      “We agreed that attempts to split Syria on ethnic and religious grounds were totally unacceptable,” Lavrov said.

      “We have stated that we will counter attempts to undermine our joint efforts and pointed out that the Astana process is stable,” he said. “We will continue solving important tasks related to de-escalation, easing tensions and reducing the conflict potential. Ceasefire violations continue to happen but we have a mechanism to monitor them and we will seek to overcome this situation, particularly by strengthening trust among the parties ‘on the ground’,” Lavrov added.

      He pointed out that Saturday’s meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran and Turkey “comes when developments in Syria are not always positive.” “We have already said that the illegal attack on Syria on April 14 that the United States, Great Britain and France carried out before experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons had even started their work, caused a setback in efforts to advance the political process,” he said.

      “However, we are determined to continue these efforts, we agreed on specific steps that our three countries will take individually and together in order to get us all back to the path leading to the implementation of the [UN Security Council] Resolution 2254,” Lavrov stressed. “We strongly believe that there is no alternative to political and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis based on the Resolution 2254 and recommendations issued by the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi,” the Russian top diplomat noted.

      Attempts are being made to hinder the peace process in Syria, particularly to prevent the establishment of a constitutional committee, Lavrov said.

      “The developments of the recent weeks show that not everyone wants peace to be restored in Syria. Every time hope arises, a strike is carried out on it,” Lavrov said. “We have to point to ongoing attempts to prevent dialogue among Syrians and the establishment of a constitutional committee in accordance with decisions made at the Sochi event, which were supported by United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, who participated in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi,” the Russian top diplomat added.
      ALSO READ Syrian military prepares for southern Damascus offensive despite Trump's threats

      “It turns out that were create and build, while our counterparts seek to destroy the results of our joint constructive efforts, even violating international law, just like the US, Great Britain and France did when they carried out an attack on Syria on April 14,” Lavrov said.

      According to him, the trilateral attack “not only significantly raised tensions on the international stage but also considerably damaged the prospects for a political settlement.”

      Opposition’s demands to change political regime

      Syrian opposition’s demands to change the political regime in Damascus complicate the restoration of the Geneva negotiating process, Lavrov said.

      “In the context of efforts to revive the Geneva negotiating platform, we consider as extremely destructive some statements made by specific representatives of the external opposition, which set preliminary conditions for the settlement of the Syrian conflict and the switchover to political negotiations,” Lavrov said.

      “As preliminary conditions, they advance the demands of changing the regime and bringing the Syrian leadership to trial as war criminals,” the top Russian diplomat said.

      “Such approaches cont

    2. Re: REAL NEWS FROM RT.COM by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice work comrade, here is a rubel.

  7. Safari bookmarks already synced on all devices by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Obsolete project.

  8. used it with eGroupware. by Zombie+Ryushu · · Score: 2

    I used it with eGroupware. I normally selected the "Sync with your own Server" Option that stored the Book Marks in a JSON File over DAV in eGroupware on my local domain controllers. Thw issue became, it started to update itself to disable that functionality whenever it could in favor of LastPass. I'd still like to get the whole "Sync on your own Server" Functionality as a JSON file if possible.

  9. Are These Bookmark Services Encrypted? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I've never used one of these bookmark syncing services, but admittedly I'd love to. I am reading of a lot of options on the comments here but, as a security researcher and privacy advocate, I wonder: are these services able to read your bookmarks? Because that would be a big no-no for me.

    Ideally these services should store an encrypted database of your bookmarks, and the user only inserts their password locally (i.e. when they set up the client/browser extension on a new device). Possibly the size of the database should be fixed, or increasing by fixed amounts, so it would be harder for the remote service even to see when you add or remove a bookmark.

    I don't know if that's exactly how they work, if someone knows more I'd be happy to be informed. I find bizarre that this crucial feature is not openly mentioned. I don't think I will ever use a syncing service where the [insert your favorite 3-letter agency here] can just knock at their doors and request a list of my bookmarks.

    Even better would be the availability of open source server code, so you can run your own syncing service, e.g. on a VPS or home server.

  10. Get your soul back: Pale Moon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pale Moon has a syncing service, and it's not connected to any giant corporation that makes a living sucking the marrow out of your privacy.

    http://www.palemoon.org/

  11. Reach out and sync someone. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sure something that uses Dropbox and apps on the clients will do the same thing. If all else fails, DDNS and a local solution.

  12. Dumb by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What sort of idiot stores their bookmarks or other data on someone elses computer?
    That's almost as gay as digital radio.

  13. Does anyone know of a good cross-browser, cross-pl by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I use chrome occasionally, but I don't want to be tied to it. I use Windows, Mac and Android. I've been looking, but haven't found anything as simple and effective as xmarks. Anyone had any better luck?

  14. EverSync by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I started using EverSync when XMarks recently reminded me it was stopping. Seems to work okay so far... and it's cross-browser.

    1. Re: EverSync by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      +1 for EverSync. Has been working for me without apparent trouble since LastPass fucked up on XMarks.

      Decent duplicate removal tools, and has "export data" - the latter is Important Feature Number One for me.

  15. Pretty easy by WinstonWolfIT · · Score: 1

    I use Chrome and Firefox sync, with Eversync bridging across. Mobile and desktops stay managed quite nicely.

    1. Re:Pretty easy by CrashNBrn · · Score: 1

      I use Chrome and Firefox for different things, so I don't care that their bookmarks aren't jumbled together.

  16. Re:Does anyone know of a good cross-browser, cross by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    RoboForm.

    https://roboform-blog.siber.com/2018/04/02/looking-for-an-xmarks-alternative-roboform-has-you-covered/

  17. I'll miss XMarks's "Open remote tabs" feature by Michael+Duggan · · Score: 1

    The killer feature for me from XMarks was the ability to browse the list of open tabs on my various browsers, especially from my phone. That made it easy for me to be reading something, then later continue reading it from my phone.

    If anyone knows of another service that does this, please let me know. I use Chrome at home and am forced to use Firefox at work, so I do need a cross-platform solution.

  18. Why I prefer built browser bookmark sync by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seems like eventually third party solutions go belly up. Did Xmarks ever charge for this service? Or was it donations or just free? Not a big fan of Chrome but itâ(TM)s syncing canâ(TM)t be beat.

  19. Xmarks was good for distro-hoppers by eco2geek · · Score: 1

    I liked Xmarks because I like running different Linux distros off of live media. Most of them included Firefox as the default web browser. Adding Xmarks was a quick, easy, and reliable way to get your bookmarks into Firefox. I also have a bunch of Linux distros installed on my hard drive and Xmarks was a good way to synchronize bookmarks between them. So I'll miss it when it's gone.

    As someone else mentioned, Xmarks wasn't the same after Firefox switched to the "WebExtensions" API. For example, among other things, the new version would bother you via popup to put in your username and password multiple times during a Firefox session, even though it was set to remember them. It would sometimes list all your bookmarks twice after a synchronization. And it wouldn't delete bookmarks that you told it to delete.

    So I'm not surprised LastPass is discontinuing Xmarks; it didn't seem like it was putting much effort into it lately anyway. For now, I'm using Firefox's sync, but I'll be looking for an extension with more features.

  20. No Keyword Sync by rojash · · Score: 1

    No Keyword Sync led to its demise no doubt, which will soon happen to Chrome and FF clowns. Viva Vivald (with keywords but lousy Sync still )i !

  21. bookmarks.html by innocent_white_lamb · · Score: 1

    I have a file named bookmarks.html. I update it with vim as needed.

    That file is set as the home page on all of my web browsers.

    So all you need is a webserver to keep it on and point your home page to that (if you want it automatically updated to all of your devices), or just copy it across to each device.

    I just copy it between devices because my bookmarks don't change very often.

    --
    If you're a zombie and you know it, bite your friend!
  22. Last Pas is Log Me In by labnet · · Score: 1

    Wasn't last pass recently bought by Log Me In who's current business practice is double their prices every year.

    We have been looking for a corporate password manager, and last pass was a contender until we found out who owned them.

    --
    46137
    1. Re:Last Pas is Log Me In by Que_Ball · · Score: 1

      Correct.
      Lastpass is now firmly in control of the price doubling jerks at Logmein.

      There has been 1 doubling of price for Lastpass since being bought. Next one is likely still 6-9 months until being announced if the pattern holds

      I think Logmein main product now costs a few billion dollars per computer but I have not checked recently. I switched when my Logmein central went from $150 to over $10,000.

      The product was always excellent but the guys in management. I just have to assume some kind of corporate version of insanity exists there.

      I believe they survive because there are some dysfunctional accounts payable departments where once a supplier is approved the amounts are never checked. So they can raise the pricing and nobody checks because it's an "approved" vendor from years back and they just pay whatever price is on the invoice. Any sane customers have cancelled their logmein accounts long ago.

    2. Re:Last Pas is Log Me In by chrish · · Score: 1

      I switched to EnPass when this happened; it's actually more secure than LastPass because nobody else can read your passwords... they're stored in the cloud of your choice, but the file is encrypted/decrypted entirely on the clients... the EnPass folks have literally no way of reading your database.

      The desktop is free, which might be (paradoxically) a problem for dumb orgs. Mobile version is something like $10 per platform.

      I really like it.

      --
      - chrish
    3. Re:Last Pas is Log Me In by ilsaloving · · Score: 1

      We use 1Password. It's expensive, but IMO it's the most polished product of the lot. The most important part is that the the data is synced to a local application, which in turn syncs with the server. The browser plugins link securely to the local app, so there's no concern about MITM attacks if the browser gets compromised.

      Also, unlike Enpass, it has been independently audited and supports multiple vaults.

  23. Ah, Foxmarks... by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

    There was a point in time when you could use Foxmarks but keep all the information required for synching on a machine under your own control. When that feature was taken away (quite a long time ago, obviously), I stopped using it.

    It's too bad they haven't chosen to release the source code on this - it seems like something a community would be willing to keep going. But I imagine at this point there'd be so much crap in the code - mostly centered around failed monetization attempts - it would be quite a chore to get it back into a decent state. Plus they probably don't want their remaining customers to see what all they've been doing with people's data.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
    1. Re:Ah, Foxmarks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I found this (https://mozilla-services.readthedocs.io/en/latest/howtos/run-sync-1.5.html) if you use FF and you've got some time.

  24. RIP Xmarks by renegade600 · · Score: 1

    I have used xmarks for 10 years. It was one of the best addons out there. the first one I install on all of my computers and browsers. I tend to use more than one browser and tend to play around with different linux distros so it was a godsend for my bookmarks.

    I have been playing around with eversync lately once I heard that xmarks was shutting down. It is not xmarks but from all the different extensions and addons I tried, at this point, it is the closest to xmarks. I hope someone will either purchase the rights to xmarks or whatever to keep it from going extinct. It is wanted. I do not want to see it go the way of permatabs and disappear forever.

  25. Who saves bookmarks any more? by radarskiy · · Score: 1

    I haven't bothered saving bookmarks in over twenty years. Any hostname I can't memorize I just use a search engine for.

  26. Log copied links to Google Spreadsheet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://sourceforge.net/projects/fitwit/

    Chrome extension in /miscellaneous/wordassociatorwithremotelog/

  27. Sigh. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's no cloud.
    Just other people's computers.

  28. Refund in WHAT FORM? by AbRASiON · · Score: 1

    I asked this a few weeks ago,

    I *specifically* paid, up front for 10 years of Xmarks and 10 years of Lastpass at the same time, when I heard those Logmein bastards had purchased them.

    That was, I think about 2 years ago. I've got somewhere between 7 and 8.5 years left (I can't recall)
    Now, if I recall the pricing model, I think it was 12$ each per year, discounted if you buy rolled together.

    I want to know, am I going to get 7 MORE years of Lastpass on my account at the rates which I had previously paid, or are they going to refund the value of my time in cash, then re-purchase at the new Lastpass rate, which I believe is now much higher?

    Does anyone here know? Reddit posts? Etc? I will not be pleased if my 7+ years remaining Xmarks ends up buying me 3 years more Lastpass.
    (I tried emailing support, explaining this to those wallies is impossible)

  29. Bookmark Ninja by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In answer to the question, I use Bookmark Ninja. It's cross-platform and costs money. I use it because I like its presentation mode called Dashboard that puts your tabs into boxes in columns that you can arrange visually on your screen.