THREE USEFUL TOOLS FOR YOUR BLOG

LOCATOR: WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE YOU?
In the process of putting together the Salon blog popularity lists , and trying to identify what country and state each blogger was from, I came across GeoURL, a new tool that lets you indicate where you are (rather than where your ISP is), and find other bloggers near you. Here’s what my GeoURL Neighbours List looks like. If you want one for yourself, sign up here . The sign-up also helps you find your precise latitude and longitude, useful if, like me, and several other Salon bloggers, you’re a stargazer.

CALCULATOR: THE REAL COST OF WAR
Here’s another little tool you can put in your blog to track the up-to-the-minute cost of the Iraq war . Its far more useful feature, however, is a precise calculation of how much of the cost must be borne by each municipality’s taxpayers, and what could have been done, in health, education, energy and services, with the money that was squandered. That’s the real cost of the war.

TRACER: TRACKBACK’S COMING TO RADIO USERLAND
In my Salon blog user survey I asked whether people wanted a Trackback feature (essentially like a little beacon you can plant in someone else’s blog to notify you when something there changes). Everyone who knew what it was wanted it. It’s coming, and will operate just like the Moveable Type Trackback feature. Read all about what it is, when it’s coming, and how it will work, here .