I keep meaning to post about this. I don't know how many people are familiar with this nifty LJ tool, but I've been trying it for the past few days and this has been a tremendous godsend.

This Navigation Toolbar (this links to the FAQ) appears as a strip across the top of your computer screen when you're on LJ. It includes a drop-down menu that has a default Journals, Communities, and Syndicated Feeds that you've friended.

Those options alone help declutter your FList quite a lot, especially if, like me, you've got a ton of communities on your FList. It just so happens my communities tend to be pretty high-traffic, so it wasn't at all unusual for me to have an entire friends' page taken up by one community.

In addition, your drop down menu will also include any customized friends' group you've created, further slincing your FList view as you want.

Here's the link to click if you want to add it and try it out.

As I've said, I've been using it for the past few days and I'm very pleased with how it works. People are less like to get lost on my FList now.

Of course, I'm probably way behind the curve on this one. Everyone probably already knows about it.

H/T to ponders_life.

szandara's son is doing a survey on how different age groups use the Internet over at his brand-spankin' new LJ son_of_a_mother. It's part of his science fair project. He's testing the hypothesis that different age groups interact with the Internet in different ways.

This is a very timely science fair project given the current U.S. national fight over net neutrality that could potentially close off large swarths of the Web and Internet to the average U.S. citizen.

PublicKnowlege has an excellent flash animation that succinctly explains the issue and what we all stand to lose if the telecoms begin reserving the right to wall off their section of the Internet here.

It's an issue that's got the most right-wing and left-wing blogs out there actually working together to stop the attempt. Nothing like a common enemy to bring people together, says I.

Go and fill out son_of_a_mother's LJ survey and help a kid with his science project today. A few moments of your time could result in big karma.