Jessica's+toolbar+page

**Jessica's Toolbar Project**  My practicum project regards the ways and reasons that people use the internet. I am focusing on toolbars and browser extensions. To do this I will install and examine 3 different toolbars: Stumble Upon, Pink Ribbon, and College Humor. **What are these things?**

A **browser extension** is a computer program that in someway increases the usefulness of the web browser. Browser extensions are also known as plug-ins or add-ons and most commonly work with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox.

A **toolbar** is a type of browser extension where an array of buttons, icons, drop-down menus and more are placed. The toolbars I will be focusing on are for web browsers.

These types of toolbars have become a very popular and effective technique for brands to advertise. FreeCause is an example of a company that makes customizable toolbars. Their website explains that a customizable toolbar can be very beneficial for organizations; a FreeCause toolbar  "helps organizations reach and engage their supporters in fundamentally new ways. It improves communications, increases involvement, and generates revenue automatically - whether your community is a large international organization or a small local club… [With our] toolbars you and your members are connected to a focused, effective and engaging communication channel that's always current and always on. The result is a more informed, more active community that benefits your organization and members alike” (Freecause.com).



Toolbars are a viable option for companies and organizations: Toolbars integrate a brand into the everyday activity of the user. They reinforce a brand and are beneficial for companies and organizations in several ways:
 * 1) The **logo** displayed at the top of the browser window--> Seeing that the average person is spending an increasing amount of time on the Internet each day, putting your brand's logo at the top of that window is a constant reminder to users.
 * 2) Customizable **features** like news links, streaming videos, weather, and ways to share with other users builds relationships with and between users. --> The toolbar's features have the ability to show users that that company, organization or community is there, alive and active, and are delivering content in a convenient and entertaining manner.
 * 3) **Drive website traffic**--> the links and buttons drive traffic to the site or sites, thus increasing response rates and special offers and programs.

Toolbars make money. They are a way for a company to monetize on the everyday activities of Internet users because when a search is made, revenue is generated.

Doing my research I have found that there are several types of toolbars and types of companies, brands, services and organizations who utilize the technology: >
 * 1) **Non profit organizations**- Pink Ribbon, Peta 2, NRA
 * 1) **Online games**- Mousehunt, Mafia Wars [[image:mafia_wars.png width="638" height="49"]]
 * 2) **Loyalty programs**- Air Miles Canada, American Arilines AAdvantage
 * 3) **Fan sites**- Sports teams (UW Badgers), bands (Aerosmith) [[image:dl_badgers.png width="371" height="276"]][[image:aerosmith.png width="325" height="145"]]
 * 4) **Internet communities**- Stumble Upon
 * 5) **Content providers**- College Humor, Huffington Post [[image:huffington_post.png]]

**The toolbars that I installed and examined:** I chose to install and examine 3 different toolbars. I had a relatively easy easy time finding and installing each of them and found that even though each one was made by a different company, the process was similar.

First I downloaded the **Stumble Upon** toolbar. Here is a picture of it: What is interesting about the Stumble Upon toolbar is that unlike the other toolbars I examined, it is not promoting a certain brand, website, or cause. Instead, it is a content discovery service, which is enabled by a browser toolbar. With the toolbar installed, users click on the icon and word "Stumble!" all the way on the left of the toolbar and are taken to a new, random website. When a user comes across a website they really like they can click on the thumbs up button, and conversely, when a user comes across a site they really don't like, they click the thumbs down button. Stumble somehow remembers this and brings the user to more sites like the ones they "thumbs uped" and not to sites that are like the ones which they "thumbs downed". The main site explains:

Other features the Stumble Upon toolbar has are a button for sharing pages, Info, Favorites, Stumblers (shows you other people who use Stumble!), and a Tools drop down menu for FAQs, and help.

Example of how these features work: I Stumbled Upon this page, The Green Geek, and wanted to see more info about this page... This is what I was taken to when I requested more info on a page: So far I have had a lot of fun stumbling around the internet and come across some really cool, interesting, gross, weird, cute, and obscure things. Users download and use this toolbar for entertainment purposes. It brings them to new, random things to explore on the Internet.

Here are a few examples of pages I Stumbled Upon:

I have also downloaded the **"Pink Ribbon"** toolbar. This toolbar lets me help in the fight against breast cancer. The searches I make by using this toolbar are directly donated to Pink Ribbon. Downloading the toolbar was really easy, I just clicked on the firefox link under the Download Pink Ribbon button. This was the same way I downloaded the Stumble Upon toolbar too. Both took under 2 minutes to download and then firefox had to be restarted.



Once the toolbar was downloaded and firefox was restarted, I registered with my email address and was brought to a page where I could track my progress. As I make searches and shop online, this page will tell me how much money I have raised for breast cancer awareness and research. The search engine utilized for these searches is Yahoo, which is not my favorite search engine. I, personally, think Google comes up with superior search results. However, if my searches can help the fight against breast cancer, I think I can be content with using Yahoo over Google (or in addition to).



I can track my progress as a contributor on this page too.



The portal also allows for a shopping mall component so that every time I shop at certain websites like Ebay or Kordak, a portion of my purchase is donated to Pink Ribbon. The Pink Ribbon Toolbar is utilized by users who want the everyday things they do on the Internet to help a cause. The toolbar lets me support a cause I believe in and be involved in the cause in a unique way. Just by putting their logo at the top of the web browser means that users are seeing and are reminded of Pink Ribbon, throughout the day. Many other non profit organizations have toolbars too. Peta 2 is another non profit organization that uses browser extensions to raise and spread awareness, and gain money to support for their cause.

The third toolbar I have chosen to install is the **College Humor** toolbar. This one is made by Brand Thunder and it is a content providing toolbar. This one looks different than the other 2 toolbars and has changed the way my browser looks. The College Humor toolbar gives users quick access to content found on the College Humor website. Therefore, it is a tool for fans of the website, whom, for the most part, are college students. The buttons on the toolbar bring users to different pages on the website: "College Humor Originals", pictures, "best of", articles, "Cute College Girl", videos, and a sidebar.

There are also buttons that bring users to their Facebook and Twitter pages. I think this speaks to the targeted demographic because Facebook and Twitter are very prevalent in college students lives. Next to the Facebook and Twitter buttons there is a drop down menu for support (tutorials, FAQs, etc). This is how I found out that I can change the look of the College Humor toolbar to a smaller look. Now all the toolbars on my browser have the same look.

The toolbar has a search component powered by Bing. I haven't used Bing as a search engine much, and having it on my browser hasn't really changed that either. I still prefer to use Google for my searches.


 * Impact of these tools on users:**

Certain activities are encouraged by the presence of toolbars because of the components that are so readily accessible right at the top of the browser. The presence of an RSS feed encourages checking out the news, while links and buttons to other sites drives traffic to those sites. Toolbars that include search bars encourage searching; the toolbars that reward for searches with points in a game or donating to a charity obviously encourage performing searches more, but just the presence of having the search bar easily accessible at the top of the browser is encouraging. For example, my Pink Ribbon toolbar is powered by Yahoo, and because of this I have been using Yahoo more. Sharing is another thing encouraged by the presence of having a sharing component on the toolbar. I am much more likely to share a link with someone else if look up and there is a button reminding me that there is an easy way to do so. My Stumble Upon toolbar has this and I have come across many things that I have shared with friends. I think the presence of a logo encourages encourages interaction, thought and active participation in or with whatever that toolbar may be promoting. Lastly I find that Stumble encourages surfing the web and exploring. "Stumbling" has truly become a favorite leisure activity for me.


 * Other things to note about toolbar users:**


 * 1) These tools/ sites target niche audiences. They are for those dedicated fans, supporters and users who are engaging in the Internet in different ways because they feel strongly about something and are looking for more ways to be involved. The companies that make toolbars make money when they are being used so they offer software that these dedicated people will use and use a lot because they are so dedicated.
 * 2) Looking at the people who use toolbars and browser extensions as a group, there is a broad range depending on the nature of the toolbar. There are two general traits that I found common in toolbar users. First, toolbar users are somewhat Internet savvy, or at least proficient in their use of the internet and aware of the technology. Secondly, toolbar users tend to be fans or dedicated supporters of whatever the theme of the toolbar is. For example, toolbars for Internet games are extraordinarily successful and this is because those who play these games are experienced in Internet use and technology and tend to be very dedicated to the specific game.
 * 3) Promotions and loyal customers: People who are using a toolbar to support a non profit or use one for a game in which they win points by making searches or purchases are more loyal customers/ fans/ supporters. Dedicated fans and supporters utilize promotions, make searches to win points, or get in a raffle and will also buy from certain places if they know they can get even more points or earn more money for their cause.