Step-by-step tips on creating a public page in Backpack

Create a Quick and Simple Webpage with Backpack shows you how to, well, you can guess.

Have you ever wanted to make a quick webpage? Not a full site, but simply a page with information, some pictures and perhaps a map or video? Backpack from 37signals is a great tool for keeping track of your personal and business information, but it can also be used to quickly make a public or private site...

One of the great things about Backpack is how easy it is to edit anything in your page. Simply hover over the content and a handle will appear. From that, you can delete or edit the content, or can drag the content to any part of the page.

Writeboard and Backpack "make group projects both fun and productive"

"Writeboard: Class projects reinvented" describes how the author used Writeboard and Backpack for a team project at Florida Tech.

Writeboard does support simple text formatting, e.g. asterisk around a word make it bold (*example*). I actually discovered the formatting by accident, because it is just natural to give emphasis to text like that. It also saves every version of our file, so we could easily see what we’d done before or what someone else changed. We all signed in with a simple password; no new accounts for every student to setup. Everyone in my class found it equally easy to use, and we had a vibrant community helping each other with class notes and the group project. Altogether we had over 4,000 words in one Writeboard; not necessarily recommended, but it shows the power of Writeboard! The tech is so easy to use, everyone enjoyed it. And the important thing is that it actually helped us achieve our goals in ways no other tool had ever done. Even though we techies love new features and tools, the truth is that when something needs to be done, just getting it done is sometimes better!

One other tool that helped our team out was my Backpack account. This great tool, which I hope to write about more in the near future, lets you store lists, notes, links (including Writeboards), and more on easy-to-edit pages. For our class, I made a public page where I put a link to our team’s Writeboard, notes with important deadlines and information about the project, and lists of assignments and participants. It just tied everything in the class together easily and quickly. No starting a new website, designing HTML/CSS, or anything, just getting the job done.

I can’t wait to try this out in my next class group project again. If technology can make group projects both fun and productive, that’s really something! So next time you’re in a group project, give Writeboard and Backpack a try; your team might get more done (and a better grade) too!

Read full piece.

37signals tools top the list at "100 Apps for Tech–Savvy Teachers"

Rasmussen College published an article called 100 Apps for Tech–Savvy Teachers. 37signals tools are #1 on the list.

Teachers have one of the most difficult jobs out there. As an educator, you have to manage a classroom of boisterous students, organize heaps of data, stay up–to–date with current events and plan lessons day in and day out. In today’s technologically linked world, the ability to use web applications is at your advantage as an educator, and we are here to tell you the best tools to use. Here is a collection of 100 web and iPhone applications that make the grade for tech–savvy teachers:

1) 37signals: More than three million people use this application for a reason — it’s extremely effective for businesses and educators. 37 Signals makes it easier to collaborate, share, discuss and get work done through its programs — Basecamp (a project management system), Highrise (where you can track your contact with parents and students), Backpack (where you can organize your life) and Campfire (an instant messaging system).

Read the full list.

Backpack helps grad student write masters thesis

Daniel Dehner wrote to tell us how Backpack helped him with his masters thesis:

Backpack became my partner in writing a 65 page masters thesis as I stored links, references, and research materials on it. I could access it anywhere, and it was like password protected, virtual storage. I could let my advisor see my progress during various phases of my work, and it never let me down. If one computer failed or froze, I could just move to another one, and recall what I had last saved. I could email links and materials to the page on the fly for reading later. I could send myself deadline reminders and use the calendar to schedule interviews and other research needs.

The "Working Document" page (right) has a couple of versions of my paper and a reference list. I can download my paper, work on it, and either upload it or email it to the page. Sometimes during a long writing session, I will upload my work in progress once or twice to "save" in addition to saving on my computer.

The "Research Page" (above) is where I use the "Note" function to paste links and their descriptions. I also can upload PDF and Word documents of articles etc. right as I find them for review later. Since all I need is an internet connection, all my materials and links are a few clicks away. Kind of like a traveling "Favorites" list.

I love the drag and drop so I can prioritize and rearrange. Backpack is an apt title for this product.

Do you use a 37signals product in an interesting way? Let us know.

Use Backpack to help sell items at Kijiji, eBay, Craigslist, etc.

Mike Leonard wrote in to suggest using Backpack to offer supplemental information when selling items on Kijiji, eBay, Craigslist, etc.

I use Backpack as a supplemental information page when selling items on [classifieds site] Kijiji.

I set up my ad and include a link back to my Backpack page, which has been publicly shared.

Instead of the standard 4 images allowed i can display as many pictures and very detailed descriptions as needed for the item I am selling. It has helped significantly when selling higher end items where people want to see more detail than is offered in the standard Kijiji ad.

The best part about it (as you know) is how fast you can get the page up and running.

Here's an example: Mike's page that offers details on a Sharp 26" LCD Television for sale.

Have a tip for other 37signals customers? Let us know.

A letter to our customers about the new 37signals Accounts system

In a few weeks we'll be launching a completely new username and password system we're calling 37signals Accounts. This means that everyone who uses a 37signals product will need to pick a new username and password. You'll only have to do it once, and it will only take a few seconds.

We recently linked to the 37signals Accounts detail page and now there's also a letter to our customers explaining the rollout schedule, full list of benefits of the new system, and additional information. The information on these pages should answer any questions you have about the transition.

The new 37signals Accounts system lays the groundwork for a variety of enhancements you've been asking for. We'll be working on these in 2010. Thanks again for your continued support.

What the "pick a new username and password screen" will look like.

Tip: Email attachments to Backpack pages

Backpack customer Rizwan Reza writes in:

Backpack Tip: Send attachments to a Backpack page...I have come to use this on a regular basis now. Have some attachment in your email you want to save in Backpack, just email it to your page's email address, and magically, you'd find your message along with the attachments! Super handy!

Learn more about how Backpack can quickly turn your emails into notes, files, to-do lists, and photo galleries at the Tour: Backpack and Email page.

For example, this...

...becomes this:

Have a tip for other 37signals customers? Let us know.

[Preview] The latest on 37signals Accounts

We're getting really close now. Back in August we previewed 37signals Accounts — our new single sign-on system for Basecamp, Highrise, Backpack, and Campfire. Today we announced that we're just a few weeks out from official release.

We just put up a 37signals Accounts pre-launch page detailing the basics, the benefits, a few screenshots, and FAQs.

Read this post at Signal vs. Noise for additional details and a couple of highlights from the new system.

Tip for what to do if you accidently delete something in Backpack

At Twitter, @maguay writes:

Quick tip for using @37signals Backpack ... if you accidently delete something, check the RSS feed or the page history - it just saved me!

Just go to the footer of any Backpack page to find these links...

Got a 37signals product tip others might like? Let us know.

Frugal IT: Backpack filled with "real-life usefulness and smooth interfacing"

"10 Applications that can help you with Personal Information Management" [Frugal IT] investigates various Personal Information Management (PIM) solutions. Backpack is first up:

Backpack is a SaaS intranet for you or your business. You can store, share, discuss, and archive everything that’s essential for you or your team. “It adapts to how you see it fitting into your life, and it can bend and reshape itself to fit the application you use it for. Multiple pages with multiple levels of functionality within each page equate to an application with customization beyond that of all others. Think of it as a wiki, but overflowing with real-life usefulness and smooth interfacing.” – Mike Rundle

Try Backpack.