Comment and Highlight on Websites with commentto

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Name: commentto

Quick Pitch: Comment anywhere.

Genius Idea: Commentto is a browser add-on service that allows users to highlight, bookmark, comment, save and share bookmarks and excerpts on websites.

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Do you ever want to add extra knowledge to a news story or other content on the web? Well, browser add-on commentto lets you comment on anything you want.

Commentto allows users to highlight paragraphs on websites and add additional notes or comments. Users can also save information from a webpage to a personal commentto account folder. In the commentto popup, users can edit the title of the clip, add comments, and place the excerpt into a folder. Commentto does not track website history, but keeps a digital record of the websites and excerpts saved.

This add-on feature is especially helpful for those doing research and want to return to a webpage at a later date. Students could benefit from sharing notes, too. It can also be a useful tool for programmers, or anyone really.

"I code everyday, and many times I search online for solutions to problems I have with my code," said Kandarp Dave, the founder of commentto. "When I find a solution, all I do is select, and save the information to commentto."

Dave started working on commentto in 2009 while he was studying computer science at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. He earned a master's in computer science in December 2011 and now his complete focus has turned to his startup. Commentto relaunched last month with a shinier exterior. Dave said he listened to feedback from its 185 users to make the site better, faster and easier to use.

He has built commentto solely with his own funds. The add-on has not been profitable, but Dave hopes to accept advertising in the future.

"I started commentto, because I was really bothered that I always had to comment at the end of, say, a news article," he said. "That's not really a conversation. If we want to bring real-world conversations online, we have to provide users a way to comment anywhere."

Mostly Dave's friends and social network are the ones using the site. He hopes more will try it out. To start using commentto, sign up for the add-on's free service and then download the browser extension on Firefox or Chrome. From there, a user can comment on anything on the web and save content to folders. Watch Dave's video to see the browser add-on in action.

"Once you start using it you will really love it," Dave said. "It is very easy to use."

The positive side to this add-on is knowledge could be more widely shared. The down side — comments could clutter the web or be completely inaccurate. Although, only those who have the commentto add-on can see comments.

Will you use commentto? Tell us why or why not in the comments below.

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Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

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The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.