The command line is a tool that has caused headaches for some, and satisfaction for others. There’s just something about an empty, blinking prompt that can intimidate you, and questions will surely arise. What should you type? How does it work? How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? With a little homework, you can at least begin to learn how to input simple commands in return for simple actions on your computer. When you think about the command line, your operating system probably comes to mind. While it is true that you can do some pretty cool stuff from right within your OS, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use this same type of interface elsewhere. YubNub is a command line for the Web.

The commands are abundant, and they can do anything from search for content to tell you the weather for your zip code. Check out the command list to see what I’m talking about. You’ll find 154 pages (and growing) of tools that you can use to get stuff done. The social aspect of the site comes into play with the ability that it gives you to create your own commands for the engine to parse. These commands can then be used by all of the other visitors to the site. It’s this blend of simplicity, power, and user development that makes YubNub such an interesting resource.