Ubiqiuty is a command-line interface for the web. But, really, it's not as scary as that sounds.  Install it on Firefox to have easy ways to email pages to contacts, search using various search tools, find out the weather in a given location, close tabs, and, well, do a whole variety of other things.

I wanted to try my hand at writing a command. So I mangled some existing search commands to develop a simple ubiquity command that searches Social Actions for opportunities, related to typed text or a highlighted phrase, to take action and create change.

Here is the command, though I really suggest you read this page before you go there and subscribe (particularly the bits about me not knowing what I'm doing):  Social Actions Ubiquity Command

To invoke this command simply:

1. Invoke Ubiquity
2. Type "social-actions" (without the quotes)
3. Type an action search phrase. Try it with "mortgage" (again, without the quotes)

Alternately, you can:

1. Higlight a word or phrase on a web page.
2. Invoke Ubiquity
3. Type "social-actions" (without the quotes)

In both instances, a new tab will open with the Social Actions search page showing related commands. Though the default social actions search is for actions entered in the last 7 days, I made this command so that it searches all actions.

Why might you use this?  Let's say you are reading a news article about the current mortgage crisis and you think to yourself, "I wish I could do something."  Simply highlight "mortgage" on that page, invoke ubiquity and type in "social-actions" and you will go to a page of actions you can take.  From there, it's up to you.

Big fat disclaimer:

I have no idea what I'm doing. Really. None. I just changed the Google search command to until I got these results. So. If you use this and it makes your garage door open, well, you've been warned. 

Ways It Could Be Better:

1. the related-actions could display in the preview pane (try the wikipedia command to see what I mean)
2. the user could have the option to set the created parameter so that they could look at things created in the last X days
3. the tab could open the background so that the user isn't pulled away from that reviting article about the whole mortgage thing.
4. document what it does in the code
5. add reference info (like who did this) in the code
6. Many others I'm sure