Source: Kelly’s think tank.

As a long-time user of Foxmarks – and then Xmarks – I am truly sorry to see Xmarks go prepare to go. That was a wonderfully simple idea, and it was wonderfully implemented.

If you read Founders at Work, you will find familiar names in the calm and fairly detailed history of how Xmarks got from prototype to a startup and then to the end. I recommend reading Xmarks good-bye post even if you never used this time-saving, data-organizing, safety-bringing software-and-service. That post comes right from the heart in its true honesty and let’s make the world better startup spirit.

Thank you, Xmarks. Thanks for the idea, for the software, for the service, for the well-ahead warning, and for the concern about the synchronization needs of your current users. And I still hope there’s a good exit deal waiting for you.

Finally, just a single quote:

The past four years have been a wild ride for us: growing something from nothing to substantial scale, providing a simple service that people love because it simplifies their lives. We’ve learned tons along the way, often by making big mistakes. We’re really sorry that this last lesson means that you’ll have to find an alternative to Xmarks, but the alternatives exist and you’ll have no problem finding them. (Start here for specific recommendations.)

Update: someone might be buying out Xmarks, or Xmarks may consider going premium (pledgebank entry, active untill October 15).

Update 2: Xmarks lives on!