As anyone who has used the Web can testify, there are a lot of websites out there. Most of them are badly designed, difficult to use, or just plain boring. But in amongst the rough are a few gems -- websites that once you discover them, you'll wonder how you ever managed without! This list is dedicated to those sites which can make your life easier and more enjoyable; some you may already know, others you won't, but they are all worth at least a few minutes of everyone's time.
1) Google
THE search engine to use. Yes, Yahoo! might have slightly more visitors, but Google is by far the coolest search engine out there. No clutter, no annoying advertising, just pure, unadulterated search goodness. This truly is The Internet For Dummies -- just type what you want and let Google work its magic.
But Google is so much more than just a search engine. You can use it to do calculations, find images, get your local weather forecast and a whole host of other useful stuff. With its versatility and easy to use layout, Google will soon become you new best friend.
2) Amazon
Does shopping bore you? Does the thought of fighting the traffic to get into town only to be faced with hordes of manic bargain-hunters fill you with dread? If so then you're not alone, and luckily Amazon provides the perfect solution. You can now buy pretty much anything you can think of from the comfort of your own home, and it'll even cost you less! No more pushy sales people, no more queues, all you need is a computer, a credit card and a few minutes of your time. You can even do it in your underwear, something I wouldn't recommend when shopping in the real world...
3) eBay
Amazon is great for brand new items, but what if you're after something a little rarer, something that you can't find in your average high-street or online store? This is where eBay comes in. eBay is like the world's biggest yard sale, only instead of spending your afternoon trawling through one person's junk, you have access to over 200 million sellers worldwide. As eBay's slogan says, "Whatever it is... you can get it on eBay." This couldn't be more true; some of the items listed on eBay in the past include toenail clippings, a ghost in a jar and even the country of New Zealand, listed by an Australian guy who was fed up with his neighboring country! If you are after a rare bargain, eBay is the place to find it.
4) Wikipedia
This free, online encyclopedia stands head and shoulders above all others due to its unique nature. Wikipedia is a community-driven website, which means that anyone with a keyboard and half a brain can add their own articles. This means that this isn't your typical encyclopedia - as well as the usual articles about volcanoes and civil wars you also have the subjects that people really care about; stuff like Britney Spears and information on the latest series of Big Brother. With over 1.6 million entries, Wikipedia is a bottomless pit of useful (and useless) information.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about the community-driven format is that it actually works. Rather than the poorly-written and badly-researched entries that were predicted, Wikipedia is actually full of well-crafted, comprehensive articles on practically any topic you can imagine. Once you discover it, you'll probably never need to open a book again, hooray!
5) YouTube
If you harbor a secret desire to watch a grown man solve a Rubik's Cube with his feet, or are looking for an instructional video on how to wash a cat then YouTube is the place for you. Home to several million video clips, this is the largest online depository of moving media ever. The interface is simplicity itself to use, largely thanks to the fact that Google bought the site and added their own search to it. You can now find videos of anything you can dream of, and you can even post your own comments or send the video to your friends.
The good news doesn't stop there though; if you fancy yourself as a budding TV star then why not create your own videos to share with the masses? It's simple to do and best of all it's completely free. In fact YouTube is becoming so big that TV talent scouts are even using the site to find their next presenters, so who knows where things might lead if you do post your own video?
6) MySpace
Visiting these cool websites is all well and good, but what if you want your own site where you can post your own stories, pictures, videos, and just generally brag about how darn brilliant you are? One option would be to register a domain name, purchase some hosting, learn how to code HTML, install an FTP program... zzzzzz. The second, much easier option is to register with a site that does it all for you. They handle all the boring stuff leaving you to focus on the fun bits.
MySpace is one of the leading sites for creating your own site without all the hassle. You can customize it by changing the colors, backgrounds, adding your own text, images, videos, music, whatever you want -- and it's all as easy as falling off a log. The best part of MySpace though is the message board where you can leave messages for your friends and they can leave messages for you. Just remind yourself to actually visit them in the real world occasionally, virtual friendships can suffer when your internet connection breaks.
7) Hotmail
Keep in touch with your family and friends with this great free web-based email. You can check your emails from any computer with internet access without the need to set up unnecessarily complicated software. It offers you oodles of storage space so you'll never go short, and you can even attach files and photos to your messages. They also offer free spam and virus filtering, to help keep your inbox and your computer clean and uncluttered.
8) BBC
The spiritual home of online news reporting, the BBC website provides instant access to all the breaking stories so you can stay at the cutting edge of current affairs. As well as written reports you can also watch videos, listen to broadcasts or even download stories to your ipod. You can find reports covering every topic from sport to education, business to entertainment. Rest assured, if it ain't on here, it ain't worth reporting. You can even sign up for automatic updates to have the latest happenings sent directly to your email or mobile phone.
9) IMDb
The Internet Movie Database is heaven for all movie and TV buffs. Quickly and easily find a list of all the films your favorite actor has been in, or find cast and production lists for your favorite show. Ever wanted to know who designed the costumes on the latest blockbuster? Well now you can!
You'll also find stacks of interesting facts, quotes and trivia about the people, movies and shows that you love. Then there's the message boards, where you can discuss and debate to your heart's content. To paraphrase Arnie -- if you visit once, You'll Be Back!
10) Monster
Fed up of your job? Think you can do better? Fancy a complete career change? Then Monster is the place to start. One of the largest online job sites, you can search by industry, location or keyword to find exactly what you're after. When a job catches your eye just save it to your favorite list, then get in touch at the click of a button. You can even register your resume for potential employers to browse, then if they like the look of you they can get in touch, making it even easier for you!
I strongly recommend you check out the above sites, they'll provide you with equal measures of fun and usefulness and really enhance your internet experience!
About the Author
Pete Williams is the author of www.beginnersguidetocomputers.com - a simple, jargon-free guide to everything you need to know about computers. It contains articles and tutorials covering all aspects of computers and their uses, including the basics, hardware, software, and the internet.
