The Top 25 Most Useful Sites
2009 October 5
Given the amount of research BNI conducts, we thought we’d share one of our favorite listings:
The Top 25 Most Useful Sites:
| 1 | American Factfinder Your primary source for population, housing, economic and geographic data, from the U.S. Census Bureau. |
| 2 | One Look Online Dictionary This site consolidates all the online dictionaries, including over 4.2 MILLION words! Even links to dictionaries with internet and computer terms (e.g.-enter YAHOO). This site also has a wildcard spellcheck that will find words beginning with, ending with, or containing, a string of characters. |
| 3 | MapQuest Enter an address and get an instant map (street, aerial and rotational views available). |
| 4 | Download.com Most massive accumulation of the most used and current software – and here’s the big bennie – no registration required, ever.
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| 5 | Bored.com If you’re BORED, go here. It will keep you entertained for HOURS. Actually an extensive list of interesting, unique and off-beat sites on the internet. |
| 6 | Purportal.com – Filtering out the hoaxes! Few things bog down the internet as much as emails urging you to “Forward this to everyone you know.” It might involve a missing child or a supposed new virus going around or a chance to make money because the number of emails you send are being “tracked.” To find out if it’s legit, go to this site first and check it out. They have five searches to real info on just about every rumor, hoax or urban legend on the `Net. Enter a few keywords from the email in question into their search, and get the truth! |
| 7 | The Secret Guide to Computers The online version of the book makes this one of the better places on the web to get all your answers to your computer questions. recommended by PC Magazine. |
| 8 | USPS Zipcode+4 Lookup Quickly find the 9-digit zipcode for any delivery address in the U.S. The 5 +4 zip addressing really does speed up the delivery. |
| 9 | FirstGov “Your First Click to the U.S. Government” No matter what you’re looking for within the U.S. Government, this is the place to start. Everything from applying for student loans to tax information can be found here! |
| 10 | Mail 2 Web Ever been at the AIA convention and seen a bank of free computers on the convention floor, and wished there was some way to check your email? Or been visiting a friend in another city who has a computer, and wished you could check your email from his computer? Well, now you CAN! Go to this site, enter your complete email address and email password for any POP email account, and check your email from any computer with a browser. You can also selectively delete junk mail, reply, and forward. |
| 11 | My Yahoo There are lots of Portals available on the Web, but My Yahoo still tops the list. You can modify the portal to meet your needs: local weather, sports and news, what’s showing at local theatres and local TV, track your stock portfolio, and TONS more to give you just what you want at the click of a button. |
| 12 | Information Please Online Almanac with loads of information on just about any topic. Also check out their Fact Monster. |
| 13 | Google There is an estimated 1,500 search engines on the web, but this one is the one we use, because it never fails to find our targets. Withteh additional of Bing, the research focus is now even tighter and delivers more relevant results. |
| 14 | About Quotations: All-in-one Quotations Search Looking for a quotation? There are several sources to search for a quotation on the web, but this one searches all the major quotation databases for your quote! |
| 15 | The Internet Movie Database What’s coming out at the theatre soon, or on TV or DVD or Video? And is it worth seeing? You can find out on this site, the most complete database on the topic of movies anywhere. Characters, plots, star biographies, quotes and ratings on every movie ever made! |
| 16 | The Internet Public Library By the University of Michigan School of Information. Special areas for Teens and Youth, too. |
| 17 | Price Watch Helps you locate the best street price for just about anything electronic. Amazingly, but not confusingly, detailed. |
| 18 | How Things Work Sponsored by the University of Virginia, the people who run this site will try to answer any question you may have about how things work, from how a paper towel absorbs water to how the universe is expanding, and everything in between. |
| 19 | HyperHistory If you’re into World History, you should really get into this site. 2,000 files covering 3,000 years of world history. |
| 20 | WOOT.com One day: one incredible deal. No rainchecks. When they run out of stock on these hard to beat price-wise items, the deal of the day is done. Check it early each day. |
| 21 | iTools The consumate Virtual Reference Desk! A virtual compendium of search tools for everything you’re looking for! |
| 22 | The Why Files The science behind the news. You can literally spend HOURS on this site. Be sure to visit their archives, and I guarantee you’ll learn something you didn’t know! |
| 23 | Cindi’s List of Geneology Sites If you plan to do genealogical research on your family, this is the place to start, with over 126,600 links in 150 categories to geneology resources! |
| 24 | GolfCourse.com They have info on over 20,000 courses worldwide. A joint venture of Sports Illustrated and Golf Magazine. Complete course information, directions, facilities, user ratings and even a scorecard for most courses. We threw this one in because, well, it can’t be all work. |
| 25 | So You Wanna Teaches you how to do all the things nobody taught you in school: how to avoid getting a traffic ticket, how to fake being a wine expert, how to talk with the dead, how to lose weight, how to be a movie extra, and much more. (I don’t think we are allowed to tell you more.) |
BNI Operatives: Street smart: web savvy.
As always, be safe.
