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Your Web Connection

Dedicated to helping you untangle the World Wide Web

Volume 3 - Number 10

November 6, 2000

Chuck & Terry MenckeWelcome to a new edition of "Your Web Connection". Terry and I are glad you stopped by for a visit. Today's issue is what we call "Our Top Ten." These are the sites that we've found most useful during the year. The list is based on how valuable we considered the site's information or services to be. We'll end up with our regular section of "Net Humor and Life's Ponderances." For our December column, we'll be featuring our annual holiday issue that will be packed full of trivia, holiday tips and tricks, humor, and some really neat sites to check out. For us, as well as everyone else, the holidays are a hectic time of the year. We're just now getting ready to enter the holiday season, so be sure to take some time to stop every now and then to catch your breath.

We hope everyone has made the transition to our new address on the Net. As we noted in our last column, the move to our own domain was bittersweet but time had come. Please bookmark our new location for your future reference. You'll be seeing a lot of improvements in the new year. I've been working on the conversion of the links in our column archive. It's a long drawn out process, and hopefully, I should have the archive back up and running by our January edition. As Terry and I have mentioned before, we write the column for our readers. If you have any suggestions or comments, please drop us a line and we'll do what we can to accommodate your suggestions and wishes. First a bit of news and then we'll get on with the column.

Terry and I have been going through a round of colds in our house. One thing when you're married, you DO share everything! I'm just about over mine but Terry is having a hard time shaking hers. I've been busy settling in my new office. I've still got much to bring to work to personalize it and give it that special touch of a home away from home. I haven't done much marketing for the company yet, I've been too busy working on their network and getting all of the computers configured and upgraded. One thing that is nice, I'm finally going to learn a couple of Adobe applications that I've needed to add to my toolbox for a long time, PhotoShop and Illustrator. All through my career in the graphic arts, I've been a solid Corel user, but now I must make the switch to Adobe to stay up with what my new company needs from me. The only problem is that I'm going to have to stay late at work to work with the programs since I don't have them on my system at home. I may have to go out and purchase the competitive upgrade versions so I can work with them at home as well.

On the home computing home front, I'm anxiously awaiting the installation of our DSL line. We finally got qualified. I'm looking forward to the "always on" connection as well as the connection speed. Also my Handspring Visor has become my constant companion that I am relying on more and more each day. When I schedule an appointment without consulting it, that is when I get into trouble. I also just dropped another 128 megs of RAM in our main HP. Best Buy had a deal on with rebates that brought the price down to less than $120! That is the cheapest I've seen it for a long time. Enough new, let's get on to our very own Top 10.

 

Our Top Ten

I now present a listing of the top sites that I've found the most useful this past year. The listing is in random order, there is no ranking involved. There are many pretty well known sites on the list, and there are some that you may not have visited in a while. I hope you find my little list helpful and useful. If you have a particular site that you're particularly fond of, drop me a line and I'll highlight it in an upcoming issue.

    iWon Logo
  1. iWon: This is the page I access most on the web. I use it as my start page, the page that my browser goes to when Internet Explorer is started. Why? Because I find it has the mix of hard news in all sectors, human interest stories and features, trivia and games that keeps me coming back. Since they partnered with CBS news, they are usually right on top of breaking news.

    I really like the news section which features top news, business as well as entertainment sections. One of my favorite sections is iWon Today. This area is synonymous the Lifestyle section of your local newspaper. It features trivia, household tips, a cartoon of the day and much much more. One of the other big draws of iWon is that they give away $10,000 a day, $1,000,000 a month and $10,000,000 once a year. You earn "entires" by surfing the site. You're allowed up earn up to 100 points a day. I'm sure by now you've heard iWon's radio and television commercials. They are also noted for their excellent search engine. Overall, it's a very good portal on the Net. To check iWon out, point your browser to:

    www.iwon.com

  2. Ask Jeeves: This is one of the better information search sites on the web. You can ask a question and Jeeves will help find an answer to your question. When I can't find what I'm looking for on the Net, I end up at Ask Jeeves and normally find what I'm looking for. The site even has a special area just for the kids. They even have areas of interest you can explore such as:

    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business
    • Computers
    • Games
    • Health
    • Home & Family
    • News
    • Recreation
    • Reference
    • Regional
    • Science
    • Society
    • Sports
    • Travel
    • World

    Would you like to know more, then point your browser to:

    www.aj.com

  3. USA Today: USA Today Logo When this paper came out in the 80's, I figured it would never make it. Was I wrong! If I want to catch up real quick on the news around the nation, I go to USA Today. The page is colorful and rich in graphics but it loads very quickly. They have a proven track formula that works, a mix of all the right elements. I really enjoy the Opinions section. USA Today also has an excellent weather area. When we are getting ready for a trip, we normaly access USA Today to see what we can expect. With this being an election year, I have frequented the USA Today site to monitor the current political climate. The site is just an all around place to stay up on the news from around the nation. Point your browser to:

    www.usatoday.com

  4. Switchboard.com: I'll give this site an "Honorable Mention." There have been countless times where I have had to find an address and phone number of a business or a person that is located out of town. I normally have better than a 75% success rate with Switchboard.com. The site also contains links to city guides as well as maps and directions. This is a worth while site to visit if you're trying to locate a business or an individual. Check out Switchboard.com at:

    www.switchboard.com

    iWon Logo

  5. Handango: A couple of months ago I took the plunge an bought a PDA (personal data assistant). I was very apprehensive at first not knowing how much I was going to use it. I didn't want it to end up just being an expensive toy. At the same time I learned of a local group of Palm users who called themselves the Dallas Fort Worth Palm User's Group (DFWPUG). Through them I was introduced to the amazing world of PDAs, software and sites that specialize in the PDA culture. And believe me, people either love their PDA or hate it. Normally, there is no middle ground.

    To continue the story, one of my best friends, Bonnie Bradshaw, who used to work for Star Telegram Online Services, went to work for the premier PDA site on the Net, Handango to assist in their marketing efforts. After discovering the site, I have been a steady visitor. In fact, just recently, the site has implemented some major enhancements due to feedback from their users. This IS the PDA site on the Net. They are the authority on all handheld operating systems, no matter which one you are using. Whether, you need a Palm or an HP handheld computer, this is the place to go. What's great is that they have all the software to download as well as all the neat accessories, such as leather wallets and modems.

    One of the really cool features is the new user's tutorial for first time visitors to their site. I really wish that more sites would provide this feature. It is really useful. On the "First Timers" page you'll find:

    • Glossary of handheld terms
    • History of the PDA
    • First time buyer recommendations
    • New user tutorial on how to get the most out of your PDA

    If you are thinking about purchasing a PDA, no matter which operating platform, this is the site you must visit and explore. Check out Handango at:

    www.handango.com

  6. HotBot: This is the first of the major search engines that I use on a daily basis. HotBot is my search engine of choice. With about a 90% success rate, I can almost always find information on what I'm looking for, no matter how obscure. Since they have partnered with Lycos, the search results have only gotten more accurate. You can do a general search or choose one of their main categories. The main categories are further broken down into sub-categories. If you are frustrated with your present search engine, try HotBot. You'll find it at:

    hotbot.lycos.com

  7. Yahoo: What would a list of popular Net sites be without Yahoo? It's been said that you can't be all things to all people and succeed. I believe that Yahoo has thrown that perception out the window. You could stay on this site for weeks and never cover 50% of it; be it shopping, reading the news, bidding on merchandise, sending and receiving mail, searching for information, city guides, or financial and stock market information and advice. What more can anyone say about Yahoo? Point your browser to:

    www.yahoo.com

  8. TechTV Call For Help: TechTV Logo Are you confused? Does your computer seem to have a mind of it's own? Can't you figure out how to open that email attachment you received? Do you need to troubleshoot a specific problem? "Call For Help" is the place to visit! Leo Laporte hosts a first-class site.

    TechTV used to be ZDTV, part of the Ziff-Davis publishing empire. Recently the name was changed to TechTV and the product has been much improved. There is way too much information to even outline in this small space. I could go on and on, but you just need to visit this information packed site. What's nice is that all levels of computers users will find this site beneficial and useful. Yes, the site does lean towards the basics, but when I visit, I normally pickup a tip or trick that I may have forgotten. Check out "Call For Help" at:

    www.techtv.com/callforhelp/

  9. Wired News: One of the computing magazines that I still subscribe to is Wired Magazine. Sometimes it is sort of hard to concentrate on the news stories printed in their magazine. Their presentation is very strange at times with all sorts of conflicting colors and backgrounds. On the Net, they provide the "story behind the story." I find their insights very useful. Wired also hosts the definitive web developers site on the Net, Web Monkey. Check out Wired and all of their links at:

    www.wired.com

  10. Slashdot.org: I've saved the hard-core geek site for the last. Slashdot is for those that live in the world of "geekdom." The tagline on the sites reads: "News for Nerds. Stuff that matters." You'll see acronyms here that you've never seen before! Stuff like BSD, DES, OSDN, and H2K. I recognize one of them since one of my web gateways at work is running the "Free BSD" operation system. This is cutting edge stuff. You'll read about upcoming trends here before they hit the mainstream general Internet public. Slashdot has the news and comments that lie beneath the layer of the Net that we are all are exposed to. Granted, this site will not appeal to the average Net users, you have to really be into the inner workings. If you dare, point your browser to:

    www.slashdot.org

 

Net Humor and Life's Ponderances

This is our section devoted to bringing smiles to our reader's faces and at the same time to provoke a little thought. Lately, I've been in a contemplative mood, so I'll end this issue of "Your Web Connection" with these words of wisdom. Enjoy.

Urban legend or not, this is pretty good and has been passed around a lot, but it's always good to share it once again. While most of us have learned these rules by now, they are good to share with your children or teenagers in your life.

Here's some advice recently dished out at a high school speech about little things they may not have learned in school. The speaker talks about how feel-good, politically correct teaching has created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world.

  1. RULE 1: Life is not fair -- get used to it.

  2. RULE 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

  3. RULE 3: You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice president with a car phone, until you earn it.

  4. RULE 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn't have tenure.

  5. RULE 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your diginity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

  6. RULE 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

  7. RULE 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

  8. RULE 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answers. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblances to ANYTHING in real life.

  9. RULE 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

  10. RULE 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

  11. RULE 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

The speaker? Bill Gates!

 

And finally.

Some Things To Think About!

  • Define Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary.

  • Whats the difference between the Pope and your boss? The Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.

  • My mind works like lightning. One brilliant flash and it is gone.

  • Never trust a stockbroker who's married to a travel agent.

  • The only time the world beats a path to your door is if you're in the bathroom.

  • She hates sex in the movies. Tried it once and the seat folded up.

  • It used to be only death and taxes were inevitable. Now, of course, there's shipping and handling, too.

  • A husband is someone who takes out the trash and gives the impression he just cleaned the whole house.

  • If we are what we eat, then I'm easy, fast and cheap.

  • My next house will have no kitchen -- just vending machines.

  • The only thing wrong with a perfect drive to work is that you end up at work.

  • Americans are getting stronger. Twenty years ago, it took two people to carry ten dollars' worth of groceries. Today, a five-year-old can do it.

  • A blonde told her friend, "I was worried that my mechanic might try to rip me off, so I was relieved when he told me all I needed was blinker fluid."

  • A government worker is like a shotgun with a broken firing pin. It won't work and you can't fire it.

  • I'm so depressed . . . I went to the doctor today and he refused to write me a prescription for Viagra. The doctor said it would be like putting a new flagpole on a condemned building.

 

If there is a topic or site you'd like to see covered in the future, let us know and we'll take a look at it. If you'd like to be added to our column notification list, drop us an email and we'll add you. Our subscriber email addresses are private and we use an excellent software for our email notification messages. Have a great month. We'll see you the first Monday of December with our annual holiday issue of "Your Web Connection."

 

Authored by Chuck and Terry Mencke

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"Your Web Connection" was last modified: December 26, 2000

URL: http://www.web-connection.org/archive/webback/2000/conn1106.htm

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