My Top 10 Websites
This article also appears in the October issue of IT Advisor,
the magazine of the National Computing Centre.
www.bbc.co.uk/news
My number one must be the BBC News website. Uncluttered and easy
to read, yet full of information. Navigation is a breeze with very
useful links to associated articles or websites. Page formats are
consistent, well-written with accompanying visual imagery that
doesn’t detract from the content.
www.experts-exchange.com
If you are a techie and either need help with your own system,
or your job is to provide IT assistance to others, then Experts-Exchange
is your first port of call. A benevolent community where everybody
helps each other for technical computer problems or advice. The
rewards for giving successful assistance are points, which are
then used to ask questions. The database itself can be simply searched
to find previous solutions.
www.yahoo.co.uk (calendar)
Whilst Yahoo may be better known as a search engine, or ‘directory’ as
they call it, it also has some very useful gems, such as the Calendar,
which can be used as a group communication; known as a “collaboration
tool” in consultancy-speak, or just as a standalone diary.
It can be customised with plenty of add-on modules to create a
personalised “My Yahoo”; you can even add your favourite
TV listings.
System also boasts an address book, notepad and e-mail and will
synchronise with other applications on your PC or your PDA. If
only it didn’t have so many adverts!
www.fleetonline.net
Keeping track of the whereabouts of others is always difficult,
even with a mobile phone, but now using that very technology, it’s
not only possible to know where they are, but it comes with a detailed
map, too. Fleetonline is primarily a service for companies, but
can be used just as well to keep an eye on your children’s
whereabouts. Using a mobile phone as the source, it finds the location
(to the nearest mobile phone mast) and displays it on the website
on an Ordnance Survey map. It needs the owner’s permission
initially to sign up each phone and it’s paid for on a by-search
basis. We can all be Big Brother, but who watches him?
www.mail2web.com
No nonsense approach to collecting your e-mail via the web. Will
work with almost any standard pop account, no need to register
or sign-up, just enter your usual e-mail account details. With
hardly any distracting adverts, the system also caters for the
usual sending, replying and forwarding.
www.w3c.org
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is responsible for setting
the standards of the web, headed by Sir Tim Berners-Lee the inventor
of the Web. Ideal for finding out about Web technology, current
issues being addressed or just whether your website confirms to
standards. Naturally the site is the epitome of Web standards with
excellent use of hyper-links, the original unique concept of the
Web.
www.egg.com
All banks now provide on-line banking; the differences and variation
in both operation and efficiency are legendary. Much of this is
due to the necessary security obligations. However, Egg Bank not
only provides an effective approach to security, but it doesn’t
involve complex and difficult to remember login names and passwords,
but uses information known easily to the user.
A straightforward interface for all transactions, with simple
instructions, plus the added feature of automatic linking to your
other bank accounts and credit cards via one portal is innovative
and useful. Almost makes it fun, to look after your money, and
pay bills.
www.imdb.com
The Internet Movie Database for film aficionados and those with
a casual interest, alike. Look for details of who starred in your
favourite film, but also you may want to know who was that familiar
face billed as “Man on train”. The entire website and
database is linked and cross-linked, allowing you to embark on
a voyage of discovery of the silver screen which will keep you
on the website for ages.
Did you know none of the Beatles actually supplied their own voices
for the 1968 cartoon Yellow Submarine? Paul McCartney’s voice
was that of Geoffrey Hughes better known now as loveable rogue "Onslow" in "Keeping
up Appearances"
www.multimap.com
A regular on my journey through the Web, with just a couple of
clicks Multimap is a fast, easy way to find a detailed street-level
map for any destination or location in the UK (and abroad).
Extra clicks give you aerial photos, local amenities, transport
links, hotels, route planners, weather and more. You can link also
your website to the location. Never leave home without it.
www.thejoblot.com
For some diversion over your morning tea, and a bit of daily enjoyment
of office life, try thejoblot.com a new and irreverent bunch of
cartoon strip characters, with a fresh strip every day. With plenty
of other humorous goodies on the website to waste time when you
should be working; what’s the sandwich of the day, see other
people’s CVs, book of the week, and just take a secret peek
at the CCTV images!
Howard Gerlis
British Computer Society
Chairman BCS Specialist Groups Executive & Assembly
http://www.bcs.org
Chairman BCS Internet Specialist Group
http://www.isg.org.uk
September 2005
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