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These are a few of my favorite sites...

By Mike Kaltschnee

 

THIS MONTH I'd like to talk about the sites I use daily to keep up with the world around me and make sure I'm on top of my industry, and about other sites I use for research or information. I may even let you in on my favorite fun sites.

I hate to start with such an obvious site, but you are probably using a Microsoft product daily (even if you own a Macintosh). Before rushing out to buy a book on Microsoft Word or Windows 98 because you have a problem, check out www.microsoft.com. You can save yourself a bit of time by trying the application you are using as part of the name, such as www.microsoft.com/word if you need help with Word. I use this site weekly, if not daily because it has tons of great information on the products that I use. It saves me time and money, things I think we all need more of.

www.news.comSince I'm in the computer software business, I am interested in up-to-date information about the companies that make the hardware and software. If you are too, you'll find www.news.com interesting. Part of a series of great sites by CNET, News.com is usually the first thing I read each day.

If you're interested in keeping on top of the happenings online, www.wired.com covers the Web and Internet unlike anything else online. I still read the print magazine, but it's very old by the time I get it by mail, so I like to go to the source.

Being the news junkie that I am, I read the New York Times daily to keep up with the world. At first I thought it would be as stuffy as the print edition, but the online version has great writing and has become my favorite news source. You can compare it with two other great online sources, www.cnn.com or www.abcnews.com, to find your own preference. And let's not forget our own Danbury paper, at www.newstimes.com, which covers things that are near and dear to my house.

I happen to like to save time when I use the computer, so I check www.shareware.com for the latest shareware and freeware to make the hours I spend at my computer time. Shareware requires some sort of payment, mostly a small fee, if you use it, but some guys just want a six-pack of beer for their software (really). I downloaded a program today that checked all of the links in my site and made sure all of the pages were working. It literally saved me hours of time. Support shareware.

www.htmlgoodies.comSince I still do quite a bit of Web work, I am always in need of great Web resources. My favorite Web page creation site is www.htmlgoodies.com. Dr. Joe Burns runs a great series of tips and tutorials, and best of all it's free. If you're looking to learn about Web pages, check out his site. I also find myself visiting www.webmonkey.com, www.builder.com, and www.developer.com for even more information about Web work.

All work and no play makes Mike a dull boy, so here are the fun places to go when you have a few minutes to spare. I have been a Dilbert fan since my folks used to cut the daily cartoon clip out of the Rhode Island newspaper and send them to me. Visit www.dilbert.com for your daily fix.

Got some free time on your hands? Why not play a game? You can download the latest demos of the hottest games and even play for a few hours for free at www.gamecenter.com. Before I spend $40 or more on the latest game, I want to be sure that I'll like it, so I try it first. You can also find reviews, hints, cheats (I would NEVER do such a thing, unless I was desperate!), maps and more at CNET's Gamecenter.com.

That's it for this month. Send your favorite Web site to me at mikek@demorgan.com. Keep in mind that the Web is a great tool and entertainer, but you should go outside and play once in a while (Yes, I know it's cold out, but I do try to follow this advice myself, really!).


Mike Kaltschnee is a founder of DeMorgan Industries Corp., the leading developer of Web graphics, and also teaches classes at the Internet School in Naugatuck Valley Community Technology College. You can reach Mike at mikek@demorgan.com.

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