This week, we take a look back at some of the most intriguing sites in the short, storied history of the Web. Some of our long-standing favorites have come and gone, others were clearly one-hit wonders (we kiss them!), but here is a handful of sites that are pioneering, influential, addictive, and likely to be around for a while. If nothing else, they're definitely worth a bookmark...
Get Smart
Featuring companion web sites for more than 400 TV programs and specials, PBS expands on its stellar history of public service by allowing viewers to delve deeper into the network's shows and subjects. Happily, the individual sites are uniformly excellent -- from the Pyramids to the Loch Ness Monster to the Apocalypse. When you put them all together, the results are astounding.
Funny Ha Ha
Read The Onion to learn about the crispy new snack cracker that eases the crushing pain of modern life. Read about the man who went on eBay drunk and bought the complete Mama's Family video library. Hands down, The Onion is the ulimate online comedy oasis. Dave Eggers of McSweeney's calls it "the best use of the English language in my lifetime." He's right.
The World's Biggest Collection
One of the foremost archives in the world, the Library of Congress provides access to over 12 million books, manuscripts, maps, recordings, and visual materials. Among their many amazing online offerings: Thomas, a comprehensive resource for U.S. legislative information, and the American Memory Collection, a multimedia treasure-room of American heritage -- from Africa to Alaska, from Vaudeville to the banks of the Rio Grande.
Why Didn't We Think of That?
It could only happen on the Web. eBay invented a whole new kind of commerce, and in so doing unleashed an endlessly fascinating petri dish of the collectible subconscious of the modern consumer. How much would you pay for a decommissioned submarine? An Elvis Presley salt-shaker? A velvet painting of Stonehenge? eBay introduced e-commerce that embraces weirdness for, literally, all it's worth.
News for Nerds
Created in 1997 by Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda, Slashdot.org is home to a cantankerous community of geeks who discuss all things Internet, Linux, open source, palm device, privacy, crypto, and junk food. The moderated, info-nugget format makes fast-breaking Net news accessible to the masses (including the traditional media), yet preserves a heavy dose of hacker sensibility. Slashdot's well-deserved status as a web institution was recently confirmed by a parody from the perennially funny folks at Suck.
Who Needs College?
True to their word, Learn2.com offers "the new way to learn." Take an online course in Visual C++, learn how to build a campfire in the step-by-step 2torials, or use a Learnlet to master a skill such as cooking an artichoke. If there's anything you don't know how to do, Learn2 can probably teach you.
Meeting of the Minds
Salon.com continues to expand the boundaries of online journalism. Covering news and media, arts and culture, technology, travel, parenting, health, wealth, and a whole lot more, the site offers timely takes on everything from Mahir to Microsoft to the "next big thing." Whether you're permanently addicted to "Silicon Follies," Thomas Scoville's soapy serial, or just yearning for some educated Table Talk, pull up a chair and join the party.
See You at the Movies
Did you know that Mark Harmon is married to Mindy from Mork and Mindy? That Richard Farnsworth, star of The Straight Story, was a stunt man on Spartacus? That Kevin Costner was Frat Boy #1 in Night Shift? Well, you would have known these things if you spent more time at The Internet Movie Database, the greatest film site known to humanity.
Not Your Father's Funk & Wagnalls
Whatis.com started at a dining-room table as a simple list of words. From those humble beginnings, this "knowledge exploration tool" has grown into a world-class resource for Internet- and computer-related terminology -- a beacon in a fog of jargon, acronyms, and buzzwords. Don't miss the daily cyberterms, the outstanding book reviews, and the arcane guides to data speeds, computer cables, and "every file format in the world."
The New Kid on the Block
Storming onto the scene just a few months ago, Britannica.com caught everyone's attention and quickly became an indispensable online resource. With a mind-boggling cornucopia of information -- the complete Encyclopædia Britannica, articles from more than 70 magazines, and a guide to the Web's best sites -- this upstart's inclusion was a no-brainer.
In the Beginning Was the Word...
Granted, Project Gutenberg actually predates the World Wide Web by a good 20 years, but we still love this amazing archive of e-texts. Here you'll find public-domain works from noted authors like Aesop, Zola, and just about everyone in between. Ever true to their grass roots, the Project still posts works in ASCII format, thus ensuring that everyone can share the literary goodness for decades to come.
You Can't Handle the Truth!
There's nothing else like it. The Smoking Gun has the drop on just about every other celebrity gossip site in town. Posting scanned versions of original documents -- autopsy reports, subpoenas, internal memos, etc. -- the folks at the Gun bring new meaning to freedom of information. Who knew Bill Gates was such a menace to society?
"Waiter, There's a Dead Frog in my Taco."
The Neiman Marcus cookie recipe. Organ stealing. Alligators in sewers. True stories or just urban legends? In addition to a huge index of these and other tall tales, the AFU & Urban Legends Archive offers first-hand accounts of database searches, experiments, and letters written to determine the veracity of popular stories. Unbelievably comprehensive and undeniably intriguing.
The Mothership
We debated long and hard about whether including Yahoo! itself would appear to be nothing more than shameless self-promotion. After several hours, our boss stepped in and cheerfully reminded us that we are, in fact, paid to be shameless. What a load off our minds that was! And so we happily offer the absolutely best web site in the entire universe. And a few of our favorite parts of it...