This is from Wikipedia:
RSS (an abbreviation for Really Simple Syndication) is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.[2] An RSS document (which is called a "feed", "web feed",[3] or "channel") includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. RSS feeds can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader", or "aggregator", which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based. A standardized XML file format allows the information to be published once and viewed by many different programs. The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's URI (often referred to informally as a "URL" (uniform resource locater), although technically the two terms are not exactly synonymous) into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The RSS reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new work, downloads any updates that it finds, and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.

So do you think you know what an RSS feed is now?
Would you like to learn more? Please leave me a comment and I will write more about RSS feeds and
how you can set them up and use them on your website.

How to turn off the auto complete in Firefox and IE (explorer)

This is one of those really annoying things that you have to do a search for to find out how to reconfigure
your browser. If you want to get rid of that auto complete in your search bar here is how you turn it off for google, firefox and IE, ( Internet Explorer.)
Auto complete is when you start to enter something in googles search engine and they suggest the rest of your sentence for you. I really hate this. Internet explorer has the same feature.
To turn these off you need to change your settings.
In Firefox:
Go to your toolbar, (the very top of your screen when you have your browser open)
Select “tools”
Then select “options”
Then select “privacy”
Uncheck “Remember what I enter in forms in the search bar” and ok.

For Internet Explorer
# Open the Internet Explorer browser.
# From the Internet Explorer menu, select ‘Tools’
# Select ‘Internet Options’
# Click ‘Content’
# Click the ‘AutoComplete’ button
# Click ‘Clear Forms’
# Click ‘OK’ to the ‘Clear all previously saved form entries except passwords’ dialog
# Click ‘Clear Passwords’
# Click ‘OK’ to the ‘Clear all previously saved form passwords’ dialog.
# Uncheck all entries under ‘Use AutoComplete for’
# Click OK

Now you still need to change your settings in google to stop them from filling in your search terms and auto completing those!
In your google “splash” page or the page most people have when they use google is this:

How to turn off googles auto suggest or complete

See the 3 lines next to the bar, ( if you have never noticed this, you are not alone!)
Select preferences
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to Query Suggestions-
and uncheck Provide query suggestions in the search box.

This will stop the suggestions. Now if you use a cleaner such as CC cleaner or any registry cleaner or something that clears your cookies, you will have to reset this preference, which I find highly annoying.
I wish they had made the default to be turned off rather then on.
Hope this helps you! If it did or you have anything to add, please leave me a comment
Happy annoyance free searching.

Preventing Spam, Email Safety and Chain letters, just say no!

Email Safety- How to protect yourself
© Linda Lee

Spam is the scourge of the Internet! According to recent statistics, an incredible 75-80% of all email can be classified as Spam!

The dictionary defines Spam simply as “unsolicited email,” but it’s much worse than that.
It is a direct invasion into your privacy. Just like junk snail-mail, junk email takes up space in your mailbox , wastes your time and is a general nuisance.

How did they get my email address?
How can I tell if this is a legitimate email?
How do they know my name or my frineds name and use it in the subject line?

Well, the bad news is that once your email is posted anywhere public on the web, your address becomes fair game for all.

Spammers are exceptionally creative when it comes to getting information they know that people don’t want them to have.

The ingenious use of special programs and “harvesting robots” sniff out thousands of websites.

They collect any and all email addresses they find, including yours.

Unfortunately, this includes legitimate, often necessary lists, like any parent volunteer lists or school activities with contact information posted on a website.

Any sports team lists, any type of hobby forums or newsgroups where you allow your email to be public will place you at risk.

Even your job may post employee emails somewhere that is publicly accessible.

People who create Spam lists hunt for all these options and more.

They plan to exploit your email address as much as possible.

Spammers were cunning enough realize how valuable a list of legitimate email addresses are an asset simply waiting to be sold!

They stop at nothing to find every possible way to root out information.

A Spammer typically sells multiple lists of email addresses. Once your email address is on one list, it is often merged with others and resold repeatedly.

In the worst case, your email becomes virtually impossible to remove.

Often changing your email is your only recourse.

But until they begin receiving the dreaded Spam, most people have no clue that their addresses have been found, harvested and sold.

One rule used to be never opt out of any email you got, but since the can-spam act went into effect it would appear to have had some effect in this area.

I started actually using the opt out in much of the spam I receive and it seems to be reducing my spam by about 60%, so I’m not sure if this old rule still applies.

When You Sign Up For Anything, Read The Privacy Policy!
This is your best chance to legitimately opt-out of mailings.

Often when you sign up at a website on the Internet or enter contests, at the end of the sign up, there will be a box allowing you to “opt out” of further emails or selling your email address to “interested parties”

This is a legitimate way to keep down your Spam.

Unfortunately those cunning Spammers realize many people have no idea if they signed up , or where they have been, so they send fake “opt out, opt in” emails asking you to click the link to do either.

Once you reply to this email, the Spammer learns:

Your email is live and valid
You open and read Spam
You follow instructions…such as ‘click this to be removed’.

Dictionary Attack

How they use a mass attack to find you.

Another tactic of Spammers is the Dictionary Attack

Massive amounts of Spam are sent to random addresses from a targeted domain.

Automated software will generate every combination of a name, such as jjones@____, jjones1@___, jjones2@___ etc.

The hope is that some of it -even a small percentage- gets through to valid addresses.

Spammers wait to get a ‘bounced message,’ or ‘error message’ that says the email isn’t valid.

When that doesn’t happen guess what-your address has just been just been “confirmed live” and will be added to their email list, which they will sell for money.

Why doesn’t blocking this junk email with your email message settings stop this?

Because Spammers use fake names and fake return addresses, and they rarely use the same ones twice.

Prevent Spam!

Get multiple email addresses!
Paid providers allow you multiple addresses.

Get two, three or even four addresses.

(Some people don’t even know this is available from your provider.)

Have a ‘Spam’ address for anticipated Spam mail.

Whenever you are asked to provide an email, always give out your alternate “Spam” email address.
I have one for pure Spam, like contests, product advertising and samples, general information websites, like

Real estate or home improvement sites.

Then I have an email for my purchases on the web.

Then I have an email for business only.

Have one for friends.

If having multiple emails is not an option or provided for you, two large reputable companies offer free email addresses.

Check out yahoo mail or Google has gmail. Both free and very good.

Or you can do a search for “free email account” to find hundreds of other choices.

They’re offered free to get you and your wallet to their website and their advertisers.

Why Do I Need Different Email Accounts?

To keep your legitimate, live address from falling into the hands of unscrupulous Spammers.

As you find interesting Internet sites, appealing offers or contests you want to enter, don’t use your primary email address.
When your children sign up at websites like

http://www.disney.com

http://www.lego.com

http://www.starwars.com

http://www.nickjr.com

Have them use a second- or third- email account.

Email Safety Basics

Use a secondary account anytime you give your email address to anyone other then family and friends.
Limit your primary email to personal or business correspondence.
Use a second or third or fourth email address for any public forums or venues
Ask family and friends to not give out your email and to not or sign you up or refer you for anything online.
(Just like they wouldn’t give out your telephone number.)
Otherwise, you will join the ranks of people wasting time opening Spam.

A quick word here on forwarding email to mass/bulk addresses:

Please don’t do it!

Constant forwarding clutters up peoples Inbox, and it is intrusive. Remember that Spammers siphon off addresses from “group” emails.

Beware of chain letters! Rumors, angel blessings, jokes, and please check out your facts before sending out again!
Break the cycle and check www.snopes.com first!!

Guess where else Spammers collect address? You got it- from all those relentless chain letters.

If any of these fall into a Spammers hand you can forget about avoiding bad luck, you just found it!

Instead of missing out on some great opportunity if you don’t forward a chain letter to ten of your friends, (thus giving out ten live addresses)
those annoying chain letters circulating the Internet could be cursing you with an Inboxstuffed with Spam!

Recently I had to create yet another email address for friends who insist on mass forwarding me and others every rumor.

Such as the one that said your cell phone number needs to go on the “do not call” list, (this is false) mass prayers, chain letters, (where I surely should be dead by now for all the ones I have deleted!) angel blessings , poems, jokes, cute photos of animals and children that come their way.

Check out common email ‘urban legends’ like this one first!!!

Urban Legends Reference Pages: Thousand Dollar Bill from Microsoft or anywhere else!
Status: False.

Origins: No, you’re not going to be receiving money, merchandise, or free trips from Bill Gates (or anyone else), no matter how many people you forward this message to.
Tracing all recipients of an e-mail message is not yet technically possible, and even if it were, Bill Gates certainly wouldn’t be testing software that performed such tracking by blindly sending messages out to the Internet with a promise of financial reward to the recipients.

First and foremost, e-mail tracking programs do not exist. That folks continue to fall for myriad varieties of these leg-pulls is in part attributable to netizens having caught so many references to these non-existent programs that the new hoax is able to continue building on an already partially-constructed platform of belief.

(As with every other technological issue, the statement “e-mail tracking programs do not exist” becomes less and less true every day. It is possible in some cases to determine who has read a particular mail message, but there is no method of doing so that will work with all the myriad of e-mail programs out there or keep track of who forwarded the message to whom.)

Once again, e-mail tracing programs do not exist. Any “get something free” come-on or “help a sick kid” appeal which specifies an invisible program is keeping track of who received an e-mail and who it was then sent to is a hoax. Any such note. No exceptions. Not even ones not yet listed on this page.

Likewise, missives which offer no explanation of how the e-mails are being tallied are also hoaxes. Unless you are e-mailing a copy to a central tabulating point every time something is forwarded on, nothing is being counted, traced, tracked, or any other verb that would result in you getting free cargo pants from the GAP or inspiring an unnamed millionaire to donate just a little bit more towards the care of an injured child.

With all that said, we can begin looking at the various forms this jape has so far taken. And it’s going to be a long, strange journey indeed.

The following message began circulating on the Internet around 21 November 1997: ( and I just got this from someone Dec 2007!)
Hello everybody,

My name is Bill Gates. I have just written up an e-mail tracing program that traces everyone to whom this message is forwarded to. I am experimenting with this and I need your help. Forward this to everyone you know and if it reaches 1000 people everyone on the list will receive $1000 at my expense. Enjoy.

Your friend,
Bill Gates

So please people , stop the madness!!
Check www.snopes.com before forwarding all these wacky crazy and mostly untrue emails!
Never add your name to mass group mailings.
Never send out a group mailing with all your friends’ emails listed in the CC: at the top.
Respect others right to privacy by not giving out their email in mass emails
If you find something worth passing on, something that good, email it to one person at a time using the BCC feature all email programs offer.

HOW TO USE BLIND CARBON COPY OR BCC

(directions for Microsoft Outlook)
To send an e-mail message

1. On the toolbar, click the Create Mail button.
2. In the To or Cc boxes, type the e-mail name of each recipient, separating names with a comma or a semicolon ( ; ).

To add e-mail names from the Address Book, click the book icon in the New Message window next to To, Cc, and Bcc, and then select names.

To use the BCC box, on the View Menu, select All Headers
3. In the Subject box, type a message title.
4. Type your message, and then click Send on the toolbar.

This will allow you to still send your mass emails, while respecting the right to privacy and protecting all your recipients email addresses.

All my suggestions will certainly help protect you and cut down on your Spam. Unfortunately, Spammers are often criminals, and they are getting more sophisticated at finding ways into your Inbox

If you are still inundated with Spam, change your email address. Start over fresh, armed with this new prevention.

One more tip if you have Outlook.

How to block email.

Click on the spam email (don’t open it)
Next go up to your toolbar and click message, in the drop down box you will see a choice of
“block sender”. Click that and proceed. After this anyone with that email will go into your trash automatically.
Since spammer use fake email addresses, I am not sure how much it actually cuts down on spam-but I
will tell you this, it makes me feel better when I block them!

Be cautious when giving out your email address.

Email is a wonderful way to contact others and keep in touch. Be safe and enjoy!

The Best FREE Anti-Spyware Programs on the Internet, I use all of them

The 3 FREE best Anti-Spyware tools I use

I have used all three of these for over 6 years now and I keep reccommending them to people, why?

Why 3 programs? I have 4 computers running all the time at my house, and this has
allowed me to learn about all kinds of nasty spyware. When I ran only Spybot, a few things slipped by, then I added Ad-Aware and Spybot caught a few things that Ad-Aware missed, then I added Avast and now I never get infected. My main program that runs 24/7 is Avast. I love their little alarm that goes off if you
encounter something potentially dangerous, or your kids are on a site trying to download something unsafe.
As a parent this allows you to actually prevent it from happening.
I discovered the other two are great for scans and helping me see what is going on with my
system. Sometimes they find things that I did not even know where there.
It seems like since I got vigilant with Avast and have kept up with my monthly scans, life has
gone much smoother on the spyware front.
Those scums who create it and infect your computer range from prankster level to dangerous
criminals stealing your personal information.
If money is tight, just use the free versions of all three of these programs.
I have for years and they are still doing a great job!

Lavasoft, paid and FREE version!

Spybot Search and Destroy (FREE)

(go to home page and you will see the FREE HOME EDITION)

Protect your entire home network with the competitively priced avast Professional Family Pack.Buy it here today! Click Here

Get Safe downloads online at Download.com

Avast Home Use Edition FREE version!

Avast will ask you to register after the demo period, but the home

version is always free. They send you a registration number once a year.

For the paid professional version. It only costs 39.95 and is by far the best program I have found.
Since I started using it over 4 years ago none of my 6 computers have gone down with spyware
problems. Before that I had tons of problems, since my kids are very active online and downloaded tons of music and free screensavers, ( very bad idea period.) We had spyware toolbars and some really nasty stuff that took me forever to remove!
They have a Mac Version too now, (not that Mac’s get many infections in this area)

Get the best-in-class solution to protect your mac against viruses, spyware and other malware threats.Buy avast! antivirus Mac Edition here!

For safe and useful downloads, you can trust

www.download.com

A great resource for internet safety issues is WiredSafety.org

WiredSafety provides help, information and education to Internet and mobile device users of all ages. We handle cases of cyberabuse ranging from identity and credential theft, online fraud and cyberstalking, to hacking and malicious code attacks.

http://wiredsafety.org/

Safeteens.com

http://www.safeteens.com/

Safekids.com

http://www.safekids.com/

staysafe.org

http://www.staysafe.org

Netlingo.com is a fountain of information about all the web based lingo you ever did not know

Very Helpful for parents with kids using Instant Messaging and other e-based communication.

http://www.netlingo.com

NetLingo.com – The Internet Dictionary with thousands of terms about the online world of business, technology & communication

Private online searching-

Privacy on the Net- I found a neat search tool that you can use as an alternative for your searches.

It is something we all need to be aware of and not bury our heads in the ground. Check out these guys if you want to stay a bit more anonymous while you do your stuff online.

http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/scraper.htm

They explain it better then I could.

Matt Cutts, a software engineer at Google since January 2000, used to work for the National Security Agency.

Keyhole, the satellite imaging company that Google acquired in October 2004, was funded by the CIA.

“We are moving to a Google that knows more about you.” – Google CEO Eric Schmidt, February 9, 2005
Since 2000, Google has recorded your search terms, the date-time of each search, the globally-unique ID in your cookie (it expires in 2038), and your IP address. This information is available to governments on request. If your favorite site features a Google search box, ask them to install their own local site search. They could also use our site search for webmasters, which shows the same results without the tracking.

7 Reasons Why Every Writer Needs a Website

The Internet has profoundly changed the way people communicate with each other.
This has also impacted businesses and altered the way they do business.
If you are serious about writing, you need an online presence.
Here are 7 reasons why.

1. Be easy to find.
In today’s world, people find you though the Internet.
The Internet has become the yellow pages to the world.
People now google someone they meet or hear about to learn more.
You don’t want to miss those opportunities.
Each time someone finds your website or
blog, you have an opportunity to promote yourself and your product.

2. Showcase your work.
Your website or blog serves as your portfolio.
This is where you showcase
your work and your talent.
You can use your website like a resume.
Have your biography and a section with samples.
You can create your press kit for easy access.
You can have your podcasts or
any radio show appearances on your site.
You also want to list all your contact information.

3. Branding.
As writers our name is our brand.
This is an opportunity to get your name out there 24/7.
The Internet is always “on” and fresh content is a priority for search engines.
With your site you have a palette to showcase and present yourself to the world.

4. Marketing.
You will want to have your website address on all your written materials.
Editors and agents can peruse your work in your sample section.
Having you own website or blog gives you the opportunity to promote yourself online,
submit your articles to online services like e-zine or join an article submission service
for a small monthly fee. They will distribute your articles for you.
Always place a short line about yourself and a link to your website in all your work.
Internet marketers and website owners are starved for content, and as a writer you can provide it.
This will stay out there online for years and reap you benifits and new customers or readers
long after you have written the article.
There are also services you can sign up for where people will hire you to write articles for them, such as elance.

5. Creativity and Fun!
To utilize and enjoy your creativity, start a blog.
Blogging is a great way to get traffic from the right audience for the right reasons.
This is your chance to express yourself while attracting an audience
who shares your interests and wants to hear what you have to say.
When you add a blog to your website, you instantly will see an increase in traffic.
Search engines love fresh content and blogs are an easy
and fast way to provide new content.

6. Build a mailing list.
This is critical if you want to begin to market and sell yourself and your product.
You can offer a monthly or bi monthly newsletter. You can tell your clients and
interested parties about products you recommend and you can do this as an affiliate to make money.
This is also a potential list of buyers for your books and future books, teleseminars,
classes, podcasts and any personal appearances or speaking you may be offering.

7. Monetize your site.
Earn a little income back with your site. If you can begin to build some traffic
and an audience for your website or blog, you can make money from your site.
This involves joining some affiliate programs such as Amazon and Adsense.
Almost every company now offers an affiliate program where if you discuss a
product and use your affiliate link to the company, you will earn a commission
if the customer buys.
Amazon actually will credit you for anything someone buys through your link
for up to 24 hours. The commissions run from 2-5%.

Most people now use the Internet to find what they are looking for.
Don’t miss out by not having a web presence. You don’t have to
understand computers or be a techie. There are many great website
designers and professionals available to help you get started.
Click here for a free quote on a website or a blog for your business.

Linda Lee offers coaching and consulting on how to promote
your website and blog.
She also can help you with affliate set up and marketing.
SEO Website and Blog custom design and redesigns
and hosting are all avaliable at askmepc-webdesign.

100 Unbelievably Useful Reference Sites You’ve Never Heard Of

By Laura Milligan

Beyond Google, Wikipedia and other generic reference sites, the Internet boasts a multitude of search engines, dictionaries, reference desks & databases that have organized and archived information for quick and easy searches. In this list, we’ve compiled just 100 of our favorites, for teachers, students, hypochondriacs, procrastinators, bookworms, sports nuts and more.

Dictionaries and More

When you need a quick definition or want more specialized results that display synonyms, rhyming words and slang, turn to this list.

1. OneLook: This no-frills online dictionary lets you look up basic definitions, related words, phrases and more. You can even customize your experience with different searches.
2. RhymeZone: Type in a word to find rhyming words, synonyms, definitions, Shakespeare references and more.
3. Strange and Unusual References: Head to this site to look up all-vowel words, magic words, magic archetypes, how to identify unicorns and other odd material.
4. freedict.com: This online translator can find words in Dutch, Afrikaans, Russian, Portugese, Swedish, Japanese, Hungarian and more.
5. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: Search through topics like technology, American history, literature in English, proverbs and more to become a more “active citizen in our multicultural democracy.”
6. Word Spy: Search for a specific word to bring up funny quotations and a definition, or you can browse categories and sub categories like aging and death, hacking and hackers, entrepreneurs, jargon and buzzwords, art and design, drugs, euphemisms, sleeping or cell phones.
7. Slang Site: Look up Web words, slang and even made up but often used words here.
8. Behind the Names: Find out the history of your name or search names by categories like English, Spanish, mythology, Biblical names, African and more.
9. Directory of Occupational Titles: If you’ve ever wanted to know the official name of your job, look it up here.
10. Glossary of Real Estate Abbreviations, Terms and Phrases: Get through your next home signing by doing some extra research on this site.

Teacher References

Teaching guides like these will help you double-check facts, look for relevant quotes, find different careers in education, and get ideas for lesson plans.

1. Twain Quotations A to Z: Inspire (or confuse) your students by throwing out a Mark Twain quote every once in a while. You can search by subject matter.
2. Math Glossary: Look up words and concepts like abacus, Thales’ theorem, obtuse triangle and a lot more in this special site.
3. Biology Website References for Students and Teachers: Learn about evolution, cell chemistry, anatomy and genetics from this list of reference sites.
4. Children’s Literature Web Guide: Look for award-winning children’s books, readers’ theatre sites, stories published online and more on this site.
5. Charles Dickens Gad’s Hill Place: Use this quote page to search by topic, title, or phrase, or pull from The Daily Dose of Dickens book.
6. Encyclopedia Mythica: Search for text, quotes and history of mythology, folklore and religon. Categories include Greek people, Celtic mythology and Roman mythology.
7. American Memory: The Library of Congress’ American culture and history reference site features topics like environment and conservation, immigration, women’s history, Presidents, religion, maps, literature, African American history and others.
8. ASL Browser: Look up American Sign Language signs here.
9. Ditto: Search the web for all kinds of beautiful images on this site.
10. Learning and Performance Glossary: From accelerated learning to guidance package to meta skills, this glossary is full of education terms for teachers.

Librarian References

Librarians will benefit from these great reference sites, some of which were designed just for or by librarians.

1. A Glossary of the Humanities: Click on a letter to look up words, phrases and concepts that use references from Foucault, Burke, Frye and others as definitions.
2. Library of Congress Online Catalogs: We’re pretty sure most librarians have heard of this site, but it’s seriously one of the best reference sites on the Web.
3. Historical Text Archives: This site boasts nearly 687 articles and 70 books about history, especially American history.
4. KidsClick!: This educational search engine was created by librarians and is organized by topics like society and government, machines and transportation, health and family, facts and reference, and a lot more.
5. Library Spot: This great reference site has links to encyclopedias, Top 10 lists, business references, public libraries and a LOT more.

Just for Fun

Search for unique profanity, sex terms and ridiculously long words here.

1. The Dialectizer: Paste a URL into the box and select a dialect like Redneck, Cockney or Elmer Fudd to have the whole site translated.
2. The Devil’s Dictionary: This adapted version of Ambrose Bierce’s The Devil’s Dictionary contains words like brute, gallows, damn, wrath, and X.
3. Sexual Dictionary: Look up quotes for “doin’ the wild thing” here, as well as other slang terms for sex.
4. Grandiloquent Dictionary: Impress your friends by using huge words you found here.
5. Roger’s Profanisaurus: Have fun looking up profane words at “the ultimate swearing dictionary.”

Health Care

Instead of Googling your symptoms, use these authoritative reference sites to get drug information, find a hospital and research a disease or condition.

1. Medline Plus: Look up anything to do with health care on this site from, prescription drugs to local resources to symptoms and diseases.
2. RxList: RxList is “the Internet drug index,” and you search by prescriptions dispensed, names searched or just by letter.
3. Google Directory – Health and Medicine: Categories and individual web pages are listed on this Google reference site. Browse topics like health news, history of medicine, medical dictionaries or patient education.
4. Patient Care: Columbia University Medical Center lists a number of patient resources, including tools for finding a doctor, dentist and hospital.
5. MediLexicon: At MediLexicon, you can use the medical dictionary search, hospital search, medical abbreviations search or read all the latest medical news.
6. InteliHealth: This reference site has an Ask the Expert section, as well as a database full of information for diseases and conditions, from asthma to digestive issues to weight management to STDs.
7. Healthfinder: This government site features a Drug Interaction Checker, a Health Library and consumer guides.
8. The Merck Manual: Search this online medical library for diseases and conditions and drug products.
9. Bristol Biomedical Image Archive: Browse thousands of biomedical images on this site.
10. Online Medical Dictionary: This simple search tool lets you browse by letter or subject area.

References for Students

From homework help to art definitions to almanacs, students of all ages will find reference material here.

1. Online Music Theory Helper: Order flash cards or look up different theory lessons on this site.
2. ArtLex: Browse this art terms dictionary for historical context information, definitions and more.
3. The Works of the Bard: Use the Shakespeare search engine or browse plays by category to get references and text of Shakespeare’s works.
4. Factmonster Reference Desk: Here, you’ll find an almanac, homework center, atlas, dictionary and encyclopedia for younger students.
5. Little Explorers Picture Dictionary: Students learning to read will find pictures to go along with their definition results.
6. Distance Education Glossary: If you’ve recently enrolled in a distance ed course or program, use this glossary to help you navigate your new education portal.
7. HyperHistory Online: There are over 2,000 files on this site, on all kinds of world history topics like politics, religion, culture, science and special events.
8. Style Guides and Resources: This reference list will help you out when you need to write a paper using APA, MLA, and other special citation systems.
9. Statistical Resources on the Web: Find updated statistics on everything from agriculture to business to labor to housing to the military.
10. RefDesk: Check your facts quickly and easily at the RefDesk, which features a site of the day, thought of the day, and plenty of multi-search tools.

Niche Sites

When you need to look up highly specialized materials and facts, look to these niche sites for help with online conversions, transportation and military acronyms, legal help, career help and more.

1. Dictionary of Metal Terminology: Search online or order the hard copy version to find metal-related words.
2. Online Conversion: Convert “just about anything” on this site, which understands over 5,000 different units for date, time, density, energy, acceleration, angles and a lot more.
3. Transportation and Logistics Acronyms: Find acronyms for the U.S. government and military, supply chain systems, transportation, trucking, freight and more.
4. Harry Potter Glossary: If you’re behind in your Harry Potter reading, use this extensive glossary to help you sort out all of the characters and unique vocabulary.
5. Videoconferencing Glossary: Even non-techies can understand the fundamentals of videoconferencing thanks to this website, which lists definitions for words like analog signals, camera presets, bps, continuos presence and others.
6. Everybody’s Legal Glossary: Nolo’s legal glossary is designed for everyday people who need help understanding traffic tickets, real estate forms, and “hundreds of legal terms, from the common to the bizarre.”
7. All About Jewels: Illustrated Dictionary of Jewelry: Find a picture of each gem or jewelry and learn about its minerals, fashion history, gravity and colors.
8. Dictionary of English Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions: ESL students and curious native speakers can search this dictionary to find idioms like “part and parcel,” or “gnaw your vitals.”
9. WestNet IT Glossary: Search results for IT words bring up definitions, a list of related words, animations and graphics.
10. Travel Industry Dictionary: Look up words and acronyms like gay friendly, day rate, WAPTT, recall commission statement and more on this site.

Search Engines

Search engines are unique Internet reference guides. Read this list to find lots of search engines besides Google.

1. Giga Blast: Giga Blast is still in beta form, but you can search websites, images and video.
2. MsFreckles.com: Cute little Ms. Freckles gives you all the tools to conduct a meta search here.
3. Kart00: Here, you have the option of only searching English pages or the entire web.
4. Gimpsy: Gimspy specializes in “active sites for active people.” You can search by verb or action, by filling in the sentence “I want to…”
5. CustomSearchEngine.com: This site is a link directory for Google’s custom search engine.
6. Rollyo: This highly customizable search engine lets you enter a keyword or phrase and then select specific categories to search, like travel and hotels, health, celebrity gossip and more.
7. Ms. Dewey: Your off-the-wall host Ms. Dewey flirts, sings and offers silly trivia or analysis while you search.
8. Ulyssek Search Engine: You can view your results organized into categories on this site.
9. Cha Cha: This creative search engine makes you feel like you’re sending a text from your cell phone when you search.
10. FactBites: FactBites is “where results make sense” and is touted as a search engine crossed with an encyclopedia.

Open Source Sites

For open source materials that also serve as reference guides, use this list.

1. DataParkSearch Engine: Use this open source search engine to find multilingual sites, pull up “fuzzy searching based on acronyms and abbreviations” and find text files, mp3s and .gif files.
2. Wiktionary: Wikipedia’s free dictionary is a collaborative, multilingual resource.
3. Open Library: This user-generated book catalog has over 13 million books in its library.
4. dmoz: dmoz is an open directory project, where you can search for or edit topics and results for kids and teens, reference materials, business, health, arts and more.

Internet and Computer Reference

Non-techies and experienced web workers may want to brush up on Internet and computer terms by searching these sites and glossaries.

1. CNET Glossary: Use this glossary to look up network terms.
2. Glossary of Internet Terms: From ADN to Meta Tag to SDSL to cgi-bin, find definitions of Internet terms here.
3. Chat Stuff: This short dictionary has translations for popular chat acronyms like AFK, BAK, and BCNU.
4. McAfee Virus Glossary: Learn about online threats and computer security by browsing this authoritative glossary.
5. Tech Encyclopedia: Look up a specific word or click to get a random definition each day.
6. What Is? IT Dictionary: Browse categories like personal computing, call centers, cheat sheets, authentication, network hardware, compliance, Linux, storage management, Telecom, robotics and a whole lot more for tech definitions.

Consumer Research and Public Information

Use this list to find customer reviews, a currency converter, small business directories and more.

1. USA.gov: Search all kinds of government information here, from public safety to jobs and education to taxes to voting.
2. Pricewatch: Look up low prices on computer hardware, electronics and other gadgets here.
3. Small Business Big World: This is the “almost free” site for finding local and international small businesses.
4. Kelly Blue Book: Here you’ll find all kinds of consumer information about new and used cars.
5. XE Currency Converter: Transfer euros, USD, Canadian Dollars, UK pounds, Algerian dinars, Chinese yuan and any other currency here.
6. Hoovers: Hoover’s is “your one-stop reference for business information,” and you’ll find industry overviews, business reports, and a lot more.
7. ZoomInfo: Research an industry (like teaching or law) or company by using this business search engine.
8. Stock Market Yellow Pages: Search for stocks on this search engine, which pulls results from Forbes, Yahoo!, Wall Street City and other sites.
9. SeatGuru: View layouts of airplanes so that you can easily pick your seats on your next trip.
10. Zillow: Find homes, get mortgage information and search loans on Zillow.

News and Pop Culture

Discover pop culture references, a sports almanac, new literature guides and more in this list.

1. Who’s Alive and Who’s Dead: Keep track of which famous musicians, performers, actors, athletes and political figures are alive and which ones are dead.
2. AllMusic.com: Search by genre like rock, jazz, pop, world, rap or blues.
3. Dictionary of Pop Culture References: From A to Z, you can find words, phrases and characters from pop culture.
4. Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Browse topics like Japanese art, astronomy, horticulture, popular entertainment, domestic life, conservation and more on this authority site.
5. Science.gov Energy and Energy Conservation: Find new and archived articles about energy conservation here.
6. Internet Broadway Database: Look up directors, actors and more for all Broadway shows here.
7. Grove Music Online: This site is “the world’s premier authority on all aspects of music.”
8. bibliomania: Over 2,000 classic texts can be found on this site, as well as reference books, study guides and links to buy books.
9. Sports Almanac: From the Olympics to hockey, you can find everything there is to know about sports history and players on this site.
10. Newsknife: This reference site ranks the top news sites by each particular story, by month, homepage resources and other categories.
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