It was only six months ago that we set out to pick our Top 100 Web sites. In that time the Web has changed dramatically. We decided that in order to keep up-to-date, we would revamp our list continuously. So keep this page high on your bookmark list because a new Web page is born every minute, and we'll be here to help you decide which ones are worth your time.
In addition to our Top 100 Web sites, we've included a roundup of the best Web-searching pages. Visit these to search for pages on specific topics of interest, or browse the "what's new" lists to see what has sprouted up most recently.
Feel free to send us your comments. We will be updating this list continuously and welcome suggestions. pcmag@zd.com (Please use "Top 100 Web Sites" in the subject field.)
Contributors: Tom Giebel, Angela Hickman, Tom Mace, Ellyn McCasland, Cade Metz, Michael Muchmore, Jay Munro, Deval Shah, Sharon Terdeman, Don Willmott
Webmasters: If your site is on this list let us know and we'll send you an icon to include on your pages.
Download: pctop100.zip (~5Kb), unzip, and import into your browser's bookmark menu.
The list can be viewed in any browser, but you can get extra functionality by using the Navigator 2.0 beta.
The Ultimate Band List
Ultimate! Best! Whatever you want to call it, this Web site lives up to its name. This comprehensive index of America's best bands lets you find your favorites, download their music clips, and join in newsgroups to discuss them.
Sibelius Academy Music Resources
Don't be fooled by the lackluster Sibelius Academy Music Resource home page; behind it lies an assortment of music-related links a classical, jazz, rock, or opera lover would kill for.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Some Shakespeare aficionados might find this mix of literature and technology criminal, but others will find this site a valuable resource. It features every play Shakespeare wrote--in hypertext of course--and for an added bonus, it links to the new World-WideWebedition of the 1901 edition of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre, France's most famous museum, is online and open for touring day and night. It features some of the world's best-known art and offers lots of information about Paris's rich art scene.
Theatre Central
Theatre Central's Web site gives new meaning to the phrase, "All the world's a stage." This hub of theater resources offers everything from news about Andrew Lloyd Webber's next musical to information about joining the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
National Musuem of American Art
The National Museum, the nation's first Federal art museum, takes truly giant steps in making the Web an interactive medium. To complement the 500-plus pieces of artwork it has online, this site boasts an abundance of voice clips and video tours, one of which is given by Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Web Museum
The Web Museum received top honors last year in the Web Consortium's Best of Web '94 contest for its exceptional use of multimedia. The Web Museum's digital art collection and extensive music archive of symphonies and concertos should continue to earn it kudos.
Smithsonian Institution
You could spend days wandering through the Smithsonian museums in Washington, and you can do the same in the online version. There are loads of internal links that make it easy to tour the museums, view the new exhibits, and check out upcoming events. And when you do get tired of wandering around, put your feet up and read highlights from the Smithsonian magazine.
Sistine Chapel
A computer's screen isn't the best way to experience the splendor of the Sistine Chapel, but if you're not planning a trip to the Vatican anytime soon, this Web site's photos of Michelangelo's famous ceiling should sate your appetite until you can get abroad.
MTV Online
A list of the best music and art Web sites wouldn't be complete without the MTV home page. Like the TV show, MTV Online delivers cutting-edge programming and graphics. Oh yeah, you can also find information about your favorite bands.
Fun City Classifieds
Fun City is a jumping-off point for, among other things, the classifieds. Unlike your local paper's, this classified section is free.
Speak to me!
A unique online shop where you can find all those cool voice gadgets in one place. About half the products have sound samples so you can hear before you buy. Products are broken into seven categories, from electronic note-takers to a talking spatula. If you're using Netscape, you can order with Mastercard, Visa, or Amex. If not, an 800 number is provided.
HOT! HOT! HOT!
Hot foods are definitely in, inspiring several sites and newsgroups on the Web . HOT HOT HOT is a one-stop source for the spiciest culinary treats. To find your perfect hot sauce, you can search alphabetically, by heat intensity, by origin, or by name. The hottest sauce available is Dave's Insanity Private Reserve sauce, which comes in a wooden box wrapped with yellow caution tape.
IG Index
Online gambling sites may be the Internet's next killer app. The IG Index site lets you wager on either the world's financial markets or sporting events. Once you've established an account, you can go to the limit. Remember, you are liable for all losses. Though this site may not fully work in the U.S., it's still an interesting look at what the future of online wagering might hold.
CDNow
CDNow has a wealth of information on the music scene in the U.S. and abroad. Quick response and easy navigation help you find almost any title available.
Old Sturbridge Village
Come to this site for an excursion back to the 1830s. Old Sturbridge Village recreates life in the early 1800s and is visited by people from around the world. The Web site is well illustrated and easily navigated. You can purchase authentic period items through their online catalog but ordering is currently only by mail, fax, or phone.
Amazon.com Books
With over one million titles, Amazon.com Books is a bibliophile's dream. Amazon's inventory is searchable by keyword, author, title, or subject and you can also browse titles grouped by sub-categories, such as Amazon's staff favorites, or award-winners. Ordering can be done using Netscape's secure Commerce server, or by phone.
Internet Shopping Network
Want a copy of the Internet Monopoly game? Its just $39.95 on the Internet Shopping Network. This cybermall lets you select a store or product to check out along with lists of competing products. To order, you need to be a member and use a major credit card, with either the online secure application form or by telephone.
O'Reilly and Associates
O'Reilly and Associates--publishers of Web Site and a line of computer-related books--have a site that's both fun and chock-full of good information for technical and non-technical Web users.
Product
Product is a fashion site that advertises everything from faux furs to shimmering gowns. Based on both coasts, you get a taste of what's hip in the New York and Los Angeles fashion scenes. You can purchase that 'must-have' item online or look up the store that sells it nearest to you.
Apple
Not surprisingly, Apple's home page has the classic Macintosh look and feel. Standard information is available on products and support, but this is also the place to go for extensive Mac vs. Windows 95 discussions, as well as information on the Women's Global Web .
Compaq
This site's opening art offers a golden Roman arch for each important link. You can jump to a Compaq company overview, seek out technical support, deeply study their newest machines, or read up on their interaction with Windows 95.
Digital
Links to various subsites are contained in a unique spread of attractive, sparse art. A powerful document browse engine lets you easily navigate the vast conglomeration of computer-related information, including Digital product updates, semiconductor articles, and reading rooms that aid you in browsing the Web .
Hewlett-Packard
You may have to wait longer than usual for HP's lead art to download, but it is a beautiful, baby-blue sight. A fine suite of navigation tools--including a top-ten site list, a search application, a table of contents, a title index, and a browsing tutorial--lets you effortlessly peruse company and product descriptions.
Intel
Intel's processor-insipred art preludes links to a half dozen major sites. You can bone up on the latest generation of chips, delve into an extensive line of networking products, or receive support for embedded design and PC development. Once you have studied up on these technology pages, you can you can even design your own 3D image of the Pentium Pro.
International Business Machines Corp.
IBM's newly refurbished Web site is one of the most extensive and eclectic in existence. Not only does it offer invaluable press and product information, but it also links to a sports page, a children's site, a digital library, art, poetry, games, fractals, and commercials. This wealth of information coupled with its impeccably colorful art puts this site in a class by itself.
Microsoft
Since the release of Windows 95, all roads lead to this Rome of Web sites. The Windows 95 launch page covers Microsoft's massive August 24th event, while their hot topics and products pages put an expansive array of software information at your fingertips.
NeXTSTEP
After NeXTSTEP's recent deal with Merrill-Lynch, its home page now opens with a majestic bull. Attractive art continues on successive pages, which cover the NeXTSTEP operating system, OpenStep, object-oriented education, technical support, and company info.
Novell
The classic Novell red and white dominates this intensely technical site. White papers, manuals, guided tours, trade show overviews, and purchasing options are all accessible via a navigational info bar. The Novell Platinum locator even lets you find specific, Web-based support in your area of the country.
ZDNet
This medley of Ziff-Davis publications is unmatched when its comes to cutting-edge computer news and reviews. It links to sites for each Ziff periodical, a ZD Press page, major advertisers, and an invaluable Trailblazer site that guides you through the world of computing on the Web.
Teacher's Edition Online
The Teacher's Edition Online site gives elementary school teachers different ideas on how to conduct classes. This easy-to-navigate site, packed with colorful and informative graphics, acts like a support group for teachers.
Kids Space
Kids Space is one of the best examples of how the Internet can be a powerful learning tool. The site gives kids a place they can draw and display pictures or stories they have written. After your kids have visited here, a list of other sites provides links to other places your child can go to play or learn.
ExploraNet
ExploraNet offers a wide variety of lists. It provides information on many types of educational programs, gives directions on how you can conduct simple scientific experiments at home, and has monthly listings on seminars and lectures. This site is a must-see for teachers and students.
Testprep.com
If you're preparing for the SATs, it would behoove you to stop by
Testprep.com and take a couple of practice SATs. Currently the site only offers online tests for the SATs, but materials for other tests--including the LSATs and GMATs--are under construction. The SAT material is extensive and offers a lot of reviews. The site even analyzes your test-taking habits after it gives you your test scores.
The Virtual Frog Dissection Kit
The Virtual Frog Dissection Kit lets you relive that moment when your high school biology grade depended on how well you dissected a frog. This site utilizes imagemaps and databases to simulate the dissection. You can almost smell the formaldehyde.
Intellimatch
Intellimatch is an online resume matching service. Applicants fill out a detailed, skill-specific form that gets inserted in a database. Companies need to purchase software to query the Intellimatch database for qualified applicants. The site also has a section with current job listings.
Career Web
Looking for a job? Then stop by Career Web . This site has career resources, job postings, lists of professional associations, and lists of development centers. It also comes with a career fitness test that analyzes your strengths and weaknesses.
America's Job Bank
America's Job Bank has an extensive list of available positions that it lets you search by region. Once you find the job you're interested in, you can print out an information sheet.
Internet Job Surfer
Start your job search here. This site has links to other employment databases, career information centers, and sites to which you can upload your resume. There are also extensive listings of company profiles.
The Internet Online Career Center
This jobs database also gives you tips on how to create an HTML resume or make an HTML want ad. The site also has a place where jobs and resumes can be posted.
The Library of Congress
With over 70 million documents of all kinds in its possession, the Library of Congress should play a large role in the information revolution. A Services and Publications link lets you read about the Library's services, such as the U.S. Copyright Office. Its American Memory service lets you view digitized collections of American cultural and historical significance. It also sponsors exhibits and events in collaboration with other large libraries around the world. The Library hosts THOMAS, which contains the complete text of current bills and the Congressional Record. As if that weren't enough, there are links to other federal and state government sites, and subject indexes to other World-Wide Web services.
The Australian Government Home Page
Australia has a rich, well-interlinked system of Web sites that's rapidly growing. It's a smart move for a country with far-flung provinces whose residents can't enjoy direct interaction with many others. Among foreign countries offerings, we found it exemplary. The main page gives you buttons for government departments like Transport, Communication, Arts, and Defense; government agencies like the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC-loads of entertainment in itself); and the Oceanographic Data Centre. There are also links to state and territory sites.
California General Election
Residents of the Golden State can use the Web to find out about who's running for what and the propositions that will be on their next ballot. When election time rolls around, you can get results from the polling places and colorful maps showing how each county voted in each race. Digital Equipment Corp. has teamed up with the California Secretary of State's Office to produce both this and a San Francisco-specific service. The complete service is available in Spanish, and there are already buttons for future versions in Tagalog, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese.
The United States Department of Justice
The largest law firm in the country includes the attorney general as well as the FBI, the DEA, the INS, and many other well-known acronyms. You can find out about the rewards for catching the Oklahoma City bombers and the Unabomber, and of course visit the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. The business community can keep up to date on U.S. vs. Microsoft and other such litigation through the Antitrust Division's page or the Department's gopher.
White House: An Interactive Citizen's Handbook
A ubiquitous symbol of the Web itself, this delightful page merits its place on every top-site list. See the sculptures in the First Lady's garden, tour the old Executive Office building, and of course, listen to little Socks meow. On a more serious side, this service keeps you up-to-date on other executive branch servers and provides a form that lets you tell the President where you stand on the issues.
GPO Gate
The University of California at San Diego provides this interface that lets you search on and download the full text of many publications of the U.S. Government Printing Office, including the Federal Register, the Congressional Record, Congressional Bills, GAO reports, Senate and House calendars, economic indicators, and the United States Code.
The United Nations
Did you know there are currently 37 different peacekeeping operations going on around the world? It's a big job, but the U.N. has taken it on. See a map of all these operations and keep up-to-date on what the General Assembly is mulling over on their new Web site with gopher interfaces.
Consumer Information Catalog
Get booklets and brochures published by more than 40 federal departments and agencies. An amazing range of topics is covered: cars, employment, travel and hobbies, food and health, investments and more. You'd normally have to send away for these booklets and pay a nominal price, but this Web server gives you the full text free with no wait.
The U.S. Census Bureau
You expect to get the country's population and economic statistics here, but you also get a lot more. The Bureau highlights demographics relevant to current issues of public debate. For example: mothers receiving public assistance. It's also the place to get leading economic indicators such as monthly wholesale trade and housing starts. The Bureau even provides software tools that let you extract and view data from huge databases.
FedWorld Information Network
A central access point for locating and acquiring government information. The National Technical Information Service (NTIS), an agency of the Department of Commerce introduced FedWorld in 1992 as a system of linked BBSs. FedWorld now lets you telnet to the more than 130 dial-up BBSs that aren't on the Web, and its FTP site has more than 10,000 files, including information on business, health and safety, and the environment.
The Ultimate Collection Of Winsock Software and
The Consummate Winsock Apps List
These two sites are in close competition and it is too close to call. Both offer exhaustive directories of Winsock-compliant freeware and shareware on a variety of platforms. Both offer descriptions, reviews, and links to the actual programs. And both offer a useful rating system to help you decide which programs to download and try.
The Web Developer's Virtual Library
Attention Web masters: If you're serious about Web development, check out The Web Developer's Virtual Library. If offers links to important style guides, technical sites and development tools, and job listings. It also features
Spectrum: The WDVL Journal, an online magazine devoted to various Web development issue.
BrowserWatch
If you're developing a Web page, you'll need to know something about browsers, and BrowserWatch is a great place to start. If offers a comprehensive list of browsers for all platforms (with links to the host sites, of course) as well as statistics about how often each browser visited the BrowserWatch page. There is also a news section to keep you informed of the latest browser developments.
Hot Java
The future is here today--at least in the alpha stages. The fledgling Hot Java browser lets you access sites that contain embedded applications (written with Sun's Java programming language) and paves the way for a truly interactive Web. Download the browser and
unprompted sound bites and dancing icons will offer you a Web experience unlike any other.
PSINet
"The nation's largest Internet service provider" offers an site that is saturated with online information. Both the corporate and private user can benefit from PSI's product overviews, company contacts, news, and technical support.
National Center for Supercomputing Applications
This veteran site has always been a hub for Internet resources. Although it lacks the flamboyant graphics that are so prevalent on the sites of other major players, it does supply Internet pointers, industry publications, multimedia exhibits, and myriad Internet software, including NCSA Mosaic.
Netscape
Naturally, the world's most popular browser has one of the most popular Web sites. Fine graphics lead into pages devoted to the hippest Web sites, the newest Web sites, Internet directories, and outstanding software. The newest Netscape browsers support threaded discussion groups, secure e-mail, Windows 95, and the Java programming language.
Silicon Graphics
As one would expect, the Silicon Graphics site provides unparalleled Web art. Such visual stimulation, however, is simply an added perk among the extensive information on prime Internet hardware and software such as the Web Force server and authoring tool. The novel Surf Zone even supplies a VRML Web experience.
UUNet Technologies
One of the slickest sites you will see, UUNet offers intense graphics, a unique flow chart of the entire site, and a motherlode of Web statistics. An eclectic list of hot sites supplements a mass of information on high-end Web products and services.
World-Wide Web Home (CERN)
The birthplace of the Web is not indicative of its current countenance, but it is still the prime site for Internet development information. Specifications for HTTP, HTML, Internet commerce, addressing, and graphics are readily available, as is World-Wide Web consortium information, Web mailing lists , and newsgroups.
CNN Interactive
A good-looking and surprisingly comprehensive news-bite site from the organization that kept Sadaam Hussein up-to-date during the Persian Gulf war. The only caveat: access can be horribly slow. C'mon CNN--upgrade those servers. Baghdad can't get through half the time and neither can we.
Electronic Telegraph
Britain's Electronic Telegraph shows that good news sites aren't an American monopoly. The presentation of British and international news, features, sports, and rainy weather is somewhat more tightly furled than you'll find on most U.S. sites and not particularly rich in graphics. But the well-written stories give a perspective on the wider world including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific Rim that makes most American services appear myopic.
Espnet SportsZone
Welcome to heaven. This site has everything for the confirmed sports junkie including headlines, game recaps, statistics, schedules, standings, action photos, and columnists. It also covers slightly offbeat beats including auto racing, gymnastics and triathlon competitions and even the horses. There are plenty of ads too, but no worse than the back wall at Shea.
NandO Times
The News & Observer offers a fine-looking site with strong national and international news stories, readable features, and lots of photos. In fact, it's the sort of site that makes you understand how printed newspapers may eventually vanish. Sports buffs will lover the NandO Sports Server, which offers broad coverage of all major sports complete with trivia and sentimental retrospectives.
NewsLink
Not a news service, per se, NewsLink is an encyclopedic collection of over 1,800 links to Internet news resources of all types. You'll find national, regional, and small-town papers, alternative rags, business journals, magazines and e-zines of every stripe, even TV and radio station Web pages. If it's not here, it's going to be tough to find.
Reuters NewMedia
When you need a quick news fix, Reuters NewMedia, a favorite resource on Yahoo's home page, offers one of the best around. Headline topics are easy to navigate and the tight editing is reminiscent of the old teletype wire services. It's all bare-bones text, but who cares when you're hungry for a few bytes of fast-food news?
The Gate
The Gate is a gateway to two fine papers: the San Francisco Chronicle and the San Francisco Examiner. Hot sections include headline news, sports, and local news from the San Francisco and Silicon Valley areas. Although they share The Gate, the Examiner and the Chronicle maintain separate identities, looks, and feels. While neither is particularly graphics-intensive, they're both very strong on news. Chalk it up to friendly competition.
The Wall Street Journal Money and Investing Update
This is the slickest, deepest, and most generally useful site of its kind. Get it while it's still free. The Wall Street Journal Money and Investing Update gives you access to reams of company and market news running the gamut from currencies to equity and credit markets to mutual funds, with everything in between. Stories contain hyperlinks to detailed company profiles offering financial overviews, past stock performance, news, and press releases. The whole site is a gold mine of information.
Time Magazine
Basically what it says: the full text of the current Time. While the site is somewhat poor on the photography we love in the print version, the fact that you can search on topics and cross-check back issues makes it a rich vein of information. Time Daily, a collection of brief magazine-style commentaries on breaking stories, makes for nice surfing on the topics of the day with quick links to other stories.
USA Today
Same light but surprisingly satisfying fare you'll find in print: USA Today on the Internet looks great and offers top news stories and the familiar sections including Sports, Money, Life, and of course, the weather map. You'll want a high-speed link to look at all the photos.
Automobile Leasing: The Art of the Deal
Feel intimidated by car dealers? Think you might want to lease a car, but know very little about negotiating a deal? Well, you're in luck, now you can wow them with your expertise. This site gives you all the details of the leasing process as well as the information you'll need to ensure you get a good deal. It won't win any awards for visual content, but the depth of information this site provides more than makes up for it.
CityNet
Browsing this site will tickle your itch to travel. Not only can it help you decide where to go, it'll give you the info you need to plan your vacation. CityNet offers access to the Web pages of hundreds of cities across the globe, with links to the major areas of interest. Read this before you go and leave those heavy travel guides at home!
Internet Public Library
The Internet Public Library's goal is to bring the varied resources of public libraries everywhere to the Internet community. It offers access to reference sources on a wide variety of topics, from entertainment to medicine, all carefully chosen by library staff. There is also a reference desk, still experimental, that actually answers questions you submit.
World Fact Book
Remember those big, colorful maps hanging from the blackboard your teacher used to wrestle with? The World Fact Book contains hundreds of these maps from all over the world. You can view them and read lots of facts about each geographical area, without having to wrestle them to the ground.
The Nine Planets: A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System
A virtual telescope for aspiring astronomers, with detailed descriptions of each planet that make it a great reference. Photographs, movie clips, and external links take you where no man has gone before.
The Global Health Network
For the health-care professional--or the hypochondriac--this is a truly worldwide venture, with links as far-ranging and diverse as the World Health Organization, the Poisons Information Database at the National University of Singapore, U.S. State Department Travel Advisories, and the Human Genome Project's mutation databases. You can study images of blood or organ pathology, or the initiatives of the International Molecular Epidemiology Task Force (IMETAF). And you can find out the vaccinations and precautions you need for international travel or scare yourself silly reading about horrible new viruses.
The Tech Classics Archive
It doesn't have to be Greek to you anymore, or Roman either. This archive of 375 classical Greek and Roman texts in English translation includes (among many others) Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, the histories of Herodotus and Thucydides, Sophocles's Antigone, Virgil's Aeneid, Plato's Republic, and The Prince by Machiavelli. Browse the contents list by author, title, date, or translator, or search the entire collection--or the works of a particular author--for a specific word or phrase.
Familiar Quotations (Bartlett)
The full title of this 1901 classic is Familiar Quotations: a Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature, and tracing your favorites is easier than ever. You can search by entering a few words, or browse a chronological list of authors. Best of all, there are links that let you discover who said what first.
Roget's Thesaurus (ARTFL Project)
The last word on synonyms. Search the headwords (i.e. category heads) or full text of Roget's Thesaurus version 1.02, supplemented: July 1991. If you hated the printed version, you'll love this: Typing in a word results in an almost immediate jump to the appropriate section, and all those horrible category numbers are linked for easy additional searches.
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Biographical Dictionary
You can get there from here. Where? Almost anywhere. The Biographical Dictionary links important scientists to sites that give you more. Alexander Graham Bell, for example, is linked to Ben Franklin (the connection is electricity) and Franklin is linked to a site that discusses thunderstorms, thunder, and lightning. This is part of the World-Wide Web Virtual Library, with an alphabetized list of more than 60 topics that ranges from Aboriginal Studies to Zoos--and each topic has links to other sites. Best of all is HST Greatest Hits 1990-1995--The Hubble Space Telescope's Gallery of its
ten most spectacular photographs.
Some e-zines focus on very specific topics; others are general-interest periodicals. The best take advantage of all the interface tricks that Web browsers offer so that your reading experience is colorful, interactive, and definitely nonlinear.
The Biz
A New York-based media company has pulled together this effort, with original content about behind-the-scenes entertainment doings written by columnists in the know, as well as links to many related sites.
Crash Site
This Cool Site of the Year runner-up features some of the Web 's trippiest graphics. Spending time here is like attending a gonzo Japanimation festival.
Cyber Culture
Unlike the other e-zines listed here, Cyber Culture is a digest that links itself to a wide range of articles and writings (including fiction) all around the Web . It has no regular publishing schedule.
CyberWire Dispatch
Award-winning journalist Brock L. Meeks is one of the smartest writers on the Web , and this collection of his cyberspace-related articles appears only online. New articles are posted about every two weeks.
Feed
Surf to this most thoughtful of e-zines, and you'll find intriguing and well-argued essays about new media, electronic culture, and social issues surrounding the Web , all wrapped in an elegant package.
HotWired
Though it's true that HotWired is a Web adjunct to the print version of Wired, it's also much more, with groovy graphics almost as head-spinning as the kind of thing you see in the regular magazine.
Hype
Currently, Hype is more interesting for how it looks than for what it contains. Web graphic artists are given free reign to design interesting packages for HTML tools, music reviews, interviews, and links to other cool sites.
Suck
What an attitude! No person, trend, or institution is safe from Suck's withering--and sometimes flamethrowing--sarcasm. Among its most frequent targets: the Web itself.
Urban Desires
This general-interest e-zine looks at art, music, food, technology, style, and even sex, and everything is dished up with a large helping of hip urban attitude.
Word
Word is without a doubt the best-looking e-zine around. Long, rambling articles about popular culture and technology are lavishly and creatively illustrated by some of the best graphic artists on the Web . It's a must-see for anyone who wonders what the future of electronic publishing is going to look like.
Beyond the weird, you--and your family--will find plenty of places to explore when you're looking for ways to entertain yourselves. The best part: Every entertaining site has links to dozens more, so once you start having fun, you may find it very hard to stop.
The Electric Postcard
The MIT Media Lab offers you a virtual post office. You pick a pretty postcard and write a message, and your recipient receives an e-mail message with instructions to go to this Web site to pick up the card.
The Gigaplex
At The Gigaplex you find an all-in-one source for everything related to the world of entertainment. You're one click away from just about every Web site related to music, movies, TV, and fun. It's an encyclopedic list of links.
Interesting Places for Kids
This site, a list of links to hundreds of child-friendly sites that kids can enjoy is a great starting point for parents who want to show their children what the Web has to offer.
MCA/Universal Cyberwalk
Movie studios and entertainment conglomerates continue to scramble to find ways to promote their products on the Web . MCA was among the first and is currently the best, with high-quality interactive movie previews, and links to its TV shows and record companies.
Mediocre Site of the Day
It's easy to locate the best of the Web and the worst of the Web , but it takes a truly critical eye to find the quintessential mediocre. This site actually turns up some interesting pages and treats them with great humor.
Mirsky's Worst of the Web
Here's fuel for the argument that the Web is nothing more than a cyber-junk heap for the lonely, the dysfunctional, and the twisted. A lot of work goes into uncovering the worst; you won't believe some of what you see.
Mr. Showbiz
Starwave's entertainment site has some of the best-written original journalism on the Web . Every day, a crowd of sharp-witted reporters tell tales of Hollywood with no holds barred, and this is also the site that featured "The Blue Tureen," the first serialized Web novel written round-robin style by five authors.
The Spot
The winner of InfiNet's Cool Site of the Year award, The Spot tells the story of a group of young and good-looking Californians who share a beach house and relate their daily traumas in journals that you can read and interact with. Sharp photography and cool graphics abound. Is this what soap operas of the future will look like?
The Squat
Parody is the sincerest form of flattery at this hilarious and dead-on ripoff of The Spot. Instead of good-looking Californians, you get "five hicks living in a trailer with a horse."
S.P.Q.R: The Virtual Rome
This CyberSites game, which comes to you via Time Warner's Pathfinder, is a virtual visit to ancient Rome with incredible graphics and great information. A fast Internet connection is a must.
Architext Excite
Architext Software's Excite is a relative newcomer to Internet navigation. It's NetSearch feature offers comprehensive searching of Web pages and Usenet newsgroups, using both plain text and keyword/concept search methods. You can see your search results organized by relevance or by site. The NetReviews section allows you to browse capsule reviews of Web sites, organized in a subject hierarchy.
The Whole Internet Catalog
The Whole Internet Catalog from Global Network Navigator (GNN) is a directory of 1,200 free Web sites, hand-picked by a team of editors. The catalog is organized by topic, and unfortunately doesn't have a search engine. This is a good place to look for well-maintained sites on a particular topic if you don't have time to do a lot of surfing.
Lycos
Lycos is one of the most comprehensive and powerful Web search sites. Its spider indexes over 7.98 million Web pages, which it claims covers 91% of the Web . A variety of query options are available, including "formless" text searching. A new addition to this site is the Lycos 250, a list of the most popular Web sites in ten categories. Sites are chosen for the list by counting how many other sites link to it.
Yahoo!
Yahoo! is one of the best-known search sites on the Web today. In addition to keyword searching, it offers a hierarchical subject guide that is well organized and cross-referenced. New features include Web Launch, a service for announcing your new Web site to the world.
Open Text Index
Open Text provides a sophisticated search engine, offering fast and powerful searches of about one million Web pages. Its Web crawler tracks tens of thousands of pages per day, indexing every word.
Web Crawler
America Online's Web Crawler uses a robot to gather and index Web pages. If offers fast, simple searching of a content-based index. There are also interesting pages here devoted to Web statistics and the technology behind Web robots.
InfoSeek
InfoSeek offers free and for-pay searching of the Internet. Its free service offers access to the Web and Usenet newsgroups, although the free connection is often busy and will only return the top ten matches to your search. The "member" search offers a faster connection and access to several newspaper and newswire databases not available elsewhere on the Net. It offers a variety of reasonably priced membership plans.
Magellan Internet Directory
The McKinley Group's Magellan is a directory of Internet sites chosen, reviewed, and rated by a team of editors. It offers browsing by subject, simple keyword searching, and advanced concept searching. The Magellan's site reviews offer brief descriptions as well as comprehensive summaries and ratings.
CERN's Web Servers Directory / Virtual Tourist
This is a directory of registered Web servers, mostly academic and scientific, maintained by the World-Wide Web Consortium. The Web Servers Directory has a geographical index, and the Virtual Tourist offers a clickable world map. Sadly, this site lacks a search engine.
Copyright (c) 1995 Ziff-Davis Publishing Company