The size of the World Wide Web continues to expand, and websites continue to become more sophisticated. The Internet is an easy place to fall prey to information overload. I discovered that last year, when my brain became numb trying to organize this column into weekly themes. In this fresh, new year, I resolve, to go with the flow, ride the wave, and leave the upstream current to spawning salmon. That means less desktop clutter and forgotten web addresses for me, and more random site reviews for you. Let’s begin, shall we?
Million Dollar Homepage . Alex Tew wanted to pay off his student loans. He did some old-fashioned brainstorming. By old-fashioned, I mean that he unplugged his computer and allowed himself to daydream. He came up with an idea that involved just a tiny investment of money. Alex decided to put up a site where anyone could “own a piece of Internet history” at one dollar per pixel. The maximum number of pixels for his web page would be one million, and anyone could participate for a minimum of 100 pixels or $100. Alex has earned, as of this writing, over $920,000. Only 80.000 pixels are available now, so if you want to be part of this “historic” webpage, you’d better hurry. It will be left online definitely for 5 years, and as Alex said, hopefully much longer. Alex’s brilliant idea has made him wealthy, and he has yet to finish his business degree. Among the items he wants to purchase (after paying off those loans), is a few pairs of “decent socks.” Check out Alex’s (almost)-million-dollar website. I guess this is a lesson for all of us to dream big.
Yoga Everywhere . If you spend long hours in front of the computer each day, you’ll be happy to know about Yoga Everywhere. Easy instructions with illustrations show you how to stretch and limber up gently to avoid eye, neck and shoulder strain. Excercises are provided for travelers and office workers (non-computer) too. Surf the links and you’ll find a boatload of information to promote wellness and relief from stress.
Magnetic Poetry . Maybe you’ve run across these little kits in bookstores: word magnets you can put on your fridge and rearrange to make an artful poem. Now you can do the same thing online without magnets. Just rearrange the words with your mouse until you’ve “written” some lines you like. It’s easy, it’s fun, and you’ll be amazed at your poetic writing skills. You can email yourself your finished poem, so that you won’t forget your brilliant writing skills. You’ll find it a fast way to get those creative juices flowing.
Draw A House Personality Test . I was skeptical when I found this, because I could not believe that drawing a house could really reveal any kind of reliable personality data. So, I was surprised when my awkward drawing came back with a report that fit me well—at least how I see myself. This is a fun site, and no fee is involved. If you don’t like your report, go back and draw another house. After you’ve submitted your mouse-drawn abode, you’ll be asked a series of questions. You don’t have to input any personal data about yourself, so enjoy!
Wildlife Photography Winners . The photo contest sponsored by the National Wildlife Foundation has produced spectacular images by amateur contestants. Except that the winning images look like they came from top professional photographers. Find the link on the homepage to the winning pictures. This website is definitely worth a visit!
