Ranker - Vote On Everything

Hi All,

A few days ago I came across a website called Ranker.  The site bills itself as a place for people to 'vote on everything'. 

What exactly is Ranker you ask? Good question, it is a leading digital media company for opinion-based, crowdsourced rankings on just about everything. They advertise that about 50 million people have generated over 300 million votes.

Okay..that all said here's the meat of the site.  They have dozens of lists (ranks) on topics like 'people', 'entertainment', 'sports', 'culture', 'channels' and 'videos'..

Typing in a phrase in the search box at the top right of the screen results in a list of results related to the search.  Lists with the most number of votes are ranked at the top of the screen.

For example, a search for 'puppies' and a list of 'The Cutest Mixed Dog Breeds' appears.   Other lists included 'Cutest Black Lab Pictures' and 'Cutest Boy Puppy Names'.  Pictures appear in each list and a brief narrative is included as well.

The number of votes that the pictures received is listed as well. 

Check out the site for some very entertaining and enlightening lists!

Enjoy the site!

Regards,
Stu










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How Stuff Works?

Hi All, 

A very interesting, useful, practical - and somewhat fun - website is 'How Stuff Works?'.

Basically its a site that explains to readers 'how stuff works'.  Hence the name of the site.

There are categories on the site.  For example, there are sections on Health, Science, Home/Garden,
Auto, Tech, Culture, Money, Lifestyle, Entertainment, Adventure, Animals and more!

Ultimately the site yields an article that lets the reader learn how 'stuff' works.  For example, I drilled down to an article titled 'Are married couples genetically similar?'  The article is about 2 pages long and includes details about the topic.  Related content is available to link to from the bottom of the page. 

How Stuff Works? also has videos and podcasts

Readers can subscribe to the How Stuff Works? newsletter by entering their email address at the bottom of the page. Readers will get the latest How Stuff Works? podcasts, tours, latest news and more from the site. 

Enjoy learning How Stuff Works?!!!

Regards,
Stu

Good News - Its the GoodNews Network!

Hi all,

Between all the weather related news, international geopolitics and the fact that school began today for many kids on Long Island, I figured we could use a good news blog entry.  And that's just exactly what you'll find here. 

The GoodNewsNetwork (hereafter GNN) has, since 1997, been the place that many people have  turned to as an antidote to the barrage of negativity experienced in the mainstream media. Because of its long history, staying power, and public trust, the Good News Network has remained #1 on Google.

Click here for the GNN 'About Us' page. 

Users can click on various topics to get 'good news'.  For example there are links to News, Culture, Uplifting News and more.  Believe it or not there is a GNN app - which can be downloaded here. 

There is also a GNN newsletter - click here for that. 

Finally, there has been some press about GNN - click here for various news outlets take on GNN. 

Enjoy the good news and the links and GNN!

Regards,
Stu

Vocative - The Deep Web Revealed

Hi All,

Vocative. Yes - its a website. Yes - its a real word.  Yes - here's the link.

What is Vocative you ask? Indeed - a good question to be sure.  Its a news website with a difference. 

"As the site itself puts it, " Vocativ is a media and technology venture that explores the deep web to discover original stories, hidden perspectives, emerging trends, and unheard voices from around the world. Our audience is the young, diverse, social generation that wants to share what’s interesting and what’s valuable. We reach them with a visual language, wherever they are naturally gathering....

At the heart of Vocativ is our exclusive technology, a place where science meets storytelling. More than 80% of the Internet sits beyond the grasp of Google, in an area called the deep web. Vocativ explores this vast, uncharted space, which includes everything from public forums and databases to social platforms and commerce sites."

Okay. with all that out of the way, exploring Vocative is fun, easy and well, educational.  The top of the homepage has a ribbon with links to Video, News, USA, World, Underworld, Tech, Money, Culture and Photos. 

As users can see, the site does not shy away from the controversial topics of the day.  Click here to see the Vocativ FAQ - the section on FAQ's to answer your questions about the site...

Enjoy the deep web news reports!

Regards,
Stu

How Stuff Works?

Hi All,

How do things work? I'm talking about things like 'Are Married People Happier Than Singles?', or 'What are The 10 Worst Foods to Eat?', or 'How Does Your Computer Know How Much Ink is Left in Your Cartridge?', or  'Why Can't We Remember Being Babies?'

Well, for all of the above listed questions, readers can click on the link to answer that particular question.

One really, really excellent feature of HowStuffWorks.com is the search box at the top right corner of the screen. Users can type in a phrase or search term and results will appear after you click on the magnifying glass (aka the 'enter' button).  Great stuff because links appear at the bottom of the page.  One possible negative to the site - there are Google Ads after each search. This can be disconcerting, but the actual HowStuffWorks? results appear right after the advertisements.

And with that nugget out of the way, searching for the exact result or answer that you need is a snap!

Readers can click on this link from 'HowStuffWorks.com' to find a plethora (a lot! - not a google however) of answers to a huge variety of questions.  Topics range from Adventure, Animals, Auto, Culture, Entertainment, Health, Home & Garden, Lifestyle, Money, Science, Technology and more.

In addition, HowStuffWorks has links to Video, Shows and Quizzes - click on links just listed for more information on those topics.

My favorite link is the Technology link.  Currently there is an article titled, '10 Internet of Things Nightmares', and 'Could You Put a Camera in a Contact Lens?'  But wait, there is more!

Other categories in the Electronics section of How Stuff Works? include: Family Tech, Everyday Tech, Gadgets, Cameras and Photography, Future Tech, How-to-Tech and Tech Myths...

Whew!  That was a mouthful!

Enjoy the site, find an answer - and get on with your life!  Kind of helpful, useful and easy to use!
Regards,
Stu

The Highbrow Post

Hi All,

Since I know that this might be considered the 'highbrow post', I wanted to make it short and sweet.

Arts & Letters Daily (from the Chronicle of Higher Education) can be found by clicking on this link.

What is it you ask? Indeed, good question. As the masthead of the website proclaims, 'philosophy, aesthetics, literature, language, ideas, criticism, culture, history, music, art, trends, breakthroughs, disputes, gossip' - it is all here on the site.

Basically it is lots of current events and news on a very, very wide variety of topics.

ALD is set up to read like a traditional newspaper - hence the section on 'Articles of Note', 'New Books', and 'Essays and Opinion'. There are also many links to other world famous newspapers and magazines like American Heritage, American Journal Review, Atlantic Monthly, First Things, Foreign Affairs, History Today, The Humanist, National Journal, National Review, New York Times, Newsweek, Der Spiegel, Utne Reader, WSJ Opinion and many more.

If you are looking for a website that covers the world of ideas, thought and commentary, then this site is for you! Note that there is no overriding bias to the site. Conservatives, liberals and centerists alike can find something to like and dislike on the site.

Finally, if you are looking for a website that is graphics intensive (think lots of pictures) you have come to the wrong site. ALD has - for the most part - very few pictures. Much of the site is text, text, and more text. If you are looking for words and ideas then you've come to the right place!

Enjoy!

Stu

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