Credible Dot.com - Works - website evaluation

T+D, Oct, 2002 by William Powell

RELATED ARTICLE: Roger Ebert's final column for the now-defunct magazine, Yahoo Internet Life, dealt with how the Internet has changed the way he works. Specifically, he referred to his method of grazing the Net," dipping in and out of favorite Websites as he writes in this case, the column that I was reading. And what do you know? I, too, was grazing while writing a column about the Internet. His point had hit its mark.

I've explored some new pastures since then, and here's a site for all of you grazers out there: Bored.com www.bored.com.

Bored.com is a directory of Websites, and a visit isn't so much grazing as it is strapping on a feedbag of meaningless time-killers with little to no relevance to your daily work. Don't get the wrong idea; this isn't my favorite site. But it gets my vote as the nonpareil Website for wasting time.

Though the classics are here, such as horoscopes, jokes, and funny videos of George W. Bush dancing, there are also links to more novel pursuits, such as virtual bubble wrap, a site where you can make your own online robot, and the fascinating story of Patrick Combs and his $93,093.35 check. Sure they're silly, but there are times when a little virtual bubble wrap can snap you out of whatever has you down.

Do you have a favorite Website that you like to graze? Email me. I'll include a list of the top sites in a future column; wpowell(c)astd.org.

QuickTip

When you absolutely, positively have to make sure an email reaches its recipient, you can request a return receipt. Email marked with this feature triggers a return message once it has been opened. Most major email programs such as Outlook, Netscape Messenger, and Eudora have a return-receipt feature built in.

Microsoft Outlook 2000 users can request a return receipt in three steps:

1. From the message composition window, select File.

2. Select Properties.

3. Under the General tab, select Delivery receipt requested.

Just a note: The return receipt feature can be refused by other Outlook 2000 users, and compatibility conflicts between servers and email applications can prevent you from successfully receiving your returned receipt. So, test first. If you do encounter problems with the feature, try a third-party site such as CertifiedMail

www.certifiedmail.com.

By the NUMBERS

Altavista, Google, Hotbot--you have your favorite search engine, I have mine. If you're an experienced surfer, chances are you use it daily. Here are some quick numbers from Pew Internet and American Life Project's study of U.S. search engine usage

www.pewinternet.org.

33: number of adults (in millions) who present queries on a search engine in a typical day

85: percentage of Internet users who have used a search engine

29: percentage of Internet users who use a search engine daily

52: percentage of Internet users who use email daily

30: percentage of men likely to do a vanity search (search their own name)

24: percentage of women likely to do a vanity search

25.9 average number of minutes per user per month for Google.com.