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Websites of Knowledge?

Posted by Cliff on from the online-references dept.

AvantLegion asks: "Every now and then, I stumble upon a website that is just a veritable tome of knowledge - be it of a certain theme (like Snopes.com) or more general information (Everything2.com). Free documentation databases are invaluable, but rarely seem to come up very early in Google searches. What websites out there do you consider to be indispensable sources of knowledge? (save the obvious Slashdot jokes). Where do you look up information besides combing through search engine results?"

17 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. The Straight Dope by slacy · · Score: 5, Informative

    The Straight Dope

    They've got a good search engine, and answers to all kinds of interesting questions. I've spent many an evening browsing through the archives...

  2. Old School Technology - Newsgroups by dthable · · Score: 3, Informative

    I still look at groups.google.com (mainly because I can't get access to an NNTP server at work). I still find answers on newsgroups that I really can't find anywhere else. (Try using a MS JDBC client....good luck finding anything on MSDN.)

  3. MSDN by CokoBWare · · Score: 3, Interesting

    For a M$ junkie like me, I do find MSDN to be invaluable for developer reference when I need some definitive answer for an API I don't have handy.

  4. IMDb by epsalon · · Score: 4, Informative

    The Internet Movie Database has everything there is to know about movies and TV series, and the people involved in them. An invaluable resource to all movie viewers.

    --

    Make even shorter URLs - 8LN.org

    1. Re:IMDb by mattsucks · · Score: 3, Funny

      Seconded -- IMDB is a must, especially when you're, say, watching Independence Day and wonder, "Hey, isn't that Lieutenant Getraer from CHiPs?"

      IMDB wouldn't really help, because at that point I'd be paralyzed with the shame of my intimate knowledge of CHiPs and thus unable to get to the computer.

  5. How Stuff Works by Dfiant · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I like browsing articles at howstuffworks.com. I go there looking for something specific and end up spending hours reading the articles. They're not overly technical, but not so simple as to be inaccurate either. It's something I can share with others and not confuse them right out. ;-)

  6. You're missing the obvious ones by eggstasy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Wikipedia
    How Stuff Works

  7. Mathworld by Ann+Coulter · · Score: 4, Informative

    has everything you want to know about math. Scienceworld has some cursory scientific information as well.

  8. arXiv.org e-Print archive by asa · · Score: 3, Informative

    http://arxiv.org/ is invaluable if you're interested in scientific publishing. It's been around for more than a decade and I know of no better research archiving and dissemination project. I imagine that it was designed for a specific community (researchers) but, as nothing but a spectator, I've found it to be a great source of information and worth visiting regularly.

    --Asa

  9. Don't confuse knowledge with information by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Most of the examples I've seen in the comments so far are full of information. It is up to you to turn that information into knowledge. I'd say that websites containing actual knowledge as opposed to information are few if not nonexistent.

    Sorry to be so pedantic, but the speaker at my college graduation said something along the lines of, "seek knowledge, not information" and it's the one thing from his speech that has stuck with me. Use information to gain knowledge, and use knowledge to gain wisdom. It is only through the power of the willing human mind that each transforms into the next.

    But anyway, back to your regularly scheduled links full of cool information...

  10. They're even tech sites! by Asprin · · Score: 3, Informative


    webopedia.com
    whatis.com

    --
    "Lawyers are for sucks."
    - Doug McKenzie
  11. Alternative dictionary site by larien · · Score: 3, Informative

    As an alternative for dictionary.com, try www.m-w.com

  12. My favorites by fm6 · · Score: 3, Informative
    The Portland Pattern Repository is a fascinating reference site, even if you're not a programmer. It's also of interest as the very first WikiWiki site.

    Then again, it's sort of redundant to mention the PPR in this story, since it tends to turn up in Google searches.

    Bartleby.com has all kinds of reference books available, and lots of other stuff online. Like all of the Harvard Classics.

    I'm suprised I'm the first to mention Project Gutenberg. Maybe people don't think of it as a reference site, since mostly it's good for downloading whole public-domain texts. But various volunteers (including me) are now in the process of proofreading the famous Britannica 11th Edition for inclusion in the Gutenberg set. At the current rate, it'll be done in about a year. But perhaps with more volunteers...

  13. All Music Guide by CaptainStormfield · · Score: 3, Informative

    I love the All Music Guide. This is a very useful database of artist bios, discographies, album reviews, and recommended albums for particular artists.

    --
    "The dinosaurs died because they didn't have a space program." - Niven
  14. Basic and not so basic net lore. by jedo · · Score: 3, Informative

    searchlore.org
    serachlores.org
    Beware if you -- from Redmond
    anywhere is this site. The firest pages are safe tho.

  15. FAQs.org by I+Am+The+Owl · · Score: 4, Informative
    FAQs.org is a large repository of USENET group FAQs. I find it indispensible when looking for an overview of particular topic, such as the comp.compression FAQ or the comp.graphics.rendering.raytracing FAQ. All kinds of interesting articles are to be had on that site alone, it's a fun read.

    Also, I find that Security Focus has a huge backlog of very useful and interesting information for those concerned with computer security. In that same vein, dbaseiv.net [Google cache, the site seems to be down right now] is shaping up to be a huge repository of computer security knowledge.

    The Linux Documentation Project is full of HOWTOs relating to Linux, if you've got a Linux problem that you need to work out (though HOWTOs make for really boring recreational reading).

    This is just what I can come up with off the top of my head, I'll probably post a reply to this when I remember more.

    --

    --sdem
  16. people's homepages... by quiddity · · Score: 3, Informative
    i think there must be a good selection of useful user "home" pages. would make a good thread, or posting in itself. from mine:
    --web

    currency converter - findsounds.com

    how stuff works - infoplease

    about.com - librarian's index

    rebecca's reference - tom mayo's links
    -words:

    acronym/abbr -lookup -finder -bm

    trans -babelfish -worldlingo -google bm

    bartleby

    phrontistery

    pseudodictionary

    jargon file
    --music

    epitonic - pitchfork

    sonomu - electraum

    gnod - audioquarium --books:

    amazon - abebooks - bookfinder

    gutenberg & onlinebooks

    loc.gov - lambiek comiclopedia - rebecca's books

    --
    .
    . hmmm