This more casual approach to Web reporting will be up your alley if you're seeking "a weekly commentary on Web technology, business, and culture with a point of view." The writer-whose aim since day one has been to investigate both the navel-gazing and forecasting the Internet imposes on its viewers-has had it up to his highbrow with this self-absorbed world and its focus on "digital consumption." His revamped links list is an incestuous herd on a stampede into camps inhabited by the likes of MSN, Wired, and AOL, the shared goal being the sound of crushing bone. - Ismael Marrero
Psst. Hey, kid. Come 'ere. I heard ya mutterin' ya's lookin' fer somethin' in a Java tool, and ya wants it wit' the five-finger discount, am I right? Well, ya've come to da right place. How 'bout somethin' a little older, say Jax for generatin' scanners? Or how about this little number, Hashjava, so's you can obfuscate applets? Ya like dat? Yeah, well, it fell offa truck, and it's yours. Wort' any money to ya? Hey, pally, put that away, not here! Do me a favor, give dat ta charity if ya appreciate da stuff so much. An' don't mention it. (Translation: Free Tools for Java offers applications and source code for Java creation. The tools are free of charge, but the author asks that those interested in paying make a donation to the Red Cross.) - Ismael Marrero
Mirabilis, Ltd. wants to see the Internet live up to its reputation as a "cyberspace community." The company created ICQ, shareware that enables real-time interaction among users and makes time spent on the Net more social. The Mirabilis site offers a thorough explanation of why ICQ is meaningful as a paradigm shifter, and also details its practical uses. ICQ runs in the background, alerts users when selected friends or colleagues log onto the Net, and then enables chat, e-mail, and file transfers without disruption to other online activities. The software can be downloaded from the site, and the FAQ covers many of the logistical issues. - Katherine Stevenson
Just as technology is forever evolving, so too is the language used to describe it. Netdictionary is one way to stay in the know while you surf the Net. When confronted with a word like "kluge" or "moof," you needn't be confounded, because this site contains definitions for over 400 of the most commonly used technological terms, hacker slang, and acronyms. Navigation is intuitive for both the HTML and Java versions, the latter of which offers a display resembling a traditional dictionary. The definitions reflect Standard Internet English, and the site offers an open invitation to suggest a word if the lexicon is found to be lacking. - Katherine Stevenson
Be honest-browsers really only come in two forms. And each looks (and feels) a lot like the other. So how much can be said about the subject? Well, if it's c - Robert Capps
Developer.com includes all sorts of cool stuff presented with finesse and aplomb. Read exclusive technology news articles (odds are the top article at any given time will be about a security hole in something from Microsoft, Sun, or Netscape), follow links to training materials and tutorials (for JavaScript, VRML, ActiveX, Java and JavaBeans), peruse the special effects training for Web mavens, plow through the spectacular Gamelan directory of Java and JavaScript totality, and explore a whole universe of sub-sites pertaining to ActiveX, JavaScript, JavaBeans, VRML, and Channels. Also available is a 26-page section called What's Cool, and great random gobs of wholesome, crunchy goodness. - Gary Barker
I've never watched the .Com TV show on CNBC or Bravo, so I had no idea what to expect from this site. Apparently the show is about the Internet, but the site doesn't seem to be anything but advertisements featuring Mark Hamill (yeah, the Star Wars guy), Cory James (who?), and Jackie Bales (who?) as hucksters for a variety of computer-related geegaws. What's worse, you can't even see these ads until you've downloaded and installed the gigantic VivoActive plug-in. Every calorie burned in producing this site was used up in the hopes that its sacrifice would sell something. .Com is nothing but an infomercial. At least the VivoActive plug-in is cool. - Gary Barker