Hobbies & Interests Page 10 Computing & Computers
How to Use -- Contents
There are millions of Internet Web sites devoted to hobbies. Our intent is to give you a sample in each category so you can start a new activity or improve one that you already enjoy. We provide historical references, sites of people who actually display their hobby online, as well as suggestions.
Use this index grid to jump right to the topic. If the category you want is not here, select something close. To make things easier, we may place the same link in several areas. For example, "collecting airline sickness bags" is listed in "Travel & Transportation" as well as in "Strange & Unusual." Due to the huge amount of resources for Hobbies, we have divided this into 20 pages. As you click on a link, it will take you directly to that topic on a new Slightly Creaky page.
Hobbies Categories
Updated March 10, 2010
Each area includes hobbies, how to do, and collecting
Also See Recreation Pets
Collecting (General Information) |
|||
Playing Card (Games - Collecting) |
Board Games (Playing - Collecting) |
||
Miscellaneous (lots of stuff) |
|||
Online Games Page 1 |
|||
Online Games Page 2 |
|||
Open |
|||
Geography (inc. maps & flags) |
|||
Communications (inc. telephones) |
|||
China (pottery, glass) |
|||
Animals (live & preserved) |
|||
We try to avoid commercial sites, but in many cases they are the only ones who provide ideas and information. If you are looking to buy or sell, please use a generalized search engine.
NOTE: If the table lines do not show properly, please refresh the page.
Caution - Proceed with care
Slightly Creaky is not responsible for the content of web sites listed here or the actions taken by the people owning, managing, or participating on these sites. Once you click on a link you are leaving our site.
These listings are the result of thousands of hours of research. It is the property of Slightly Creaky and may not be reproduced in any form. Every attempt has been made to provide an accurate description of each organization. Contact us if you find an error.
Have We Missed Your Hobby?
We are constantly looking for more information, more links, as well as featured articles. Please help us improve our site and service. The Internet had millions of web pages dedicated to hobbies; we can only sample a few of them. Our purpose is to give our viewers a taste of what is out there so you can start a new activity or improve one that you already enjoy.
If you know any sites we should include write to suggestions@slightlycreaky.com
Learning To Use
Learning To Use A Computer
"Computers have their beginnings back in pre-history, starting with the abacus." |
|
| History of the Computer | |
| Chronology of Personal Computers |
"This document is an attempt to bring various published sources together to present a timeline about Personal Computers. " |
| A History of the Personal Computer | (PDF) Traces the history of the PC |
| Early History of the Personal Computer | "In 1969 Intel was commissioned by a Japanese calculator company to produce an integrated circuit, a computer chip, for its line of calculators." |
| An Illustrated History of Computers | "The first computers were people! That is, electronic computers (and the earlier mechanical computers) were given this name because they performed the work that had previously been assigned to people. "Computer" was originally a job title: it was used to describe those human beings (predominantly women) whose job it was to perform the repetitive calculations required to compute such things as navigational tables, tide charts, and planetary positions for astronomical almanacs." |
| Computer History Museum | "This timeline explores the history of computing from 1939 to 1994. Each year features illustrated descriptions of significant innovations in hardware and software technology, as well as milestones in areas such as commercial applications and artificial intelligence." |
| History of Computers | "The development of the modern day computer was the result of advances in technologies and man's need to quantify. Papyrus helped early man to record language and numbers. The abacus was one of the first counting machines. ." |
| Computer Terms | "An Operating System (OS) is a software program that enables the computer hardware to communicate and operate with the computer software. Your computer would be useless if it didn't have an operating system. " |
| Basic Computer Terminology | "access time - The performance of a hard drive or other storage device - how long it takes to locate a file. " |
| The Sharpened Glossary | "A Glossary of Computer Terms with Easy-to-Understand Definitions" |
| Computer Terms Glossary | "This page is meant to serve as a guide to the vast quantity of computer terms and acronyms in common use for the casual computer user. It is divided into two main sections, the first is dedicated to the basics and is meant more for beginners, while the second is meant instead to be used as a reference." |
| Tech Terms Dictionary | "The goal of the Tech Terms Dictionary is to not just define computer terms, but explain them as well. Definitions of computer terms are helpful, but explanations with examples are even better. TechTerms.com contains hundreds of computer and technology terms, all with detailed explanations." |
| Roads and Crossroads of Internet History | "A comprehensive and fascinating overview of the philosophy and history of the Internet. Many related links and a section on pertinent statistics." |
| Internet for Historians | "The internet is an innovation (or rather a series of innovations) that enables communication and transmission of data between computers at different locations. It is an extremely new scientific development, but that does not mean that we cannot analyse it historically, using the concepts that we apply to other innovations in the past" |
| The Future of the Internet | "When the World Wide Web began in 1990, few suspected how successful it would become. One estimate is that there are over a hundred million websites and billions of web pages." |
| Free Internet Access | "The volume of people around the world connecting their computers to the internet is increasing at an amazing rate. Despite the availability of High Speed Connections like DSL and cable the vast majority of people still use modems and regular phone lines for access." |
"This tutorial is designed to help people who have never used a computer before. We will concentrate on using the mouse and a few other basic skills. Ask a librarian for information on local computer classes for more in-depth instruction." |
|
| New User Tutorial | |
| Senior Net | "SeniorNet's mission is to provide older adults education for and access to computer technologies to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom. " |
| Learn Basic Computer Skills | "Learn basic computer skills for Windows XP and 2000 in this free online computer training course, including how to use a computer keyboard, burn a CD, use USB drives, open, recover & save files and more in this home computer training class on video." |
| Why You Must Learn How to Use a Computer | "No one in our society today can ignore the need to learn how to use computer properly any longer. Not quite long ago, food, shelter and money were the three primary necessities of man. But today, basic computer skills have also joined the list too." |
| Basic Computer Skills | " On this web site you'll get step-by step descriptions of the basic functions, you need to be able to enjoy your computer. " |
| Computer Training Tutorials | "Explanations, tutorials and tips about computers and the Web" |
| GCF Learn Free | "We are passionate about learning. That's why we offer all our learning opportunities at no cost whatsoever!" |
| Should Students Learn Windows? Or Mac? Or What? | "Things change in the computer industry. Things change rapidly. It's quite simply a myth that there is some carved in stone, neverchanging entity called "Windows" that students should learn, because it's what the rest of the world is using." |
| Get Started with Your Mac | "If you're new to computers or simply need a refresher course on how to get the most out of your Mac, you've come to the right place. " |
| Learn to Use Your Mac Like a Pro | "Have you just switched to a Mac? Or have you switched sometime ago and still have those “how do I do this on a mac?” moments… well then this is for you! Apple has recently added a “Find out how” section to its website with videos on common computing tasks that should help your transition from the dark side." |
| A Beginner's Guide to the Mac | "These pages are intended to help those who are new to the Mac Operating System (OS) get acquainted with their new environment. Many of the tips will also be valuable to more experienced users." |
| What Email is and How It Works | "Email, e-mail or electronic mail is the transmission of messages (emails or email messages) over electronic networks like the internet." |
| What is E-mail Etiquette? | "Like every other form of communication, one must use proper etiquette when dealing with other human beings. There are, of course, rules of etiquette which pertain to email, and here they are..." |
| E-mail Etiquette Rules | "There are many etiquette guides and many different etiquette rules. Some rules will differ according to the nature of your business and the corporate culture. Below we list what we consider as the 32 most important email etiquette rules that apply to nearly all companies." |
| The Internet Owner's Manual | "Welcome to Learn the Net, a website dedicated to helping you master this amazing medium" |
| Welcome to the Web | "There are five sections on this site, which will teach you about different parts of the "Web." |
| Learn to Search the World Wide Web | "This is a free, self-paced tutorial that contains, in four lessons, information about the Web, explanations about how information is collected and organized and tips for how to find things on the Internet. " |
| WebWise | "Learn to use the Internet, step-by-step." |
| Internet 101 | "Come and discover how the Internet works. Find out where you can get great software. Learn the secrets of search engines. Have your questions answered and problems solved. We are the world’s most popular guide to the Internet and currently read in 96 countries! We’ve been serving the internet community since 1997! " |
"Learn how to type correctly in just a few hours using all your fingers." Instruction in 5 languages |
|
| Free Online Typing Course | |
| Krazy Keyboarding | "A S D F and J K L ; have a special name. They're called the home keys. Why? Because in touch keyboarding, you always start from these keys, and you always return to them. That way your fingers never lose their place--and neither do you." |
| Typing Lessons | "For your convenience, the program allows practicing with a meaningless sequence of letters. Nonetheless, it is important to note that practicing with a comprehensible text is imperative for efficient learning and exercise. " |
| Keyboarding Practice | "A series of 17 drills to help you improve your keyboarding technique and speed. " |
| Mouse Program | "I keep my finger on the left button. To single click I gently press down and then release the mouse button." |
| Become Familiar with a Mouse | "The Palm Beach County Library System presents this resource to help beginning computer users become familiar with using a mouse." |
Discuses firewalls, system updates, virus protection, and antispyware. |
|
| 4 Steps to Protect Your Computer | |
| Keeping Children Safe as They Learn to Use the Computer |
(PDF) "Nowadays, even our young kids are expected — if not required — to use the computer to prepare assignments. And, of course, this is often supported by computer curriculum in school and, at least in my house anyway, by a healthy dose of computer-based games. All this adds up to the facts that kids as young as seven are “surfing the web” independently." |
| Computer Security at Home | From Microsoft |
| Computer Security | "Each and every day, some of the 600 million people on the Internet are reaching out and touching our computers in attempts to violate our privacy, use our resources, dupe us into helping them perform a crime, or steal information." |
| Bleeping Computer | "Bleeping Computer is a community devoted to providing free original content, consisting of computer help and tutorials, in such a way that the beginning computer user can understand. Getting started using our community is extremely easy!" |
| Steps to Keep Your Computer Safe from any Harm | "Here are a few steps you can use to keep your computer safe from any harm." |
| How to Choose a Firewall | "Three basic types of firewalls are available for you to choose from: " |
| Basic Rules for Keeping Your Computer Safe | "Here are the five most important things you should do to protect your PC against intruders and viruses, in order of importance. " |
| Tips for Safe Online Sharing | "Follow these tips to help you stay safe when downloading music, movies and other electronic content on the Web." |
Online Games
Online Games
These link to other Slightly Creaky pages
Many of these are Commercial Sites or have plenty of advertising
Casino Type Games (no gambling sites) |
|
Caution - Proceed with careGame sites are frequent targets of hackers and may contain viruses. Use extreme care when downloading any program from a web site. Be sure to have at least one up-to-date protection program. Slightly Creaky is not responsible for the content of web sites listed here or the actions taken by the people owning, managing, or participating on these sites. Once you click on a link you are leaving our site. |
|
Online Groups
Online Groups
| "In general, online dating is a fun and effective means of meeting people compatible with you. Tens of thousands of people have met, dated, and eventually married as a result of their online dating experience. However, it is still vitally important when using online dating services, that you exercise caution because there are some dangers. " | |
| What are the Dangers of Online Dating? | |
| Chat Dangers | "A site all about the potential dangers on interactive services online like chat, IM, online games, email and on mobiles. Click on the icons below to read TRUE STORIES and find out how to chat SAFELY... " |
| Knowing the Dangers of the Internet | "Just as in virtually all other aspects of life, there are persons who will use the Internet as a means to pursue criminal enterprise, some of which may be personally hazardous to other users. Our purpose in presenting this information is to make users aware of the possibility of criminal application and to foster the same type of healthy caution which we encourage all citizens to observe in their daily lives. " |
| Dangers of Meeting Friends Online | (From a Polish site) "According to the survey in question, “Analysis of the dangers of meeting new friends online among children, aged 12 – 17”, which was published in January 2006, the clear majority of internet users aged between 12 to 17 admits that they heard of or read about the dangers of meeting new friends met online (90%)." |
| Net Safety | "Safe Netting is an ongoing journal that chronicles important issues about the emerging digital world." |
| Dangers Children Face Online | "Instant messaging on the computer has become the phone for kids today. Children spend hours chatting online with their friends, and sometimes with strangers. A recent study found that one in five children online is approached by a sexual predator, a predator who may try to set up a face-to-face meeting." |
| Online Users Not Aafe as They Think | "Internet users at home are not nearly as safe online as they believe, according to a nationwide inspection by researchers. They found most consumers have no firewall protection, outdated antivirus software and dozens of spyware programs secretly running on their computers." |
"The Internet makes the world a little smaller with chat rooms, forums, and special interest groups. A toy soldier collector? A dahlia expert? With a little searching, chances are you'll find someone online who shares your passions and interests." |
|
| How to Meet People Online | |
| Should I Try Free Online Dating Or Matchmaking | "Free online dating organizations have thousands to tens of thousands people so it is like a club for online people. You can wonder around, view pictures, and even sometimes set up search parameters to help cut your selections down to thousands or even hundreds." |
| Friendship Dating Websites – The Way to Meet People Online | "Thanks to the internet it is now possible to communicate with people around the world in a way that was not possible decades ago." |
| Online Message Boards | "A bulletin board is an online discussion site. It's sometimes also called a 'board' or 'forums'. It may contain several categories, consisting of forums, threads and individual posts." Try Slightly Creaky's Community Message Board. |
| What is an Internet Forum | "An Internet forum is a place on the Internet for trading ideas or information. An Internet forum allows many people to chime in about their particular experiences, information, tips, tricks, etc" |
"A social networking site is a website where individuals can set up an online profile, describing his/her interests, and add links to other profiles. Generally, users are able to post personal information, including photographs, videos, and blog entries." |
|
| What is Social Networking | |
| User Groups: Meet and Learn With Your Peers | "User groups are typically independently run, volunteer groups that meet on a regular basis to discuss and share information on a variety of technical topics." |
| What is Twitter | "The basic premise of Twitter is to serve as a destination to find out what anyone is doing at any given moment. It is conceived of as a form of micro-blogging, where users can update the world as to their actions and location without posting a full blog entry." |
| The Safe Way to Meet People Online | "Every minute, people from all walks of life connect to the Internet and thus, the Internet is a best place to meet lots of people—of different age group, gender, religion, likes and dislikes, interests, nationality, character and beliefs—all at the same time." |
| What is MySpace | "MySpace is a free online community composed of personal profiles aimed foremostly at a younger membership. A MySpace profile typically includes a digital photo and in-depth information about personal interests. The amount of detail included in the profile is up to the user and submitted voluntarily. MySpace policy requires users be at least 14 years of age to join. Members routinely send each other messages and “network” or socialize within the MySpace community." |
| What is Facebook | "Facebook is a social networking website intended to connect friends, family, and business associates. It is the largest of the networking sites, with the runner up being MySpace. It began as a college networking website and has expanded to include anyone and everyone. " |
| The Dangers of MySpace & Facebook | "If you use one of these sites to stay in touch, to express yourself openly, and to find like-minded people, that’s great. Just be sure you stay smart and safe in the process." |
| Newbie's Guide to Facebook | "Facebook is a social networking service that lets you connect with friends, co-workers, and others who share similar interests or who have common backgrounds. Many use it as a way to stay in touch after finishing school, or as a way to share their life publicly." |
One way to more safely meet people online is through a medical support group. With Slightly Creaky originally meant for people with disabilities, we attract many people with similar interests. You may start your search with SC's Medical Support sites. |
|
| Online Interest Groups | "This section of the InfoPool will be dedicated to articles and information about specific interest topics and groups that you can find online. It will also contain articles and information that might be harder to find do to their uniqueness. " |
| Issues, Organizations, and Interest Groups | "Pick an issue. Pick an opinion. Congratulations! There's an online organization that agrees with you." |
| How to Search for Someone on the Web | "The Web has an inexhaustible supply of free resources that can help you find people online. Reconnect with that old high school sweetheart, find out what your college buddy has been doing all these years, track what your family and friends are doing online....yes, you can do all that and more on the Web." |
| How To: Find People Online The Social Media Way | "With the wealth of social networking sites where people can register, specify their interests and find friends that share common hobbies, it is sad to admit that people search is still quite messy. Popular networking sites (Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn) offer surprisingly limited search abilities: you can only search by name or by location or by company or school." |
| How to Find an Online Social Network for your Interests | "With all of today's online social networks, finding the right ones that fit your interests and lifestyle can be difficult. So here is a list of the top social networks and just who their niche is geared towards." |
"Want to learn about car repair? Have a question about computers? You can find a discussion or a group about it. Why not start your own group? For your family, your softball team... Creating a group is easy – just pick a name and start inviting members. Find something you like? Join straight away, or request an invitation if it's a private group." |
|
| Google Groups | |
| Yahoo! Groups | "Yahoo! Groups is making it even easier for people to meet others and make a difference together." |
| Ning | "Ning offers the latest social networking features, all infinitely customizable to meet your unique needs. The Ning Platform makes this possible. As a platform, you don't have to appeal to Ning for the features you want. If you have the time and the inclination, you can build them yourself." |
| "LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals from around the world, representing 170 industries and 200 countries. You can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that you need to work with to accomplish your goals. " | |
| Find a User Group | "Looking for a particular user group or wondering if your group is already registered? Search by location or topic to locate a specific group's page or see a list of groups.If you are searching for international user groups, please select "Other" from the list below. If you are searching for an online user group, please select "Online." |
| "Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Millions of people use Facebook everyday to keep up with friends, upload an unlimited number of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet." | |
| MySpace | "Create a community on MySpace and you can share photos, journals and interests with your growing network of mutual friends! " |
| Buddy Stumbler | "Buddy Stumbler allows you to make friends and meet people on AOL, Yahoo, MSN or Google for free online chat. " |
| Bebo | "Bebo is the next generation social networking service where members can stay in touch with their College friends, connect with friends, share photos, discover new interests and just hang out." |
| Apple Users Groups | "User groups offer exceptional benefits to members. As a Mac user, you can experience a feeling of connectedness by finding other Mac users in your community. Apple user groups are independent from Apple and run by volunteers. Joining is easy — just get in touch with a group near you." |
| Black Planet | "BlackPlanet.com is the home for what's relevant to you & your community. " |
| Flixster | "Flixster is a community for movie fans of all shapes and sizes. Whether you are a die-hard horror fan or lover of romantic comedies (or both), Flixster is a place where you can find others who share your taste and through them discover new movies that you will love." |
| Friendster | "With more than 95 million members worldwide, Friendster is a leading global online social network. Friendster is focused on helping people stay in touch with friends and discover new people and things that are important to them" |
| Live Journal | "You can use LiveJournal in many ways: a private journal, a blog, a discussion forum or a social network." |
| Multiply | "Multiply makes it easy to create, share and discuss your blog, photos, and videos with more of the people you know, and fewer of the people you don't. " |
| Shelfari | "Shelfari is the premier social network for people who love books.Create a virtual shelf to show off your books, see what your friends are reading and discover new books - all for free!" |
Web Site Building
Web Site Building
| A Web Design Tutorial for Rank Beginners | "Web pages aren't just for geeks any more. If you're in business, the chances are good you'll be involved in building a Web site in one way or another. But what if you don't know HTML from H20? Or a browser from Bowser? I'll take you through the entire process of building a simple Web site, from the ground up, with plenty of pointers to other tutorials, reference material, and product reviews along the way. These lessons are meant to be read in order, but feel free to jump around as you please." |
| Web Building Tutorial | "After you have studied our Web Building Tutorial, you will know how to build a professional web site. You will also know how to prepare yourself for the future, and how to use new technologies like XHTML and XML." |
| Web Site Building | "If you're doing business on the internet, one of the most important aspects of your businesses success is your web site. If your web site doesn't look professional, no matter what product you're offering, your chance of success will be minimal. Take your time and make sure you understand the full picture before you begin." |
| GoDaddy | The safest and least expensive place to register and host your web site. We use it. (and Slightly Creaky gets no discount for saying this.) |
| World Wide Web Consortium | "W3C) develops interoperable
technologies (specifications, guidelines, software, and tools) to lead
the Web to its full potential. W3C is a forum for information,
commerce, communication, and collective understanding. On this page,
you'll find W3C news, links to W3C technologies and ways to get involved. New visitors can find help in Finding Your Way at W3C." |
| Website Grader | "Website Grader is a free seo tool that measures the marketing effectiveness of a website. It provides a score that incorporates things like website traffic, SEO, social popularity and other technical factors. It also provides some basic advice on how the website can be improved from a marketing perspective." |
| Why do Websites Fail? | "First things first – drop the idea of any business website being an overnight success. Most websites take time to become successful. Having said this, the fact remains that 10% of the websites on the World Wide Web are drawing 90% of the traffic. Why is this? There are a number of reasons..." |
| Why do Websites Fail? | "Maybe you feel like you’ve done all the right things with your website. You’ve read the books, implemented the keywords, paid for search engine optimization, tried pay-per-clicks and still nada-nothing-zippo. Perhaps you are now having the realization of “Hey, I stink at this!” Not everyone is destined for web success. " |
| Why Websites Fail | "Over 90% of websites could quietly disappear and never be missed by anyone except their owners. It's sad, but true.
With the vast array of "site building" tools available on the market today, anyone can build a website. Building a website that works - is another story." |
| Common Reasons a Website is Unsuccessful | "Some websites exist strictly to provide information to visitors. Others aim to sell products. Some exist solely to provide information about the services of a business. As you can see, there is no one equation for success online, but there are a number of common causes for failure with a website." |
| "HTML is very easy to use; it was designed that way. You don't have to be a programmer to use it. If you can edit a text file, then you can write HTML (and if you can write email, you can edit a text file). If you tried to learn before and couldn't, then someone wasn't telling you the right things." | |
| HTML Made Really Easy | |
| HTML Code Tutorials | "Welcome to the HTML Code Tutorial. Our goal is to provide the most helpful and complete guide to creating web pages anywhere. If you're just beginning, start learning HTML here." |
| HTML Tutorial | "In this HTML tutorial you will learn how to use HTML to create your own Web site." |
| Hexadecimal Color Codes for HTML | "This chart helps you pick a hexadecimal color code from more than 1,000 named colors for use in HTML Web page features. Click on the color set closest to the hue that you want, and you'll see a chart with color names and hex codes." |
| Slacker's Guide to HTML Color | "Includes RGB (Red, Green, Blue) Values and Hex (hexadecimal) Codes. Color Scheme and Design Assistance Just Add the Six-Digit Code into Your HTML to Display Color If You Can't See the Text Just Drag Cursor Over the Box" |
| HTML Colors | "The lowest value that can be given to one light source is 0 (hex #00) and the highest value is 255 (hex #FF)." |
| Page Tutor | "Here you'll find all sorts of HTML, Javascript and web authoring tutorials, from absolute beginner stuff to more advanced material." |
| "Some of the web building tools are free, some can be downloaded as trial programs, and a few must be purchased. If you wonder how much it will cost you to build a site we will give you a rough estimate, and you'll be surprised when you learn how inexpensive it can be." | |
| Learn How to Build Your Own Website | |
| Building a School Website | "Designed for beginners yet precise in its technical content, this guide is a great means for teachers, kids, and individuals to boogie their way across the digital divide -- and have a great time doing it." |
| Full Free Web Building Tutorials | " At W3Schools you will find all the Web-building tutorials you need, from basic HTML and XHTML to advanced XML, SQL, Database, Multimedia and WAP." |
| Builder (AU) | "Drawing upon local and international developer talent, Builder AU provides professional developers, and managers with a valuable resource to meet their challenging day-to-day demands." |
| Dafont | One of the largest collections of free computer text fonts. |
| DZone | "DZone is a free link-sharing community for developers" |
| Topica | " Topica’s Online Marketing and Sales Solution provides you with a sophisticated yet easy-to-use hosted application (ASP) which combines data integration and analysis features, conversion optimization tools, and industry-leading email marketing capabilities. This solution provides you with a reliable and extremely cost-effective way to create new leads, convert them into paying customers and generate maximum value from them. " |
| Become a Professional Designer! | "Making a great web site is much more than just coding HTML. You need to be successful at presenting your ideas in an interesting manner, whatever your topic may be. Ignorance may be bliss for the one who writes the web site, but that’s rarely the case for the one who visits it. If your site looks unprofessional, so will your reputation. " |
| "The term blog is a shortened form of weblog or web log. Authoring a blog, maintaining a blog or adding an article to an existing blog is called “blogging”. Individual articles on a blog are called “blog posts,” “posts” or “entries”. A person who posts these entries is called a “blogger”." | |
| What is a Blog? | |
| Have Blogs Killed Conventional Websites? | "Blogs are cheap, easy, efficient, wildly easy to find on the Net, super marketing-friendly, and just plain fun. They work rings around websites. So are conventional websites no longer necessary? " |
| Introduction to Blogging | "A blog is a frequently updated, personal website featuring diary-type commentary and links to articles on other Web sites. Blogs range from the personal to the political, and can focus on one narrow subject or a whole range of subjects." |
| Beginner's Guide to Weblogs | "Nothing personifies the Internet's promise of easy and unlimited communication possibilities quite like the humble weblog. Never mind the millions of commercially driven website; what could be more creative than placing your own thoughts, feelings, art, rants, your own... whatever, in front of a potential audience of millions?" |
| The Rules Behind Creating a Great Blog | "So in your quest to dominate your corner of the blogosphere, you might be wonder about higher order questions. How does one blog? What are the “rules” behind creating a great blog? Is there anything universal that connects the very stuff behind the truly great blogs irrespective of their content? What does a great science blog have in common with a great celebrity blog? And can corporate blogs, be great?" |
| 10 Tips for Bloggers | "There are no hard and fast rules on how to blog. Having said that, bloggers will likely increase their exposure by following some simple blog guidelines." |
| Wet Paint | "Wetpaint powers websites that tap the power of collaborative thinking. The heart of the Wetpaint advantage is its ability to allow anyone — especially those without technical skill — to create and contribute to websites written for and by those who share a passion or interest. To do this, Wetpaint combines the best aspects of wikis, blogs, forums and social networks so anyone can click and type on the web." |
| The Power of the Blog | "The online community is fast waking up to the power of blogs which have spread across the internet like wild fire. If you are still grappling with the word BLOG, these are online websites which are diary-like in approach and people are free to publish news or their ideas and thoughts. Blogs are very popular as they are simple to use and in most cases, free. " |
| Commercial - Slightly Creaky uses Dreamweaver for creating and editing our pages. It is NOT inexpensive, so only consider it if you are going to be doing extensive web work on your own. We also recommend that you take a community college or adult education class before you proceed. We are self taught and miss many tricks and features. | |
| Adobe Dreamweaver | |
| Microsoft Expression | Commercial "Microsoft Expression Studio takes your creative possibilities to a new level. The professional design tools and innovative technologies in Expression Studio give you the flexibility and freedom to bring your vision to reality—whether you are designing standards-based Web sites, rich user experiences for the desktop and Silverlight, or managing digital assets and content." |
| First Page | Commercial "1st Page 2000 is a professional HTML editor / website builder which lets you create great websites fast! The visually appealing program comes bundled with over 450+ Javascripts and supports all the latest web languages" |
| Media Fire | "MediaFire is the simplest free file hosting service for businesses, professionals, and individuals to share files and images with others" |
| Tripod | "Just starting out? Our entry-level plan lets you discover the fun of site-building for free. Upgrading is easy!" |
| Animation & Graphics for Websites | "Bellsnwhistles.com graphics are free for your use and if you use them we ask that you PLEASE DOWNLOAD what you need! " |
| Build Your Own Website | "Are you looking for something specific about web design and development? If so, make use of our master index or search our site. Information about linking to Build-Website.com is also available, along with some cool graphics. " |
| My Free Website Builder | "To view the instructional video tutorials, you can either watch them online or download them to your computer (for the latter, simply open each video's folder and double click on the html file to watch each video)." |
| NOTE: There are hundreds of web site building tools, many of them free. Some web hosting companies provide their own tools and may not accept others. Before you purchase (or download free tolls) decide what web host you want (we use GoDaddy) and see what tools they recommend or support. | |
Computer & Console Games
Computer & Console Games
With hundreds of thousands of computer and console games available,
we have chosen to link to those sites that review and recommend.
Some of these are commercial.
| GameSpot | "Nobody knows games and gamers like GameSpot. Our love of games combined with our experience, innovation, and commitment makes GameSpot the standard for all things gaming. For 11 years, we’ve been 100-percent focused on games. We understand that today’s gamers play for many different reasons, and we’re able to engage this growing number of diverse gamers no matter why they hit play." |
| CNET Reviews | "Reviews and advice on games and gaming gear, consoles, portables, and more." |
| VideoGame Review | "Select your gaming platform to read game reviews, participate in Forum, view screenshots, get cheat codes, and see previews of upcoming games." |
| Geek Game Reviews & Gaming News | "News, information and reviews on the newest online games, gaming strategies, cheats, and adventures. Gamers, we'll let you know about the latest releases and rumored developments from your favorite game publishers and developers." |
| IGN | "IGN offers up reviews and previews of your favorite games, DVDs, movies, CDs, television shows, and comic books, but we also post hot interviews, insightful editorials, and in-depth specials every day." |
| Game Zone | "Get the latest game cheats, game reviews, downloads and previews as well as free hints, game walkthroughs, cheat codes and daily news for games." |
| File Planet | "FilePlanet a leading online destination site for exclusive betas, demos and trials of upcoming new videogames from top publishers and developers. With over 330,000 files, FilePlanet has one of the largest online libraries for videogame files." |
| Game Spy | "The ultimate vertical gaming service with a focus on multiplayer gaming, GameSpy combines rich content about the products, lifestyle and culture of gaming with a breadth of interactive services that provide advertisers with an affinity building tool not found anywhere else." |
Collecting Computers & Parts
Collecting Computers & Parts
"This is a web site devoted to the preservation and discussion of old and obsolete computers." |
|
| The Degrader | |
| The Vintage Computer | "This web site is dedicated to collecting, restoring and simply playing with old (A.K.A. vintage, classic, antique, outdated or just plain junk) computers." |
| Mind Machine Museum | "A virtual museum and gallery of vintage computers, vintage calculators, and related artifacts." |
| The Home Computer Hall of Fame | "It's an archive. It's a virtual museum. It's a nostalgia trip. It's somewhere where people can look wistfully at a plastic box with less processing power than a TV remote and say things like "I learned to program on one of those, they were brilliant". Basically, it's somewhere where sad people can sit and remember the good old days of home computing. " |
| Classic Computer Technology Hobby | "Remember the Atart-2600? How bout the TRS-80, the ColecoVision, the Odyssey, the Commodore 64? What about the Newton - the first “unofficial” PDA (though some would argue there were earlier PDAs)." |
| The Trailing Edge | "This site is devoted to computing technology which has been left behind by the rapidly advancing Leading Edge of computing. Many interesting and useful systems have been forgotten with the mad rush to stay on the Cutting Edge and maintain the high sales of hardware and software companies." |
| European Vintage Computer Festival | "Our mission is to encourage the preservation of obsolete computer hard- and software of years past, to promote interest in researching and documenting the history of the computer age ... and to have fun playing with old iron." |
| Pocket Computer Museum | "A lot of pockets machines dated 80's, all programmable in BASIC language. " |
| Old Computers | "This site is a record of the collection of Vintage computers and associated items that I have managed to put together over the past few years." |
| Binary Dinosaurs | "Welcome to Binary Dinosaurs, the online display of a real collection of over 400 computers that begins at the Magnavox Odyssey from 1972, travels through the 'pong wars' of the 1970s, visits the explosion of diversity and excellence that created the home computer market of the early 80's and ends when things started getting boring (for me) in about 1997 with the Apple Mac G3, a machine still in use today." |
| Classic Computer Online Museum | When the "Pet" was an electronic thinking machine. |
| Chronology of Personal Computers |
"This web document is a sneak peek at a book project of mine. Since 1994, I have browsed over 1000 sources for date information related to personal computers. This brief summary includes many of the essential happenings that shaped the industry. The full text contains over to 5000 entries. I have tried to keep it open-minded and unbiased, but the annoying fact is that "the winners write the history books"." |
| UK National Archive for the History of Computing | "Computing machines became central to technological and social change in the twentieth century; their use determines many aspects of our lives in the twenty-first. British institutions and individuals played an important role in this process. However, the records and artifacts which might help the historian to document it are fast disappearing." |
| 1000 Bit | "We are talking about 8 bit computer, but also about everything that is personal computer's history. So here you can find also information about your computer with the good 68000, for example ! 1000 bit is talking about all the bits history." |
| Obsolute Computer Museum | "The Museum is becoming a portal. Instead of just listing the Museum pages, I'm expanding it to be able to include links to other resources." |
| Ka-Ching! Ka-Ching! | "One of the earliest inventions for keeping track of commercial transactions is the abacus, an instrument that helps a person make arithmetic calculations. Invented over 4500 years ago in the mid-east, it was further developed by the Egyptians and Chinese into its present form. A variety of different abacus designs exist. The word "abacus" comes from the Greek abax, meaning "counting board." The device has other names in Asian languages. Cash registers today mechanically implement many of the functions of the abacus." |
| Vintage Computing and Games | "We're always looking for tips, historical info, article ideas, and donations of old hardware, software, or print matter. " |
| "From places near and far, the computers and accessories of Commodore Business Machines have made their way into my humble home. These digital wonders are my favorite toys, being both my chief hobby and greatest passion. You may want to check out the Canonical List of Commodore Products for more information on the myriad of Commodore products before proceeding." | |
| Commodore Gallery | |
| Chronology of the Commodore 64 Computer |
"This document is an attempt to bring various published sources together to present a timeline about the Commodore 64 Computer." |
| Commodore Home Computer Museum | "Commodore Computers were among the forefront of the home computer industry, and as such it is worth preserving some of the history of that period." |
| C64 Users Manual | "I've tried my best to make it look and feel as much as the original paper manual as possible. You will find exactly the same text formatting and images here" |
| C-65 | "This website is about the CBM C65 prototype, also known as the C64DX. Development started in 1990 and was stopped short time before the thing was finished in 1991. Some of the development systems appeared in 1994 after Commodores death and were sold by Grapevine Group. Software and documentation for this computer are quite rare, so i decided to create this website to share my experiences concerning the C65 with other (potential) owners and interested people." |
| Leo 1 | "More than 50 years ago, in 1951, Leo 1, a British computer, became the world's first business computer" |
| The Adam Computer | "Released in October 1983, the Adam was available in two versions, as an add-on to the very popular ColecoVision game system, or as a stand-alone home computer system." |
| Tandy Computers 1978 Catalog | "I received this catalog in the mail in 1978. It got filed among my piles of books, magazines, and catalogs for 20 years. I encountered it again recently, and thought some of the other classic computer buffs might enjoy looking through it." |
| Radio Shack Catalogue Archive | "For almost 65 years RadioShack has produced a catalog to rival no other electronics and technology company. Through the years, this catalog expanded to contain a mix of hi-fidelity stereos, amplifiers, radios, phonographs, speakers, televisions & antennas, CBs & communication equipment, computers, electronic components, electronic testing equipment, educational kits, toys, gadgets, batteries, electronic circuitry, and much more." |
| Unboxing a 1984 Atari Touch Tablet | "A time like 1984, which, for computer graphics, was darker than the Dark Ages. It was a time when you could buy an $89.95 Atari CX77 Touch Tablet for your Atari 8-bit home computer. Luckily, I bought mine for considerably less last year, although it was still in new, unopened condition. " |
| Apple Fritter | Dedicated to old Macs and Apples. |
| Recreating the First Microprocessor - Based Calculator | "In 1969, Japanese electronics manufacturer Busicom approached a little startup called Intel to develop a chipset for their new 141-PF electronic printing calculator. Intel's solution was the world's first single chip microprocessor -- the tiny Intel 4004 -- which powered the Busicom machine to groundbreaking success in 1971. " |
| The PET | "This is the first Commodore computer, the PET, or the Personal Electronic Transactor. It appears that they just made up that description, though, as the name "PET" was apparently chosen to capitalize on the pet rock fad going on at the time. " |
| IBM Archives | "History of IBM is a permanent exhibit that provides a selective decade-by-decade/year-by-year overview of IBM history" |
| Timex Sinclair 1000: My First Computer | "The Timex Sinclair 1000 [sold as the ZX81 in the UK -Ed.], released in 1982, was priced for affordability and targeted to families. We got ours for $100" |
"Most software is stored on media that is rapidly degrading. Before long, the data on those original WordStar or Lotus 1-2-3 floppies will be about as useful as a piece of cardboard." |
|
| Fighting to Preserve Old Programs | |
| The Renegade Programming Group | "Bringing you "Demos", Utilities, and NTSC/PAL fixes for use on the Commodore 64 and Commodore 128 Personal Computers" |
| Old Computer Software | "Now what is the point of collecting old computers when there's no software to use them on?" |
| Miscellaneous Used Commodore 64 Programs and Accessories | (Commercial) "A growing list of used Commodore 64 games, utilities, educational programs, applications and more " |
| C64 Animation | A collection of C-64 graphics with links. |
| Commodore Computer Club | Forum |
| GB64 | "We wish to preserve the memory of the beloved 8-bit computer for the generations to come. We do this by trying to preserve all game software written for the Commodore 64 computer before the deterioration of old 5 ¼ disks and common cassette tapes erases them for ever. " |
| Old Software Versions We Want Back | "When that familiar upgrade popup appears on your screen, your initial response is probably one of trepidation: Will the new version slow down my computer? Will it install bloatware? Will it be incompatible with the apps already on my PC? " |
| Beginners Guides: Making Old Software Compatible with Windows Vista | "One of the most common gripes about Windows Vista even now, almost a year and a half after its release, is that it doesn't play nicely with a LOT of older software. It has some pretty big software compatibility issues, and nothing is more frustrating than purchasing a new Vista based computer system or upgrading your old PC to Vista, only to then find out that the games and applications you're accustomed to no longer run." |
| Old Apps | "Our mission is to provide our users with a wide assortment of current versions of familiar software, and their predecessors, for free. Our database is maintained up to date with older versions of software as they become readily available" |
| Old Software for New Computers | (Commercial) " More than 2,000 different programs, games, computer products and other fascinating items in stock! " |
| Abandonware.net | A resource of links for old computer software. |
| Free Oldies | "Video games nostalgic or confirmed gamer, you will find with our search engine links towards several hundreds of complete and free games !!! All the games, also called abandonwares, were all removed from the business and abandoned by their respective authors. " |
| C:DOS Abandonware | A resource for old computer games |
| The Abandonware Ring | "Why abandonware is technically software piracy: According to U.S. Law and International Treaties, a copyright belongs to the author of a software product for 70 years beyond the life of the author or 95 years after the copyright date if the work is done by a corporation or anonymous source. Before that time expires, nobody (except the author) has the right to copy that piece of software." |
"In Internet years, integrated circuits have been around for more than 120 years. It is absolutely amazing the number and variety of computing devices that have been created and obsolesced in just 40 years. Integrated circuits are used for many purposes, but these pages focus primarily on vintage computing chips from the 60's-80's." |
|
| Antique Chip Collector's page | |
| Open Source Directory of Used Computer Parts | Most links are to commercial sites that may carry parts people seek. |
| 5 1/4 Inch Disk Archives | "We currently have 612 sleeves!" |
We are seeking links for this category - If you know any good non-commercial web sites, please let us know. Collectors' Forums are also welcome. suggestions@slightlycreaky.com. |
|
The obvious legal statement.
The folks at Slightly Creaky are volunteers. None of us get any salary or compensation in any form. We are not a corporation, just a few folks working out of our houses. If anything on this site bothers you, if you notice mistakes, please let us know.
While we do maintain editorial rights, things slip past, especially on the message boards. The submitted columns and news articles, as well as the postings on the message boards, belong to the contributor(s), not to the Slightly Creaky team. We are simply a vehicle bringing you information to the best of our ability. We have no control over the sites we link to. Web site contents frequently change. If you find anything improper, objectionable or not working, please notify us.
Be sure to read our complete Legal Information and Policies