Interesting and Useful Websites

Edit from the future: sharing interesting finds and useful discoveries has always been one of the defining features of this website. Over time the focus has shifted more into a personal web journal, although I do still maintain the static list pages. But for a period of time (circa 2008-2013) I would occasionally feature an interesting or useful website, if I didn’t feel it were too much of a commercial endeavor. Many of the original websites have since gone offline, and the post removed. But incredibly enough others remain going, or at least kept online, whether a charitable organization or personal project. Those that remain are something like a memento or retrospective of the original collection.

Click HERE if you don’t see the websites below

Project Noah

If Flickr had been designed from the ground up with a focus on plant & animal life then it might have turned out something like Project Noah. Featuring user submitted photography spanning the spectrum of Earth’s biodiversity, this is one site that I could probably spend hours browsing through (and likely discovering many new, amazing things along the way). It still takes my breath away that our precious planet is filled with such variety and abundant life.

Submit your own works, comment on others, or compile a collection of favorites. As the tagline says, Project Noah is “a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.”

Notfound.org

Do you operate a website or know someone who does? Does the website have 404 pages reserved for the occasional broken link or wayward visitor?

If it could help with rescuing a missing child, would you be willing to give up a portion of the screen real estate on those 404 pages?

Please visit Notfound.org to learn more.

Story of Stuff Project

Those not already plugged-in to the Story of Stuff Project will find a series of informative (rather straightforward) animated shorts that bring to life the realities of [unhealthy/unsustainable] consumerism. Basically, there’s the way things are now, and the way we should be going about this business – in a manner that’s equitable to the poorer countries and low-wage workers …not to mention the long-term health of the planet.

The latest short is titled, “The Story of Change”

But be sure to start with the original, “The Story of Stuff”

and not to miss the “Story of Bottled Water”

Classic Cinema Online

Being a fan of old movies I was only too happy to discover Classic Cinema Online, a site dedicated exclusively to screening feature-length classics Free…no registration required. Simply find a seat, allow the reel to buffer for a few minutes and wait for the show to begin. Don’t forget the popcorn of course. On any given day there is a featured selection of around seven films, although the entire database is searchable by title or genre. And I do believe the site hosts classic “serials” as well.

I really love the aesthetic of this neat little site and hope it never changes. All too often innovative projects like these start off doing one thing really well, then eventually – often in the pursuit of commercial interest – end up expanding in awkward ways. My favorite design element are the movie posters, which do wonders for recreating the glamor of the classic cinema experience.