If you enjoy satire The Onion should be one of your first stops on the internet. One of the more hilarious examples of their humor occurred when they announced Kim Jong Un the sexiest man alive and the Chinese People’s Daily website ran the article. As might be expected, part of the about page reads: “The Onion is the world’s leading news publication, offering highly acclaimed, universally revered coverage of breaking national, international, and local news events. Rising from its humble beginnings as a print newspaper in 1756, The Onion now enjoys a daily readership of 4.3 trillion and has grown into the single most powerful and influential organization in human history.” If you have never checked it out or it has been a while, give it a visit.

While it has become automatic for many people when searching the internet to use Google, there are some fine alternatives that might offer more in depth information. One of them is Infoplease “a reference and learning site, combining the contents of an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas and several almanacs loaded with statistics, facts, and historical records. Our editors regularly update and refine this enormous body of information—as well as adding new discoveries and identifying trends—to bring you reliable and authoritative information. The content is written and edited by professional editors, and the site has received numerous awards and accolades since launch.” What began as a radio quiz show in 1938 evolved into a series of almanacs which in turn led to the website. Take some time to check it out.

Download.com “is the place where people go to discover free-to-try legal downloads. Featuring rated reviews, Download.com is the trusted, safe, and secure resource for software, mobile applications, and game downloads. With everything from PC starter kits to games, security patches, screensavers, and mobile apps, you can play with more than 150,000 free downloads. Features such as most-popular lists, editorial reviews, blogs, and how-to articles will help you find the software that is right for you.” I have used Download several times over the years when looking for software, usually for security on a new computer. If you are searching for a program Download is a good place to start.

Indeed is a searchable help wanted site that aggregates listings from thousands of websites. From their about page: “Indeed is the #1 job site in the world with over 250 million unique visitors every month. Indeed strives to put job seekers first, giving them free access to search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies. Every day, we connect millions of people to new opportunities.” If you are in the market for a job you might as well try searching with the number one site.

I began using DuckDuckGo as my primary internet search engine a couple of years ago after getting fed up with reading the non-stop articles about Google tracking locations, storing search histories, creating advertisement profiles, storing information about apps and all YouTube history, bookmarks, emails and on and on. From the DuckDuckGo About page: “You deserveprivacy. Companies are making money off of your private information online without your consent. At DuckDuckGo, we don’t think the Internet should feel so creepy and getting the privacy you deserve online should be as simple as closing the blinds.” I initially tried comparative searches using the two search engines and was happy with the results from DuckDuckGo. Give it a try.

For the last few months I have been checking out a new site for news updates. Unlike the Drudge Report this site organizes by topic. From their About page: “Easy to use and free, Knewz offers a constantly updated menu of stories from a spectrum of substantive sources. We link directly to publishers’ sites, fully supporting the work of journalists. We honor original reporting, favoring genuine scoops over crass clickbait. Most important, we provide a range of perspectives in the stories we showcase, from publications large and small, liberal and conservative, niche and general, located in all 50 states.”

Most every time I have used FamilySearch for genealogical research I have found something helpful. From their About page: “Our vision is carried out by a dedicated team of employees and volunteers who work tirelessly to preserve and share the largest collection of genealogical and historical records in the world. We strive to create and link the best and most valuable research resources to help people discover who they are by exploring where they come from. For over 100 years, FamilySearch and its predecessors have been actively gathering, preserving, and sharing genealogical records worldwide.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints owns and operates the website, and the reason for their interest in genealogy can be found here.

When my kids were preparing for college one of the sites we used was Fastweb, to look for scholarships. From their About page: “For over 25 years, we have worked to help students discover scholarships that are targeted to their strengths, interests and skills. We also assist students in discovering the right college for their budget, making tough financial aid decisions and finding internship opportunities that will help them bridge the divide between college and post-graduate life. Finally, we give students the option to pay for college with part-time jobs by offering part time job search and advice.” If you or someone you know has college looming in the near future take the time to check out this very helpful site.

Allrecipes states that “what started with a single cookie recipe has grown organically to become the world’s largest food-focused social network with a community of 85 million home cooks consuming 3 billion pages annually of food inspiration across our 19 sites serving 24 countries in 12 languages. I invite you to join our one-of-a-kind community that inspires home cooking and celebrates the foods we make with friends, family, brands and followers. Calling all cooks!” They offer free apps for your devices, videos, and an ingredient search engine to find recipes for what you have on hand.

AllMusic “catalogs more than 3 million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musical artists and bands.” One may subscribe for an add free experience or just browse all of the free sections. There is much to take in here; it’s worth the time to explore this site to learn more about the the music you already enjoy and to discover interesting new artists.