I'm very
big into bookmarking. In fact, hardly a day goes by that I don't
find some useful piece of content worth book-marking so that I
can revisit it at a later time. This month, I thought I'd share
a few of my favorite (and most-frequented) bookmarked sites with
my readers.
BusinessLaw.gov
BusinessLaw.gov was developed by the Small Business Administration
to give small business owners access to legal and regulatory information.
But they've also included tutorials, wizards and other online
utilities to deliver advice on finances, starting or expanding
a business and accessing state or local info.
http://www.businesslaw.gov
Manufacturing
Jobs
This very easy-to-use site is brought to you by MfgQuote, the
Online RFQ folks (and a PF Online partner). Here's how it works:
prospective employers pay to submit jobs they have available;
job seekers register, but can use all features available in MfgJobs
for them at no cost.
http://www.mfgjobs.com
Google
Google is considered the most accomplished, capable and technically
accurate of all the indexable search engines in 2002. Not only
does it offer the best criteria for ranking and returning sites
relevant to your query (it considers longevity of sites, number
of links to sites and other benchmarks); it also offers the Web's
best newsgroup collection search. http://www.google.com
WebMonkey
WebMonkey is one of the Web's single best resources for Web site
development. Don't be intimidated by the plethora of technical
info here-if you let that drive you away, you're missing out.
The site caters to beginners and experts alike, and information
is presented extraordinarily well. If you're new to web site development,
start by reading the section on HTML
basics.
http://www.webmonkey.com
Environmental
Protection Agency
I had mixed feelings about citing EPA's web site as a "top
ten" resource. On the one hand, it's an amazing repository
loaded with valuable information on topics ranging from Brownfields
to MP&M legislation. The problem lies in finding this information.
Typically, the really valuable content is buried several levels
deep, and the frequent changes that the interface and navigation
undergo as you navigate around the site can really be frustrating.
http://www.epa.gov
Enviro$en$e
Environ$en$e is actually a component of the EPA's web site. Possibly
the best of the government bunch, this "mini-site" provides
a single repository for pollution prevention, compliance assurance
and enforcement information and databases. http://es.epa.gov/index.html
MetalPrices.com
MetalPrices.com provides current prices for primary and scrap
metals, updated twice daily. The site is broken down into free
and subscription areas. The subscription area (available for $95
per year) features more frequently updated prices, e-mail alerts,
metals-related news, price history tables and more.
http://www.metalprices.com
Solvents
Alternative Guide (SAGE)
Developed by the Surface Cleaning Program at the Research Triangle
Institute, SAGE offers a couple of great features. Among these
is the Process Advisor, a tool which allows you to enter in detailed
information about your part and get solvent/process alternatives.
http://clean.rti.org/
Useit.com
If you have a web site-regardless of how large or small-you need
to check out (and bookmark) useit.com. Run by Jakob Nielsen (a
former engineer for Sun Microsystems) this site is THE resource
when it comes to web site usability. Useit.com examines all aspects
of usability, including deep-linking, graphics, navigation and
even how to design for users with disabilities.
http://www.useit.com
Glossary
of Painting Terms
The National Paint & Coatings Association has done a terrific
job in making this glossary a "must-have," especially
for folks new to the industry. The rest of the site is worth checking
out too!
http://www.paint.org/ind_info/terms.htm
Know of
other useful sites that you'd like to share with readers? E-mail
your suggestions to khand@pfonline.com.
