Recommend a Website
I realized something ridiculous but probably commonplace: there are over 100 million web sites on the WWW, and I spend 90% of my time on 12 of them.
I remember a decade ago when the main browser was Netscape and more than a handful of web pages had “Under Construction” signs on them. It was easier to explore the web because it was new. It’s like how when I move to a new place, I’ll actively explore the area for a few months and then completely shut down at a point, regardless of how much undiscovered territory remains.
New place, new job, new relationship: there’s something about a new experience that makes one excited and open to learning, and that spirit of exploration shuts down after a while, at least for me.
That’s how the web is for me right now. I’m sure there are hundreds of cool, interesting web sites out there, but I’m stuck in habit, cycling through a narrow sliver of what’s out there.
So…what’s a web site that you keep coming back to? Well-known sites are fine–just because I’ve heard of them doesn’t mean I visit them. Recommend your own web site if you want to.
What ignited this desire was a bike ride. I rode in a neighborhood new to me yesterday. As I went passed a church, I heard a few bars of a middle-aged man singing an R&B\soul song to two women on the sidewalk. It was a nice moment, and I wish I had turned around and listened to the rest. He was good. The web is a poor subsitiute for real life, but maybe changing my habits here will be a gateway to leaving my house more often and experiencing more of life.
RedBach said,
May 30, 2008 @ 11:03 am
I frequent http://www.daytrotter.com when looking for new sounds. The Daytrotter sessions record 4 songs, live, from a variety of musicians “just passing through”. Oh, and the music is free to download. The site rocks.
Kate said,
May 30, 2008 @ 4:55 pm
I know exactly what you’re saying. I was so excited to move to DC and explore the city, but really, I very rarely leave my neighborhood to do shop and eat.
Terry McCall said,
June 3, 2008 @ 11:00 pm
I think everyone knows this one but
BoingBoing: Blog of Blogs
For the looky-loos: NotCot
PS: Came here from Taplin’s blog, so you already know that one.
Jason said,
June 4, 2008 @ 9:15 am
Thanks for the recommendations, everyone. Daytrotter is great–I downloaded a few songs from Yeasayer and The Ting Tings. I like Boing Boing, and will check out NotCot.