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Concepts such as this one come along only once or twice in a lifetime. Give DailyRoutine a try.
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

DailyRoutine, Internet-Help and Major Geeks: 3 winners on the Web


Aug. 11, 2002


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2002, The Post-Standard

   I have three exciting Web sites to report on this week. The first site is an improved version of one of the best ideas to come out of the Internet revolution, and the others are sites I haven't seen before.
   The improved site is Daily Routine, at www.dailyroutine.com. It's simply the best way I've ever seen to keep track of your favorite Web sites. It's a brilliant invention, much easier to set up and use than to describe. You MUST give it a try.
   It costs nothing to use Daily Routine's service, and you're not subjected to spyware or anything else that threatens your privacy.
   DailyRoutine has two features you might find indispensable: Nothing except an identity record needs to be stored on your own computer, so you don't have to worry about piling up the megabytes when you assemble your own "daily routine" of sites you like to visit, and all your Web selections follow you wherever you go.
   Let's say you're at your sister-in-law's house, and you want to show your nephew some of your favorite astronomy sites. All you do is log onto the DailyRoutine site -- as long as you type the right password, you can get on from anywhere -- and your entire set of favorite sites is waiting for you.
   But it's another feature that makes DailyRoutine unique: You can "play" your travels from site to site as if DailyRoutine were a VCR. It can be automated so that all you do is sit and watch -- ideal, of course, if you're busy doing other things in the morning, for example. It's also a godsend for anyone who cannot easily click a mouse or trackball.
   DailyRoutine has many other advantages over the standard way of keeping track of favorite Web sites. It even offers suggestions for sites that specialize in various topics if you need help getting your own "routine" organized. It works quickly, too.
   Concepts such as this one come along only once or twice in a lifetime. Go to www.dailyroutine.com and give it a try.
   Note: The "Internet Help" site mentioned next seems to have disappeared. The site that shows up with that address is not the same.    I'm also impressed by a site that helps you find specific help when your computer is acting up or you can't get expensive software to work right. It's www.internet-help.net. It has quick links to about 1,500 Internet Web sites that specialize in one topic or another.
   The only drawback to Internet-Help.net is its ignorance of Macintosh-related sites -- it lists only 15 -- but Windows users will find a lot of guidance. A plus is the way Internet-Help.net lets users rate each site. Instead of a simple list, you get a description along with ratings from people who actually tried out the sites.
   The third great site is for Windows users who love to download files. It's www.majorgeeks.com. You'll find enough files to fill three rainy weekends with Windows-tweaking parties. (What? You mean you don't do that kind of thing? Get a new plan, Stan!) The system-configuration software alone is worth a few hours spent browsing this site.