Life As A Human Likes is a weekly feature of fascinating, enlightening, fun or perhaps just odd blogs and websites that enliven the experience of being human. This week, we feature 2 outstanding sites that consistently provide excellent content to their readers and one that just might represent the future of search!
Winner, Bloggies 2009 Weblog of the Year
#1 – The Pioneer Woman
That The Pioneer Woman won the Weblog of the Year award at the 2009 Bloggies is really no surprise. Ree Drummond’s creation is arguably one of the most elegant sites on the internet. Along with her great weblog, she published her first book, “The Pioneer Woman Cooks” in October 2009, which has received critical praise including #1 New York Times Bestseller.
Always classy and constantly providing great content, her blog is a shining example of excellence in every regard. If you love cooking, enthusiastic writing, excellent photography and a healthy splash of good fun, then you will love The Pioneer Woman. Her site is addictive, so please don’t forget to come back here too! Now off I go to make some of her ‘Spicy Shrimp’, which apparently are Yummy and Fun, Fun, Fun.
If you like gardening, this site is for you!
#2 – Dave’s Garden
Dave’s Garden is a tremendous website that provides a way for gardeners from around the world to share their knowledge with one another and find resources offered by the gardening industry. With contributions from close to ½ a million registered members, Dave’s Garden has become a massive store of excellent information as it relates to gardening. If you want to know when the best time to prune your Hydrangeas is, or how well a Japanese Maple will do in your climate and soil conditions, then this site is for you.
Dave’s Garden represents the great things that are possible when a group of like-minded people comes together and shares their knowledge. Happy gardening!
The Future Of Search?
#3 – Wolfram|Alpha – Computational Knowledge Engine
If you are anything like me, you are likely often frustrated by the results (or lack thereof) of your searches for information using traditional search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing. You get a ton of links, but alas, they often have little to do with the query. Now however, one-year-old Wolfram|Alpha is making waves with their ambitious vision and their amazing Answer Engine.
“Wolfram|Alpha’s long-term goal is to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable and accessible to everyone.” – Stephen Wolfram
While they have a ways to go, what they have achieved so far is remarkable. They are now one of the first places I go when I need answers. In many ways, it is very much akin to the computer on the Starship Enterprise! I encourage you to watch their introductory video and then try Wolfram|Alpha for yourself. I know you will be pleasantly surprised!
Recent Gil Namur Articles:
- Look After the Little Things
- Promenade
- Close Encounters Of The Google Kind
- Always In This Heart
- A Dance of Delight
These are awesome sites. Love the Search engine. Too much fun.
Thanks Chris!
Knew you would like that one! I’ll let you know how those prawns turn out! In fact, maybe I should save em so you and Kerry can be guinea pigs too! LOL