Dot Commentary: Ten "Must Bookmark" Sites for Finishers

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.
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.