There are reference sites, and then there’s refdesk.com.
I was always fascinated by the reference desk at my school or local
library. There were always hundreds of books, encyclopedias and other
materials that you could find in that one special place.
Refdesk.com is the internet version of exactly that. Just like the
library version, I could spend hours browsing the various materials
that refdesk.com points to.
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It is great for family information where the young could devote their time instead of drugs and gangsterism. Keep up the good work for a better world.
I’d like to recommend Internet Public Library (IPL.org). I find it better organized and less overwhelming than Refdesk.
Quite comprehensive indeed. As g. oliver stated, it can be a bit overwhelming [I have ADHD]. Too bad it isn’t customizable allowing what you need the most on top. Then again, I could also click the link then add that site to my reference folder. Or, just add refdesk.com to my favorites.
I found it best to collect reference sites before you actually need them. A real time saver.
Thanx very much. I always like to research and learn new things. I’ve found that undisciplined searches least to the extremes of “the greatest thing since sliced white bread” to “my brother-in-law grew a third head after using it”. I’ve also found that references included in internet articles are often “circular” where the writers use each others writing as a reference without running information to the source. Even doing a simple Powerpoint presentation for quilt group took over a week of running the references to the source. The good news? I had a lot of fun and learned a great deal. The bad news? I wasted a lot of time doing it. While I’m retired, I don’t like to waste time. I want to be sewing and quilting.
As an aside, I’d like to thank Ask Leo for the information provided. While most of what you say goes over my head, I do try to keep reasonably literate and you have pointed me towards some very good software and apps that have proved very useful. Thanx also for your patience in not talking down to us 65+ users. I used to be a dynamite programmer in Assembly language, COBOL and FORTRAN. (Even used a keypunch machine, wire board, and sorter in one of my earliest jobs.) However, time and events moved me into a job where using a computer became more important that programming one. Now it’s a valueable tool but I’m not up on all the technical info. Your letters and webpage help keep me in the loop. Keep up the good work.
01-Dec-2012