September 2002

Have you ever looked closely at those beautifully detailed charts your doctor or dentist has hanging on the wall? Chances are they came from the Anatomical Chart Company, which specializes in things medical. They're not all serious business, though – visit the "Halloween Crypt" for some truly creepy goodies.

If you're like most computer users, you find yourself having to dig several levels deep in your hard drive to find folders you use again and again. Folder Cache takes the "arrrrrgh!" out of using your files, by giving you a handy list of recently visited folders in the Open and Save dialogs you use every day.

There are those who say that the Internet has rendered the art of good writing irrelevant. They lie – and Satiric Quill is proof. Quill looks at life through a lens made of equal parts satire and wisdom, and gives the reader good reason to laugh and think at the same time. And don't miss Planet Quill, a companion site of writer's resources.

Need to find the facts fast? If you can't find them with the help of the Wall Street Executive Library, then those are some mighty peculiar facts you're looking for, partner. Not just an index of online news sources, it includes links to search engines, online technical support, general and specialized references resources, and more.

With the Backup, Archival, and Synchronization Kit – better known as BASK – you have a powerful (and free!) toolkit for backing up, comparing, and synchronizing your files under any version of Windows from 98 to XP.

Eric Meyer on CSS is the companions website to the book of the same name. It includes errata, projects, source code, and links to other CSS resources on the web.

My eldest son has been studying Latin in school. He'd better be careful. The next time he mutters "Qualem blennum!" under his breath after we've had a disagreement, I'll know what he said – thanks to Latin phrases for all occasions.

If the new site you're working on just isn't going to look right without a truly funky background, get thee to this handy list of online background graphics resources, courtesy of the fine folks at WebReference.

I find myself using SalesHound at least once a week. Give it your ZIP code, and it will find items for sale within a preset radius of where you live. You can search by keyword, category, department, or retailer. It will even provide a map of the retailer's location, if you've decided to buy.

The cryptic title of TTW WYSIWYG Editor Widgets is easily decoded: It's a list of "through-the-web" (TTW) "what you see is what you get" (WYSIWYG) utilities that allow you to use any web connected computer to edit pages on your web site. Many are commercial, and most seem to be for the Windows version of Internet explorer – but they might be just what the webmaster on the go needs.

A spambot is a specialized computer program that harvests email addresses from websites for the use of spammers. Keeping Spambots Out: A New Anti-Spam System proposes a simple system that defeats the spambot by requiring that a human being request an email address from a web site.

If it's on the Internet, it must be true, right? Of course not – but how do we teach children to distinguish the reliable information from the meadow muffins? Teaching Zack to Think looks at ways that teachers and parents can help children learn to think critically about online information.

WebGraphics is a weblog that focuses on (wait for it…) web graphics and web design. Be sure to mine all the juicy resources in the left and right columns.

The Color Calculator gives the webmaster or web designer a powerful tool for choosing harmonious color combinations for a web site. Select a harmony pattern and experiment with the included color wheel to find the perfect design choices for your new site.

Many problems that crop up when using Internet Explorer for Windows are a result of add-in programs that the user has installed. Some are spyware, and some are just poorly written utilities. The Darnit lists dozens of these IE issues, their causes, and the fixes where available.